Most of us are used to thinking that cholesterol is always bad and that we should minimize its intake as much as we can. This is only partly true, and it is only the case with triglycerides and LDL (low-density lipoprotein), which are the “bad” cholesterols. The “good” cholesterol is called HDL (high-density lipoprotein) and it is actually good for you. So, eating good cholesterol foods is a smart decision for your health. This literally involves eating the right kinds of fat. 25 percent of your daily calories should come from fat; yet a very small percentage of that should come from saturated fats. So, the HDL to LDL ratio should be quite high in your calorie intake. Saturated fats can be found in fried food, fast food, and junk food that is generally considered bad for you. Saturated fats make the LDL numbers higher. It is also a good idea to avoid trans fats. If the list of ingredients on a given product contains partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, that means you will be consuming trans fats. These are even worse, because they not only increase your LDL levels, but they also decrease your HDL, which drastically decreases the HDL to LDL ratio. Read more