Why have New York and Philadelphia passed measures eliminating trans fats in their restaurants? Why is Manitou Springs proudly on track to be the first city in Colorado to do the same?

A recent study published in the April 10, 2007 issue of The Journal of The American Heart Association found that women in the United States with the highest levels of trans fats had three times the risk of coronary heart disease as those with the lowest levels.

Clinical trials have shown that trans-fatty acids are the only class of fatty acids to both increase LDL (bad cholesterol) and decrease HDL (good cholesterol). In fact just one gram of trans fat daily increases your risk of heart disease by 20%. A donut has 5 grams!

There are no safe levels of trans fats. Increased trans fats have also been linked to asthma, certain cancers and obesity.

Trans fats are commonly found in margarine, donuts, chips, cookies, cakes, crackers, some bakery breads, and many packaged foods.

Here are some trans fat free healthy habits you can develop:

1. Shop the perimeter of the grocery store (trans fats increase shelf life). Those boxes in the middle could be willed to your grandchildren and still be fresh in 50 years.
2. Become a food detective. Teach your kids to look for words in labels such as: hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated fats. "0 trans fats" labels can still contain trans fats.
3. Replace cooking with shortening and margarine with mono saturated oil such as olive or rice oil.
4. Eat in Manitou Springs restaurants that have the "Trans Fat Free" label in their windows.

Hi! I'm Rebecca Berson and in October of 2007 I began a citizen-run campaign in Manitou Springs. My impetus was a class I was taking called the "Self-Expression and Leadership Program" through Landmark Education, an excellent path for me to become motivated and really know I can do so much of what I set out to do and more than I thought I could. This was a course designed for me to really challenge myself, dive into the unknown with faith and courage and engage myself and others to be touched, moved and inspired, making waves in the world.

First and foremost, that's what it took to get going-the confidence that I had something worthwhile to offer my community, knowing I would find like-minded comrades to climb on board and help. My plan was not to be the hallowed leader who made all the calls but to empower others to take on leadership roles, themselves. An effective leader delegates and gives others the opportunity to see themselves as leaders, taking on the roles they feel fit to do, as the leader may likely have less expertise than a "member." Finding the people to be the vehicle to make your project run is a key.

When others become empowered to do what they like to do best and know they are contributing to a cause they believe in, something that started off sounding "too big" to do becomes manageable and exciting. So, when I started off by calling one friend in town who I thought would be interested in a project to assist restaurant owners to get rid of trans fats and she said yes, we were on our way. Now it was more than just me-get that dream outside of yourself and speak it into the world so others will hear and hold you to your dreams!

There is something magical that happens when we give our project over to others who are just as excited as we are about our idea. It starts to take on a life of its own and, as long as leaders are flexible and open to what others want-and not just what they want-it may even take on a new shape and form that is unpredictable. This is the beauty that lies in allowing others to help us-and it becomes easier because we are not doing all the work ourselves! If we are help-less we can feel hopeless. What a leader may overlook-originally viewed as an obstacle-is that most people want to help and be part of something bigger than themselves and it can be easy to forget that-so, remember!

I believe that as long as leaders are not attached to a certain outcome and decide to let go of how each detail will look along the way, and instead are committed to the end result, a freedom exists there for others to be creative and unbound. Since I was practicing being unattached (this is not always easy to do) the project began to flow as we each assigned ourselves a number of restaurants with whom we would be committed to working.

Determining the basics in order for a project to work is essential so no one feels like there is too much to do and you avoid the danger of burnout and loss of interest. Start with a long list of everything you envision emerging from your project. Prioritize by placing stars next to the most important things you want to accomplish by asking yourself the question, "What absolutely needs to get done for this project to get off the ground and work at the most basic level?"

After that, number the rest in order of priority and get to them when time allows-or if you are lucky, when the right person comes along. It is great to find helpers who have various areas of expertise and interest. For example, in our small group (remember, it doesn't take many to get your project off the ground) we have a registered nurse who is a great asset since we are a health-oriented group. We have someone else who likes to write press releases for us and is very talented in this area because she has the experience. And a couple others who are "talkers" who know many people in our town and have an easy time schmoozing with the locals to drum up support and get our news out.

All of these tasks can be a challenge for any of us (and maybe most of us) and perhaps one unexpected surprise to come out of a venture like this is that we are likely to pick up new skills (e.g. writing, public speaking, etc.) and stretch ourselves beyond our preconceived comfort zones. For example, I have now learned how to speak for radio interviews, invite (and get) keynote speakers to our events and come out of the woodwork in order to transmit our message. We can do more than we think we can...and believing in yourself is the first place to start!