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Top 20 Myths about Nutrition
You rely on nutrition information to help you achieve
your health goals Here are twenty top myths about nutrition that can help
you weed out the good information from the bad.
1. All
fats are bad. Unsaturated fats like Omega-3’s found in fish and
monounsaturated fats found in olive oil, canola oil, nuts and avocados all
aid good health. Saturated fats from animal products and trans-fats,
partially hydrogenated oils, are the ones that should be used sparingly.
2. Eggs
are bad – It’s true that eggs have cholesterol and fat, but there is no
evidence that the cholesterol in eggs raises bad cholesterol in blood and
the fat in eggs is unsaturated.
3. Avoid
carbohydrates – The recent popularity of the Atkins and South Beach
diets have given carbs a bad name. In reality complex carbohydrates found in
whole grains and some vegetables are necessary requirements. They provide
the body with energy and lots of nutrients.
4. Eat
fat free or low fat foods and you won’t gain weight. A calorie is a
calorie whether it’s full of fat or not.
5. Never
eat after 8pm. Again, a calorie is a calorie no matter what time of day
it’s eaten.
6.
Weight loss products and diet supplements labeled “natural” or “herbal,” are
safe. Not necessarily. Little or no testing is done on these products.
Many herbs can react with medications that are being taken for legitimate
reasons. Check with a doctor before taking these products.
7. Fresh
produce is always better than frozen or canned. Not always. If produce
is frozen or canned immediately, the product can retain a lot of its
vitamins and minerals. Fresh produce, if left in the air or sun too long,
can lose some.
8.
Becoming a vegetarian will help you lose weight – Only if you make
healthy vegetarian choices. Candy and chips are still allowed on a
vegetarian diet.
9. Honey
is a better choice than sugar – Honey and sugar are almost chemically
indistinguishable.
10. Brown
sugar is better nutritionally than white sugar – Brown sugar is white
sugar with added molasses. It’s no better than plain white sugar.
11. Sugar
can cause diabetes – If you do not have diabetes, the amount of sugar
you intake will not cause you to contract it. However, being overweight and
inactive can lead to diabetes.
12. Skipping
meals can help you lose weight – When a body is hungry it goes into
starvation mode and the metabolism slows down, lowering the rate at which it
burns calories.
13. Dairy
products cause mucus – This has recently been proven false. It’s no
longer necessary to avoid milk or cheese when you have a cold.
14. Always
avoid fast food restaurants – Many fast food restaurants offer a limited
amount of healthy options such as salads with low fat dressings and fruit.
They are fine occasionally if you’re in a hurry.
15. Snacking
makes you fat – If you eat healthy snacks, they can actually help
control your appetite. You’ll be less likely to binge on cookies and more
likely to eat moderately at meals.
16. Caffeine
is an appetite stimulant – There is no evidence that shows that caffeine
stimulates the appetite.
17. Diet
drinks will help you lose weight – Without lowering the calories you
consume and increasing your activity, diet drinks alone will do nothing.
18. 0 grams
of trans-fat in a product means it’s trans-fat free. – If you look at
the ingredients and see partially hydrogenated oil, it still contains
trans-fat, just not enough to be counted.
19. Foods
like celery and grapefruit burn calories – There is no food that burns
calories.
20. You
should never eat cookies, candy or cake – Everyone needs a treat once in
a while.
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