Episode 38: Trans Fats and the Magic Pill

LCHF Family

038: Trans Fats and The Magic Pill Released: June 28, 2018 Abby is back! Join her and Anne as they discuss the news about the banning of trans fats from the US food supply and the documentary The Magic Pill. Before we go any further into our show notes for this episode: apologies for the sound quality in this episode. We moved on piece of furniture in the room where we record and apparently that turned the room into a bottomless chasm. We learned our lesson and will be back to former quality in our next episode, which will be in early August. We are taking July off for the summer. News Artificial trans fats are officially banned from supermarkets and restaurants in the US. Three years ago, food producers were given a June 18, 2018 deadline to remove trans fats from their products. Since then, 98% of trans fats have been removed. They have been linked to a myriad of health woes including diabetes and heart disease. Will America as a whole see a decline in this chronic illnesses like Belgium and New York City experienced after their bans? We hope so, but we'll have to wait a few years to see. (Incidentally, we wonder aloud on the podcast about Crisco, which was basically a tub of trans fats. Turns out, it only took them a year to change their formula to be trans-fat free. Curious. What IS that stuff now?!) The Magic Pill documentary The Magic Pill is a podcast following the lives of various people with various health concerns as they switch to a ketogenic diet. Have your tissues handy, because this is a tear jerker! The filmmakers boil the ketogenic diet down to 10 steps: 1. Eat whole food. 2. Choose organic. 3. Eliminate processed foods. 4. Eliminate grains and legumes. 5. Embrace healthy fats. 6. Avoid dairy or opt for full-fat options. 7. Eat naturally raised meats. 8. Eat nose-to-tail. 9. Eat fermented foods. 10. Fast intermittently. Anne and Abby offer commentary on these steps and share their favorite transformations from the film, which should hold the attention of kids tweenish-aged and older. If you have a kid who is a reluctant LCHFer or who is constantly asking questions or who needs more resources to explain this way of eating to others, this is a great resource. Watch it as a family and be ready with the pause button to address their questions as you go along. Summer Reading One of the experts featured in the film is Lierre Keith, who wrote The Vegetarian Myth. This is an excellent book that compassionately addresses the standard arguments in favor of vegetarianism and veganism. As a former vegan herself, Keith's arguments are persuasive. But they can also be pessimistic overall. While this book would be a good counter argument for kids who want to dabble in veganism and vegetarianism, I suggest it be read in conjunction with The Rational Optimist by Matt Ridley, which argues that the world is not as messed up as we are led to believe by certain activists and the main stream media. Many thanks to Lee Rosevere at Free Music Archive for the music we use in the podcast! Be sure to subscribe to the podcast through iTunes or your podcatcher of choice so new episodes arrive automatically. For more support, like and follow the community on Facebook, and check out our website! Please assume any links in the show notes that go to business sites are affiliate links. Purchasing things from our affiliates through those likes us pay for hosting fees and equipment for the podcast. You can see a list of our partners on the Support the Show page.