• LNH warns against using margarine or shortening when cooking. Those who consume any kind of processed foods, whether it be potato chips, pre-made cookies, or microwave dinners, are most likely already getting far too much of this damaging fat.
• Do not use olive oil to cook, as it has low tolerance to heat. Rather, use it at room temperature on salads, etc.
• Trans fat is the most consumed type of fat in the US, despite the fact that there is no safe level of trans fat consumption, according to a report from the Institute of Medicine.
• Trans fat raises your LDL (bad cholesterol) levels while lowering your HDL (good cholesterol) levels, which of course is the complete opposite of what you want. In fact, trans fats -- as opposed to saturated fats -- have been repeatedly linked to heart disease.
• Trans fat can also cause major clogging of your arteries, type 2 diabetes and other serious health problems.
Use pure virgin coconut oil, as it is the most resistant to heating damage, and a great source of medium-chained triglycerides and lauric acid.
