Tony Oust - Tony is an Executive Chef/Registered Dietitian at Galaxy Nutritional Foods. He is one of only a handful of chefs in the nation who have the credentials Chef/R.D. Prior to joining the Galaxy team he spent seven years with the Walt Disney World Grand Floridian Resort and Spa catering special events and meeting special dietary needs. He has an undergraduate degree in Hospitality Foodservice Management from Kent State University, Nutrition internship at C.W Post in Long Island New York, and an MBA from Webster University. Tonys food and nutrition knowledge spans from working with a health professional team in feeding critically ill patients with I.Vs and tubefeedings to educating the public about soy to leading a team of culinary in the creation of gourmet meals. Tony combines the "therapeutics of dietetics" and the "art of culinary" into a very unique cuisine that is both delicious and healthy. His passion is in the challenge of taking traditional recipes and applying the proper principles of health and nutrition to go beyond guest expectations.

Cholesterol is substance found in animal-based foods and manufactured by the liver. It is an essential building block for healthy nerves, cells, and the production of some hormones, but high levels carry the risk of atherosclerosis. To help avoid the risk of high cholesterol avoid certain foods, especially ones hgh in saturated fatty acids. These are the chief culprit in raising blood cholesterol. Examples are shortening and cooking fats, coconut oil, palm kernel oil, lard, and meat fat.

	Is saturated fat the only
	harmful type?

Well, not exactly. To help keep foods fresh on the grocery shelves and to make solid products such as margarine, food manufacturers "hydrogenate" polyunsaturated oils. That means that they pump hydrogen into polyunsaturated oils. The resulting chemical change turns these good unsaturated fatty acids into bad saturated fatty acids -- called trans-fatty acids. Hydrogenated fats tend to raise LDL (bad) cholesterol and lower HDL (good) cholesterol, but to a lesser degree than the more saturated fatty acids. So watch out for that word hydrogenated.