If most people need more carbohydrates, it's also true that most should cut back on fat. Not that fat is all bad. Still, most of us eat too much of it. While everyone deserves a treat once in a while, generally try to avoid fatty foods like whole milk, red meat, ice cream, mayonnaise, egg yolks, chocolate, butter and cheese. These are the unsaturated fats, particularly monounsturated fats like those in olive oil, peanut oil and avocado oil.
Unsaturated fats can actually reduce blood cholesterol.
While margarine is made of unsaturated fats, it is also hydrogenated which negates the cholesterol-reducing benefits. When it comes to fat, the real bad guys are the saturated fats. These come primarily from animal sources such as red meat and milk, but also from coconut, palm and vegetable oils. They are closely linked with heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and some cancers. Try to keep saturated fat down below 10 percent of your total calories, or around a third of your total fat intake.