Peeling is unnecessary, Winter says. Treat it like meat. When you're done chopping the vegetable, put the knife and cutting board in the dishwasher, just as you would after cutting raw meat. Don't use them for other foods until they've been washed. Margarine is loaded with transfatty acids, a type of fat formed when vegetable oils are processed to make them solid at room temperature.
Research associates a diet high in transfats with an increased risk of heart disease.
In fact, some scientists, such as Dr. Alberto Ascherio of the Harvard School of Public Health, contend transfats endanger your heart more than the artery-clogging saturated fat found in bacon, butter and lard. If transfats were replaced by unsaturated vegetable oils, we would expect to see at least 30,000 fewer people die prematurely of heart disease each year. Dipping your bread into seasoned olive oil isn't just trendy, it's healthful. Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats, a type associated with a lower risk of heart disease. Read the labels.