Apparently, millions of Americans -- including those at a low-risk of heart attack -- should be on the cholesterol-reducing drugs. In my opinion, this is scary. Don't get me wrong -- statins are a wonderful thing and have helped many, many people. But we are a very medicated society and the fact that the medical community feels the need to medicate the low-risk population is frightening. Especially when healthy living could solve many of the same problems.

People with high cholesterol aren't the only ones who should be paying attention to their numbers. Even if your cholesterol falls in healthy ranges, you should still be taking proactive measures to manage it:

• Exercise regularly. Aerobic exercise increases your HDL cholesterol. HDL (high-density lipoprotein) is the "good" cholesterol because it helps carry the bad cholesterol out of your blood stream. Your HDL levels should be greater than 40 mg/dl.

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After years of having low-fat and no-fat foods pushed at us, it's no wonder that some people are a bit confused over the concept of a healthy fat. The American Heart Association has a fun way to clear up the confusion; meet the Better Fats Sisters:

• Mon. Short for monounsaturated fat, Mon is found in fish, seeds, nuts, avocado, and vegetable oils. Mon offers some heart health benefits but, as all fats are high in calories, it's important to practice moderation.
  
• Poly. Short for polyunsaturated fat, Poly is a heart helper like her sister; she can help lower your bad cholesterol.
  
  

Nutrition labels usually only list total fat grams, saturated fat and trans fat. To estimate how much monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats are in a product, just subtract the saturated and trans fat from the total fat. Want more of the skinny on fats? Check out AOL Health.

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Fat. Talk about a word that unjustly carries a negative connotation. When someone is overweight, they are considered "fat." When a food is unhealthy, this appellation is typically assigned because of how much "fat" it contains. And when the likelihood of something taking place is low, you're told it's a "fat" chance. Poor fat -- it deserves much better than this.

For all the fat shunners out there, it's important to know that not all fats are bad; in fact, most are essential to total body health. Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are probably among the best examples. Fatty fish, flaxseed oil, dark leafy greens, walnuts, wheat germ, and hempseeds all contain EFAs, which cannot be created by the body and must therefore be obtained from diet. Monounsaturated fats -- such as olive and canola oils, almonds, avocados, and pecans -- are incredibly healthy fats, as are some polyunsaturated fats, such as sesame and sunflower oils.

The fats you want to steer clear of as much as possible are saturated fats (butter, shortening, lard, etc.), trans fats (hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils) and fake fats, such as Olean and Olestra. It's because of these fats that "fat" has gotten such a bad name.

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A few years ago, low-fat and no-fat foods were all the rage. Many of us were convinced that the secret to losing weight was not eating fat. Most now know that fat is actually an essential part of a healthy diet, in part because it helps keeps you full and prevents you from overeating. That means that some fat can actually help you lose weight. While there are types of fat that you should avoid, there are others that play an important part of healthy eating.

It is important to stay away from trans-fats and to limit saturated fats as they can increase your levels of LDL, the bad cholesterol that leads to heart disease. However, monounsaturated fats (found in stuff like olive oil, avocados, almonds, Brazil nuts and sesame seeds) are great because they do the opposite -- they reduce cholesterol levels and can lower your risk of heart disease.

Essential fatty acids -- including Omega-3 fatty acids, which are in foods such as nuts, salmon, fish oils, flaxseed and more -- are necessary as your body doesn't naturally produce them, but they're required in order for your cells to rebuild and reproduce. So the next time you're label-reading, remember that not all fats are created the same, and know what to avoid as well as what to search out.

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