invigoratedlife Tip #3 - avoid trans fat

Believe it or not, fat can be good for you. Unsaturated fats such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are two such fats that you want to strive to get in your diet. These fats - found in salmon, almonds, walnuts, flax seeds, olive oil and avocados - help reduce your bad cholesterol (LDL). And in the case of monounsaturated fats, they actually increase your good cholesterol (HDL).

Saturated fat, which used to be considered the most harmful fat, increases both levels of cholesterol.

Now for the most harmful fat, the ugly fat, the rancid fat - trans fat. This fat, found in many of our cookies, crackers, cake mixes, microwave popcorn, breads, pizzas and fast foods, is the most dangerous fat around. Trans fat increases your bad cholesterol and decreases your good cholesterol. Trans fats will cause you to gain weight and it increases your chances of developing heart disease, type II diabetes and certain cancers.

So how much should you limit your intake of trans fat? Experts agree that there is no safe limit of trans fat in the diet.

When reading labels, look for the words "partially hydrogenated oil", "hydrogenated oil" or "shortening". If you see any of these on the label, put the item back on the shelf.