In American, we spend 90% of our food budget on processed foods. The government reports that over 40% of foods found in an average grocery store contain trans fats. Most fast foods contain trans fats. Snacks, chips, candy bars, cookies, crackers, commercial baked goods, pastries and cakes... almost all processed foods contain trans fats.

In example of island population above, effects of eating processed foods and lack of activity turned a healthy population into one with alarming rates of obesity and disease.

How can we avoid trans fats and their effects? What do we look out for?

1) Become a label reader.

Read ingredient labels of foods you buy and look for "partially hydrogenated". If you see those words, avoid that food. Any food that contains "partially hydrogenated" anything is unhealthy and will negatively affect your weight loss program.

Some common foods that contain partially hydrogenated oils are:

-candy bars -chips -snacks -commercially baked pastries -processed foods -most fast foods -cookies -cake mixes -cereals

Bottom line, you can't lose weight and regularly eat foods containing partially hydrogenated oils.

2) Ask questions.

When eating out, ask if foods you are ordering contain "partially hydrogenated oil" or "trans fats".

3) Look for alternatives.

The good news is that because of more media exposure about dangers of "trans fats", companies are starting to replace "partially hydrogenated oils" with alternative ingredients and creating healthier versions of some of your favorite products.

Restaurants are starting to add more natural oils and are removing partially hydrogenated oils from their kitchens. Ask about it when eating out.

Try to get as many "whole" foods into your diet. Add more fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats and avoid processed, prepared and fast foods as much as possible.

Avoiding these hidden oils in food you eat every day alone will make a significant impact on your health, and specifically in reaching your weight loss goals. Add a few lifestyle changes and imagine where you will be on your journey towards better health next month.

In Part 2 of this article, I'll cover other secret additive in foods that no one talks about. This ingredient tricks your brain into thinking what you are eating is delicious and makes you want to continue to eat it, bypassing all your natural signals of feeling full and satisfied! It's also found in a large group of foods we eat every day.

By ordinary I mean doughnuts bought at supermarket that are nothing special, or a bakery cake with icing you don't like. I don't like typical bakery shortening icing and always scrape it off because cake's still okay. Don't eat parts of food you don't even like. Chips, pretzels, cookies, etc. Are they home made or store bought. You can buy store bought brands any day, they aren't special at all. Take a pass. Save your calories for something really special. I'd rather skip morning treats and have a piece or two of excellent chocolate tonight.

If you take a bite and find food is not as good as you expected, you don't have to eat it. "Really? I don't have to eat it?" That's right, you can choose to not eat. There is simply no way I'm wasting calories on food I don't even like. No one is going to notice you aren't eating. Talk to those around you. Laugh, enjoy yourself. Set plate down, walk away. No one will even notice. If someone says, "Aren't you going to eat that?," you can say, "In a minute," and go on chattering. They'll forget all about it. Their only making conversation, they really don't care whether you eat, believe me.

If idea of leaving food or throwing food away is more than you can tolerate, use EFT on that issue too:

"Even though I can't stand to throw away food ..."

"Even though I hate wasting food ..."

"Even though there is no way I can throw away perfectly good food ..."

"Even though my mother said you should never waste food ..."

Being unable to "waste" food is usually a holdover from childhood. You can outgrow childhood conditioning, if you want to. If you hold on to those beliefs, fine. There are no rules here. Just go with whatever comes up, using EFT on anything and everything, and you'll be amazed at difference it can make.

Step 3: Ending Food Cravings Even When You Don't Want To

Do a round of EFT on desire to eat anyway. If you think you don't really want food, but yet you do. In other words, you can't decide not to eat it, or you're deciding not to do EFT because you want to eat it anyway, then do EFT first, have food second. You'll still get to eat goodies. No one is taking anything away from you.

You may still want food but find your desire has lessened. You'll want it because you're hungry for it, or you'll want to take some and save it for later when you are hungrier. You can always save some for later. There is no food police to take it away if you don't eat it right now. Nobody is going to scold you for not finishing your food. Maybe when you were 6-year sold, but not now.

If any memories pop up about eating, leaving food, your mother telling you what you should or should not do, wasting food, or about getting enough to eat, use EFT on those too. That's best way to use EFT, just go with flow of your thoughts, ideas, memories. You'll get where you want to go without needing to know details in advance. Just use EFT on whatever thoughts pop up, and slowly those emotional issues and faulty beliefs will melt away like light snowfall in afternoon sun.

If you take these three steps and still want to eat, go ahead and eat. You'll feel okay about what you're eating, and that's point. Doing what is best for you in moment is what really taking care of yourself is all about.

~~ Kathryn Martyn, Master NLP Practitioner, EFT counselor, author of the free e-book: Changing Beliefs, Your First Step to Permanent Weight Loss, and owner of OneMoreBite-Weightloss.com