8 Foods to Avoid at All Costs

Stick Margarine
Most brands of stick margarine are loaded with trans fat — the toxic fat that increases bad cholesterol, lowers good cholesterol, promotes clotting, and damages blood vessels. And, at 100 calories per tablespoon, this heartbreaker isn't doing your waistline any good, either. As an alternative to stick margarine, you might use a "soft tub" variety of one of the reduced-calorie, trans-fat-free brands. Or, if you prefer the taste of butter, use a small amount of whipped butter sold in tubs (more air means less fat and calories).