There is misinformation on nutrition everywhere you look. Some misinformation comes from commercials, like those on high fructose corn syrup that say it’s healthy because it’s natural. There are other nutrition myths on the internet, sometimes because it lacked research into new findings and sometimes because no research was used to write the article. For instance, some people believe that it doesn’t matter what you eat, as long as the total calories are below a certain amount. It doesn’t account for nutritional needs or each person’s special needs, such hormonal imbalances that causes weight gain.
Fat is fattening and unhealthy.
It’s well proven that you need fat in your body to keep it running at peak performance. In fact, low fat diets may even increase the risk of changes in the body that make losing weight harder. Low fat foods often substitute sugar to enhance the flavor. Fat also fills you up quicker and longer. Part of the belief that fat was bad came from a mega study back in the 1960s completed by Harvard professors and paid for by the sugar industry. They were told to ignore all information on sugar and heart disease and only use those that mention fat.
Eating eggs is bad for your heart.
Some people eat only egg whites and forego the yolk because it contains higher amounts of cholesterol. While there is a higher amount of cholesterol in eggs, it doesn’t impact the body. In fact, the body actually cuts back on the cholesterol it creates to offset it. With that said, if you’re at risk for heart disease, have diabetes or over the age of 55, limit the number of eggs you eat to a couple a week and you should be fine.
It’s healthier to consume sugar substitutes than sugar.
While sugar isn’t healthy, that doesn’t make sugar substitutes healthy. Using these artificial sweeteners frequently have many negative health outcomes, too. It can cause a disruption in the bacteria in your gut, which in turn can affect all parts of the body. It increases the risk of diabetes and a recent study showed that seniors who drank diet cola every day had three times more visceral fat—belly fat—which is the most dangerous kind, compared to those that didn’t drink it. Those that drank it only occasionally had double the belly fat of those that didn’t.
- Another myth is that all carbohydrates are bad and make you gain weight. That’s simply not true. Fruits and vegetables contain carbohydrates and are healthy. You need a certain amount of carbohydrates to be healthy.
- Any processed food is bad is a deceptive statement. Fruits and vegetables that are cleaned and frozen are processed. The food that all the nutrients are processed out, adding extra sugar and additives that increase the calories.
- Another myth is about potatoes. The key is to prepare them in a healthy manner. Bake, grill or roast them rather than eating them fried.
- The last myth is that super low calorie diets will help you lose weight faster. It’s partially true. Eating fewer calories means more weight loss, but super low calorie diets aren’t sustainable and often slow the metabolism to make weight loss harder.
For more information, contact us today at Evolution Lifestyle Fitness