As we start off the new year, everyone is looking to make changes in their lives. Typically, we set rather lofty and vague goals about weight loss and eating healthy. To make the commitment more real, however, I propose a smaller change. Making a healthier shift in your diet one food group at a time. This is a small change that could have a large effect on your overall health.

My suggestion is to trade out your unhealthy saturated fats for healthier unsaturated fats. These would include using olive, canola, or vegetable oils for cooking. These oils are high in monounsaturated fats, which help to lower your LDL or bad cholesterol and increase your HDL or good cholesterol. Try avoiding fats that are solid at room temperature and those that come from an animal or are an animal bi-product. This includes whole fat milk, cheese, butter, and egg yolks, as well as beef and pork fat.