Hi, NayNay, there are a lot of good nutrition books out there. One of my favorites is "You are What you Eat" by Gillian McKeith, who is a holistic nutrition and the host of "You are What you Eat" on the BBC channel.
As far as fats and sugars, you first need to figure out what YOUR body needs. Many people and books set standards and guidelines, but until you figure up what your caloric needs are based on your height, weight, age and activity level, those guidelines are just that...guidelines which are good, but don't always work for everyone.
The formula below, the Harris Benedict Formula will help you figure up your caloric needs, then beyond that you then decide a good ratio that will work for you as far as how many carbs, fats, and proteins you want to consume. One that works for many of my clients is 40% calories from carbs, 30% calories from fat, 30% calories from protein.
Step 1- calculating the BMR
The following table enables calculation of an individuals Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR).
BMR calculation for women BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) - ( 4.7 x age in years )
Step 2 - applying the Harris-Benedict Principle
The following table enables calculation of an individuals recommended daily calorie intake to maintain current weight:
Little to no exercise Daily calories needed= BMR x 1.2
Light exercise 1-3 days per week) Daily calories needed= BMR x 1.375
Moderate exercise (3-5 days per week) Daily calories needed= BMR x 1.55
Heavy exercise (6-7 days per week) Daily calories needed= BMR x 1.725
Very heavy exercise (twice per day, extra heavy workouts) Daily calories needed= BMR x 1.9
Work this up and then just email me and I'll help you further if I can. I know it's confusing, but I'm here to help you if I can. Let me know!!