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Cardiologist Dr. Brian Kahn and dietitian Kelly O'Connor of Mercy Medical Center

Mercy Cardiologist Dr. Brian Kahn Of The Heart Center At Overlea And Mercy Dietitian Kelly O'Connor Discuss Good Vs. Bad Fats

If you're reading the nutrition labels on foods for fat content, it's important to know the difference between good fats and bad fats. Loretta Macek eats healthy because she had three blocked arteries more than two years ago and needed major heart surgery. "I was told that it would not be a heart attack — it would be sudden death," she said. Macek said she believes years of eating a high-fat diet didn't help. Mercy cardiologist Dr. Brian Kahn of The Heart Center at Overlea said when it comes to maintaining a healthy diet, there are good fats and bad fats, and you really need to know the difference between the two. "The trans fats are the worst kind of fats you can eat. They are the ones found in all the processed foods -- cookies, pies, ice cream, muffins, doughnuts — things like that," he said. Dr. Kahn said to limit saturated fats in foods such as red meat and whole milk products because they can raise your cholesterol. "The saturated fats and the trans fat build up the LDL, which is the bad cholesterol, and that's what causes blockages to occur," he said. But Mercy registered dietician Kelly O'Connor said avoiding fats altogether isn't the answer. She said there are good fats that you want to have in your daily diet. "They would be any of the unsaturated fats, so anything that's polyunsaturated or monosaturated — olive oil, Canola oil, safflower oil, nuts such as almonds and walnuts. Any fish are a good choice," she said. Macek said currently she sticks to just the good fats in her diet. "I've changed my eating habits. I have. I'm being good," she said. Dr. Kahn said even though cholesterol builds up over time, you are never too young to start watching your fat intake. For more information, watch Dr. Kahn and Kelly O'Connor on WBAL-TV11's "The Woman's Doctor" at http://www.wbaltv.com/womansdoctor/19047159/detail.html.