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The worst nutrition advice you can follow

What is the worst nutritional advice you can follow?

Over the years, we’ve found TONS of nutrition and workout fads, crash diets, cleanses, and weight loss “secrets.” The FDA is always available to post up-to-date guidelines on how many calories we should be eating and protecting ourselves from deadly carcinogens in our food. Most of the time, these guidelines generally do a good job of keeping us on the right track thanks to years of research by educated people. But are they ever wrong? Is there any nutritional advice that is absolutely detrimental to our health and transformation goals? The answer is a resounding yes!

The worst nutrition advice you can follow is to avoid fat. For many years, people were so worried about getting fat that they were convinced that eating fat would make them fat. While EATING too much fat can make you fat, that could be said for any of the macronutrients. The risk lies in the fact that fat is twice as calorie-dense as carbohydrates and protein. 1 g of fat contains 9 calories, while 1 g of carbohydrates and protein contains only 4 calories. This does not fatten the enemy. This just means that high-fat foods contain more calories.

That said, there are several different types of fat. Some should be avoided at all costs, while others are needed by your body to function optimally. Believe it or not, certain types of fat can actually HELP BURN FAT! Other types of fat can raise cholesterol and wreak havoc on your body. So the question shouldn’t be whether or not you should avoid fats. It should be what kind of fat do I need and how much?

What are the different types of fat?

1. Trans or trans-unsaturated fatty acids – The result of partial hydrogenation. Trans fats are often found in margarine, packaged foods, and fried fast foods. Due to their chemical composition, they cause an increase in LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglycerides, which leads to an increased risk of coronary heart disease. Trans fats should be avoided at all costs in your diet.

2. Saturated: Saturated fats have developed a bad reputation over the last two decades due to fears of raising LDL and lowering HDL (good cholesterol). However, recent studies show that saturated fat actually raises HDL. They also raise large LDLs, which are not associated with heart disease. Avoiding saturated fat means you’re missing out on some of the most nutritious foods on the planet, like eggs and lots of protein. Foods marked “Low Fat” and “Fat Free” often cut out saturated fat and replace it with sugar. If your goal is to lose weight, this is a CRUCIAL mistake and one of the main reasons obesity has become such a big problem in the last few decades. Saturated fats should be consumed adequately for their macronutrient ratio.

3. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated: These types of fats are very healthy and have been found to lower bad cholesterol (Harvard says so!). They are very common in diets like the Mediterranean diet (which explains why people in the Mediterranean have a lower rate of heart disease despite a high-fat diet). Polyunsaturated fats are essential fatty acids, which means our bodies need them but can’t make them. Diets high in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats and low in sugar have been shown to be effective for weight loss. Some common foods with these high fats are cooking oils, olive oil, nuts, avocados, and fish.

Avoiding fat is a crucial mistake for anyone, whether trying to lose weight or build lean muscle. High-fat foods are often very nutritionally dense, such as eggs, fish, and nuts. On top of that, fat makes food taste delicious! This is why low-fat and fat-free foods often add extra sugars. The next time you’re looking for that fat-free “heart healthy” food, remember that the WORST nutritional advice you can take is to avoid fat. Grab some foods high in healthy fats and enjoy the tasty taste of a nutritious food!

I would love to hear your opinion on fat consumption. Does it count macros? If so, what is your ideal ratio? If not, how do you track your fat intake?