NYC Phases Out Trans Fats
According to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the NYC Board of Health has approved an amendment to phase out sources of trans fat in restaurants in New York City.
Heart disease is one of the most prevalent conditions in the New York City population. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Trans Fat Education Campaign plans to spread the word about how trans fats can harm the heart and also how to avoid consuming so many trans fats in our diets.
Trans fats are fats that are chemically altered to remain solid at room temperature. This makes them more stable than natural fats, which makes them perfect for higher frying temperatures and longer shelf lives.Unfortunately that also makes trans fats very "heart unfriendly". They can raise LDL's (bad cholesterol) and lower HDL's (good cholesterol) and increase inflammation in blood vessels which makes plaque stickier and damages the cardiovascular system.
Even though heart disease is a concern for everyone, people with diabetes need to be especially aware of the damage that trans fats can cause. Diabetes itself can damage blood vessels and increase the risk of heart disease and related complications.
Cutting back on trans fat consumption can help the heart stay healthy. People with diabetes are twice as likely to develop heart disease as people without diabetes. Among diabetics, heart disease can progress quicker than normal.
Photo by Justyna Furmanczyk
Comments
Re: Docket No. 2006D-0480
“Complimentary and Alternative Medicine Products and Their Regulation
by the FDA” mandates that many alternative wellness modalities are going to be considered medicine and can only be practiced by medical doctors. The professional who emailed me about this wrote me that I may not be able to practice massage if the bill is passed and I wrote an email objection to the FDA immediately and I encourage you to do the same.
This bill affects ALL of us: whether you are going to be self-employed as I am planning I would not be allowed and if I had the option only to work for a medical doctor the salaries would most likely go down as the employers would not have to compete with self employed professionals; those of you who want to work for others — guess what there will be less places to work as only medical doctors, theoretically, could operate ma sage places; schools will most likely experience a drop in enrollment as the field would have less opportunities (I like being my own boss; I am very happy with the massage school I am in, but I did not go there to work for someone else; I did not want to be a wage slave); and the consumer will have less choices in the market place being only able to go to medical doctors.
Please forward this bill to as many people as you know to help it get defeated. Even if you are not in the field, please don’t let this bill affect you! Your right to buy Vitamin C for a cold would not be allowed as they would deem that medicine and you would have to go to a doctor, most of whom have no training in nutrition at all.
Also disturbing is the FDA’s move to “pastuerize” all almonds which involves cancer causing gases. This will include almonds labeled as raw or organic which would be deceptive food labeling. We deserve a choice when buying our food — we have the right to avoid harmful chemicals. Please read about this measure and sign the on line petition as I did.
Please email objection to the FDA right away on both measures and safeguard our freedoms and the American way.
Thank you,
Robert M. Fried