“Fat intake” might sound like a strange part of a diet plan, but people need to become “fat conscious” or aware of the fat content of their foods. As with carbs, there are good and bad fats. Bad fats contain large amounts of partially-saturated, saturated and trans-fatty acids. You find these things in processed, fried foods, beef, pork, lamb, cheese, cream and butter.

Want a shock? Pick up the packages of your favorite foods and scan the nutrition panels. Anything that is more than 20% fat by calories means you’ll be overloading your body with more fat than you want. (More about reading these panels for fat content will be explained later.) Bad fats can raise inflammation in the body, which over time, contributes to chronic diseases.

Good fats, on the other hand, are fats which are unsaturated (e.g., olive oil) and/or contain “essential fatty acids” (e.g., fish oil) which our bodies cannot make on their own, but play a role in virtually every function in the body. EFAs are anti-inflammatory and promote health.