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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After the "fat-free" frenzy of years past, it's no wonder that some people are scared off of eating any fats. But look around... did the fat-free trend solve the obesity problem? Nope... not at all. That's because food manufacturers raced to label their foods as "fat-free" in big, bold letters on the front of the packages, but they failed to mention other unhealthy ingredients such as high sugar or high sodium or unpronounceable chemicals that really have no place in our diet whatsoever.

The truth is we need fat in our diets. (Not as much as most people consume, of course, but we do need it.) Our bodies can generate a certain amount, but the rest must be consumed. The trick is eating foods prepared with the good fats. That's right... I said good fats. A recent survey revealed that more than half of Americans have no idea that there are some fats you should be including in your diet. To help people better differentiate between good and not-so-good fats, the American Heart Association has launched Face the Fats.

There are four types of fats: saturated fats, trans-fats, monounsaturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats. While all four varieties have the same number of calories (9 calories per gram of fat), they have different effects on health. Saturated and trans-fats are the culprits to avoid -- they can raise your "bad" cholesterol (LDL). But monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are beneficial for health when consumed in small amounts; they help reduce cholesterol levels and provide essential fatty acids (omega 3 and omega 6) that your body needs but can't generate on its own.

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Friendly's, famous for it's burgers and ice cream sundaes, is planning on switching its 500 restaurants over to trans-fat free oil by fall. The restaurant chain has been working on eliminating the trans-fat laden oils for over a year. Since New York banned the use of trans-fatty acids in restaurants, chains such as McDonald's and Uno Chicago Grill have been making the switch to non trans-fat oils. Friendly's is finally jumping on the bandwagon and switching to a slightly friendlier oil.

While a switch away from trans-fats is an undeniably positive step, it's important to remember that just because a product doesn't contain trans-fat it doesn't mean it's healthy or low-fat. To learn more about trans fats and how they affect the body, click here.

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