Nutrition and fitness go hand and hand, and lends me to hear all sorts nutrition questions; one of which is why my fat recommendations are so high.

Looking at research of the top health problems in the US; obesity, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and high blood pressure all have very high correlations to refined carbohydrates. (Fournier et al., 1986; Liu, 2002; Liu et al., 2000)

Fat has been historically thought of as the evil nutrient that is high in calories and leads to loads of body-fat.  Fat is often the first thing thought of when thinking fast food, as it’s “fattening”.   Well, those foods can absolutely be fattening due to the high calorie content, but the bigger concern in my mind is the quality of those calories.  Burger King, McDonalds, Taco Bell and Wendy’s are notorious for having lots of refined carbohydrates, trans fats and processed garbage in them.  Those guys are the killers.

As with all macro-nutrients, quality of nutrients is the most important factor to consider.   Trans fats increase LDL (bad cholesterol) and decrease HDL (good cholesterol), which is correlated to increased heart disease and stroke risk.

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The following articles give some great info on why all fats but trans fats have their place in our diets.

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-healthy-fats

http://brianstpierretraining.com/index.php/is-saturated-fat-really-the-dietary-bogeyman/

http://www.getprograde.com/Truth-About-Butter.html#.URG_aeh8u5s

http://brianstpierretraining.com/index.php/why-eggs-prevent-heart-disease/

In my experience, very few people can overeat good fats, proteins, fruits, and vegetables.  When coaching clients how to eat more optimally we are constantly pushing them towards eating the right amount of calories to reach their goals, as well as the best sources to choose from.