The FDA estimates the average American eats 4.7 pounds of trans fats each year.

And that is just the amount that the fried foods absorb!

What about the majority of the oil that stays in the fryer? Though rarely done, and depending on use, this oil may need to be replaced many times a day. Once it is spent anything cooked in it tastes funky. Alas, most of the time fresh oil is added to the spent oil. Eventually though, it all gets replaced.

Ever wonder what becomes of the used fry oil?

The law requires all restaurants to have grease traps. The more fried food, the faster they fill up. Grease removal is big business. But what do the Grease Haulers do with it?

What do you think of when you hear the term "Recycling". Only good things, right?

The haulers make even more money recycling the grease from these traps. Sounds good so far, right? What could this rancid, carcinogenic goop possibly be used for- an alternative fuel source perhaps? No, not exactly.

What could possibly be worse than ingesting 4.7 pounds of trans-fat oils per year?

A dirty little secret of the dry pet food industry is that they buy the haulers oil and spray it on dry pet food! What- Why? To give this otherwise tasteless high temperature extruded, nutrition-less bulk some flavor! If you stick your hand into the dry food you will get this oil residue all over it.

Whether you own cats and dogs, or not, spend a few minutes in the pet "food" section of your grocery store. The first thing you will notice is that this section is more like an entire aisle.

The competition for the pet food dollar is fierce. Each company outdoing the next with ever more eye catching packaging. If their combined advertising budgets went into the actual product, cats and dogs would be a whole lot healthier!

Check out the ingredients. If you have any kind of working knowledge of nutrition you will be appalled at what every one of these companies is calling food. And if that is not bad enough, the so-called vitamins and minerals they include are the poorest quality, least beneficial, made from coal tar.

Do not think for a minute that canned foods or that all so-called natural pet foods or are much better; they are not!

If you are wondering why the FDA has not stepped in, the fact is most of the human foods on grocery store shelves are as bad. It would seem that the FDA is just another feel good government agency that is little more than a toothless tiger.

No wonder tens-of-millions of cats and dogs have similar diseases to humans. We are eating much of the same diet.

"Fully 90% of all disease is caused by an unhealthy intestinal system"

Royal Society of Medicine Great Britain

The more things you eat that are not healthy, the greater the probability you will become unhealthy!

The good news: Most diseases can be reversed, especially in pets. Why pets more than us? Well, they can not cheat on their diet.

Your pet's optimum diet is really quite basic. To know what is best for them you only have to observe their wild relatives whose diet consists of fresh kill, supplemented with grasses and dirt.

Cats and dogs instinctively eat grass and dirt for the microflora and soil based microorganisms (SBOs) that are essential digestive aids. Due to pesticides, insecticides, chemical run off, and chlorinated lawn water, today these essential soil and grass digestive aids are non-existent.

Whatever diet your cats and dogs are currently on, slowly introduce a more natural diet. Feed them raw or lightly cooked grass fed meats, free range chicken and wild fish (not farm raised!) that are preferably organic as well as antibiotic and hormone free.

Supplement this more natural diet with essential digestive enzymes, omega 3 rich oils and SBOs formulated specifically for cats and dogs. If your cat or dog is sickly or diseased, you must also introduce soothing agents and anti-inflammatories.