FDA Proposes Ban On Trans Fat
WHITFIELD: A big announcement from the FDA that could soon affect the food that you love to eat. The FDA has proposed a ban on artificial trans fat. Regulators say a major source of trans fat is no longer recognized as safe. Trans fats can be found in many processed foods including deserts, frozen pizza and coffee creamers. They have been linked to an increased risk of heart disease. A very special guest joining me now for more on this subject, New York Times best-selling author and professional chef. They call him Chef Jeff, Chef Jeff Henderson with us now. He is the author of "If you can see it, you can be it, 12 street smart recipes for success." That is his latest of four books. Chef Jeff found his passion and gift for cooking when he was actually locked up in federal prison. When he got out of jail, a famous chef gave him a job as dishwasher. And then from there he continues to make history and what an incredible story, soon to be in movie form. Chef Jeff is here to talk about trans fats, your new book and your movie project about your life that you're looking forward to. Good to see you.</s>JEFF HENDERSON, CHEF & AUTHOR, "IF YOU CAN SEE IT, YOU CAN BE IT: " Likewise Fred. Glad to be here.</s>WHITFIELD: Well first let's talk about trans fats.</s>HENDERSON: Yes.</s>WHITFIELD: This is something that you eliminate from your recipes from your kitchen, your household period. But help us understand. What is it, really, what is this thing that ends up in donuts, frozen pizzas, etc. that seems to be unavoidable for many of us?</s>HENDERSON: Trans fat is a hydrogen that is a scientific term for a compound that's infused with liquid vegetable oil. So you'll find it in many of your fast food restaurants, frozen pizza, foods that have a lot of preservatives. Its added flavor, it is inexpensive, they don't have to change their oil as often and is terribly not good for you.</s>WHITFIELD: But you can have fast food, you can have frozen food without trans fats and it still tastes good or has the shelf life or is fresh?</s>HENDERSON: Well, you know, many restaurants, instead of using the trans fat, they're infusing a lot more spices and herbs to bring that flavor. So we just have to really begin to look at labels when we're shopping, when you go to restaurants.</s>WHITFIELD: What are we looking for in the label?</s>HENDERSON: You're looking for trans fats; you're looking for anything that --</s>WHITFIELD: Will it say that? Because you look at these labels and sometimes they just go on and on.</s>HENDERSON: Yes. Well they'll say hydrogenated oils. So what does that mean? So it is a scientific term so many times there's terms and then terms under those terms. So that is what you need to get down and find out about.</s>WHITFIELD: OK. Now your book, "If you can see it, you can be it." Twelve street smart recipes for success.</s>HENDERSON: Yes.</s>WHITFIELD: It is really a play on words with these recipes of success. What is the key ingredient that you feel has really led your life to success?</s>HENDERSON: Well, you know, Fred, you know after spending ten years in federal prison, I knew I had to reinvent myself, discover self worth and figure out my greatest gift. And coming out of prison, I knew I had to make the felony stigma go away. So I discovered these things about myself in prison. I combined 12 street smarts over the 17 years I've been out of prison to help people kind of find their place and way of life.</s>WHITFIELD: And that prison sentence involved your involvement with trafficking of drugs, right?</s>HENDERSON: Yes, there was a part of my life when I was young I got caught up in dealing drugs and grew up in prison.</s>WHITFIELD: And too often, what happens is, someone gets caught up in the system things happen you go to jail, you have a conviction hanging over you. It is difficult to ever leave that. It's difficult for you to ever get a job. People don't want to trust you, etc. So what was that thing that helped you breakthrough all of that? That allowed you to find someone to trust you to give you a job to earn a job to earn your way to where you are now?</s>HENDERSON: Well you know it was a process, growing up in prison, discovering my strengths, understanding my weaknesses. I had had to identify what it was that I wanted to do when I got out of prison and that was become a chef and be successful. I always knew that I wanted to be successful but I knew the key was reinvention. And what I talk about in the 12 street smarts in my book is reinventing yourself. Discovering what you do best that extraordinary thing about you. I had to defuse a prison stigma, I had to clean shave my face, I took my wife's make up covered up my earring hole up, straightened up the way I walked. I mean all of these things about me had to say brand, brand, brand in order for me to reintegrate back into society.</s>WHITFIELD: And now we look forward to seeing your life story on the big screen. Sony Pictures you already signed a deal with them. Now they're trying to come up with a script for you, along with Chef Jeff. Good to see you.</s>HENDERSON: Likewise.</s>WHITFIELD: We will be looking for your story. Nice to see you. All right, each week, we're shining a spot light on the top ten CNN heroes of 2013, as well. You can vote for one who most inspires you at CNNheros.com. This week's honoree is a surgeon who devotes his personal time to bringing medical care to the remote jungles of his homeland of Cameroon. And he's doing it for free.</s>GEORGE BWELLE: For a country of mine, people like to drink, to dance, to enjoy the life. But they cannot enjoy their life. If I can help two or three people, that would be great. I saw my father ill for 23 years. Before he passed away I said you see how people suffer. We should get together to help people. My name is George Bwelle. I bring free surgery and health services to people of Cameroon. They can live 60 kilometers around. And in afternoon, they are the least efficient. We address all of the decisions. If there's any problem, they can come back to us. I help people so they are happy. I'm giving back to give the opportunity to restart.