8 Common Nutrition Myths

It always happens. Your favourite healthy foods are put on the bad food list by some white coat or “scientific” study. You replace it with foods they claim are healthy one to find out they're out of vogue six month later. What’s worse is that myths are always standing in the way like backs in rugby attacking the fringes. While you can’t do anything about the latest studies or bad food lists, you can enjoy busting some myths.

Add low fat foods to your diet, they are the healthier option.

ButterLow fat foods have a secret they’re hiding. They replace fat with unhealthy ingredients like: • Flavour enhancers. • Thickeners. • Salt. • Sugar. These things are worse for you than your favourite fatty foods. In fact, full-fat Greek yoghurt is better for you than the low fat yoghurt alternatives.

Stay away from dairy. It’s bad for you.

You’ve probably heard or read that dairy is bad for you. However, dairy is an important part of a daily diet. Thus, eating dairy gives you multiple nutrients such as: • Potassium. • Calcium. • Protein. When trying to lose weight, go for low sat-fat choices.

All organic foods are healthier.

You’ve probably heard it a thousand times, but it’s a myth. Just because you’ve eaten food that was grown on an organic farm doesn’t translate to healthy. Foods that are produced organically have the same nutrient levels. The only difference is that the pesticides and chemicals used were controlled. So shop for you food based on taste, quality and ethics, not the label.

Avoid eating eggs. They raise your cholesterol.

ETNT-0512-2011-4_3This myth seems here to stay for some reason. The truth is that eating eggs won’t raise your cholesterol. Of course, if you are eating eggs along with loads of carbs, then the myth is true. Otherwise, in eat eggs in moderation.

Replace meals with supplements. They help muscle growth.

Muscle-building supplements do build muscle. They shouldn’t be used as a meal replacement. Oh yes, in case you were wondering, you can grow muscle without drinking supplements. To build muscle you still need: • Structured training regime. • Rest and recovery (after working out). • Good diet. The goal of the supplements are to accelerate protein synthesis.

For breakfast eat: porridge, porridge and more porridge

Oats are good for you because they release carbs slowly. However, a protein-based breakfast is a better weight management option. It has another plus, it produces fewer sugar cravings than oats.

Lose weight. Skip meals.

Have you skipped meals thinking that it may help you lose a pound or two? Well, the opposite is probably true. Yes, you may have ruined your weight loss chances for that day. When you miss meals, your body goes into starvation mode. In other words, your body thinks it’s never going to eat again and begins storing fat. Your metabolism slows thinking it needs to save energy. Besides, you quickly become hungrier and your chances of binging later are higher. To lose weight, you actually need to eat at least three meals per day and two healthy snacks. Smaller portions are best.

Eat more carrots. You’ll be able to see clearly in the dark.

Science is blamed for this myth. Yes, Vitamin A, found in foods like mangoes, sweet potatoes and steak, is helps night vision. However, you’re not going to improve your night-time vision by eating an abundance of carrots or Vitamin A. Whether at the supermarket buying grub or planning your meal plan, remember these busted myths. Forget the carrots for extra nighttime vision. There are probably some glasses that will work better. There are a lot of myths out there. Some are true. Others like the ones listed above aren’t true.