For decades we’ve been told to avoid fatty foods, and stay away from high cholesterol foods at all costs. We diligently said no to the cholesterol laden foods like shrimp, eggs and butter. We weren’t wrong to do so, but in recent years there have been new ideas on the subject coming to light.

The new line of thought is that dietary cholesterol isn’t the gastronomical villain it was once thought to be. That’s not a green light to go crazy, by any means. You still have to watch out for high cholesterol content. But the updated data suggests that saturated fats and trans fats will raise your serum cholesterol levels far more than the actual cholesterol content in the foods we eat.

It's true that some people can eat high cholesterol food without fear, while others need only one small bite to send their lipid levels to the moon. If you're one of the lucky few, you shouldn't start your happy dance just yet. There's a great equalizer here, and its name is saturated fat. Cholesterol is only found in animal based foods, which is also where the majority of saturated fat comes from. That means if you're one of the lucky cholesterol resistant folks, the saturated fat is still right there waiting for you. If you're one of those who have to be careful about fatty food high cholesterol and saturated fat can team up and deliver a double whammy. You still need to read labels and try to strike a healthy balance.

You can avoid a lot of the saturated fats and high cholesterol with a little knowledge, and by making wiser choices. You don't have to completely eliminate red meat, for instance. You should, however, eat it less often and select leaner cuts. Watch those serving sizes, as well. That piece of roast beef shouldn't cover half of your plate. A more heart friendly serving is about the size of a deck of playing cards. If that seems small, there's no harm in taking an extra serving of veggies (no, french fries don't count as veggies), as long as they're not swimming in butter.

Trans fats have been getting a lot of bad press lately, and rightly so. They're not new, but a lot of people still don't know what they are, or how they affect their health.

To understand why they're so bad, you need to understand a little bit about how blood cholesterol works. You should already know that there is good cholesterol (hdl), and bad cholesterol (ldl). You probably also know that your hdl should be above a certain level, usually 40 mg/dl; and your ldl should be below 100 mg/dl. It doesn't end there, though. For optimum health, these two numbers should remain within a certain ratio. All of these numbers are easily determined by a blood test called a lipid panel. It's a quick and easy test that you should have done about every five years. More often, if you already have a problem with cholesterol. Your doctor will discuss your test results, go over the numbers, and explain your ratio to you in detail.

Here's where it gets interesting. Saturated fat will raise both your hdl and ldl numbers. Your lipids will still be elevated, but your ratio may stay intact. It's not healthy, but it could be worse. Trans fats, on the other hand, will raise your ldl, and lower your hdl. That's why there's so much hype.

A lot of products claim to be low in trans fat, but you can't always believe the claims. You need to read the labels carefully. You may not see the words "Trans Fat" in neon, with circles and arrows, but if you know what to look for, trans fats are clearly listed in the ingredients. If you see the words "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated", you're looking at a trans fat.

We all know that high cholesterol causes heart disease, coronary artery disease, strokes and plenty of other scary issues; but that's no reason to live in fear. A healthy diet and a little common sense will go a long way towards staying happy and healthy. As a rule of thumb, a healthy diet includes 7-10% calories from fat, unless you already have high cholesterol. If you do, then you should keep it below 7%.

Fiber also plays a crucial role in keeping your numbers in ratio. The specific requirement varies, depending on your age and gender, but the overall range is 20-40 grams a day.

By following these few simple rules, and your doctor's advice, you can keep your bad cholesterol low and your good cholesterol high without giving up the foods you love.