If you want to stay healthy one of the simplest things you can do is to remove trans frat from your diet. If you don't know what trans fat is just imagine it as fake fat that is like a grain of sand and your brain is an incredibly sophisticated fine watch. Imagine those grains of sand getting into the watch mechanism. It was never designed to be there and can only disrupt the original function of the watch.

Fortunately nearly three years ago the FDA declared that there is no healthy level of trans fat in the diet (read that ZERO) and has ordered food companies to disclose trans fat amounts on food labels by January 2006. For many decades artificial trans fats (partially hydrogenated oils) were embraced as a cheap and seemingly healthy alternative to saturated fats like butter or tropical oils, had been the food industry's favorite.

Unfortunately, only the most health conscious consumers are shopping to avoid trans fat. Hopefully that is a large percentage of you. However, food companies are betting that will change when the labeling law takes effect next January, and they have already spent tens of millions of dollars trying to get rid of trans fat without changing the taste of America's favorite processed and fast foods.

Even McDonald's is getting into the act. A lawyer who founded BanTransFats.com, sued McDonald's over complaints the firm did not properly inform the public that it had encountered delays in plans to lessen the trans fats in its cooking oils. On Friday McDonald's agreed to pay $8.5 million to settle the lawsuit. Unfortunately $7 million will go donate to the American Heart Association which is virtually clueless about natural health. Another $1.5 million is for informing the public of its trans fat plans.

New York Times February 13, 2005