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Debunking 10 Nutrition Myths

We all have heard a ton of different "facts" about nutrition and what to eat etc. and with "alternative facts" being the buzz words lately I though I would use this blog to debunk some popular nutrition myths, including a few I once believed in myself!

Myth 1. Caffeine is bad for you.

Thank God that this is not true! Caffeine does have it’s health benefits. It is a big source of anti-oxidants (as much as some fruit and veg) and is also credited with with lowering the risk of many disease such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Caffeine is good for you... Monster cans, Red Bull etc are not so much. I learned a lot more about this during one of my recent blogs.

Coffee, what would life be without it?!

Coffee, what would life be without it?!

Myth 2: Eating Fat makes you Fat.

Like the term "Gluten Free" labeled on some foods, “Low-Fat" foods can also be misleading into thinking that the food is more healthy for us than the regular version. They can be laced in chemicals. The body stores these chemicals because the body doesn’t know what to do with them. This translates to fat. This fat is much different to nutrition fat. Low Carb, high fat (LCHF) diets have been proven to help with weight loss. 

Also, a number of studies have shown that saturated fat does not lead to heart disease.

Myth 3: Too much Proteins can be bad for you.

Unless you already have issues with your kidneys, there is no scientific studies to show that too much protein is harmful. I’m not going to go into grams per body weight you should be taking because, unless you are an elite athlete, NOBODY is going to follow that.

Proteins are the main building blocks of the body so don’t neglect them. Red meat is good for you by the way as long as it is unprocessed

Myth 4: Eat smaller meals to ignite the metabolic flame.

This one is still making the rounds and I know there’s a fair few people reading this that will disagree on this one. Eating food does raise your metabolism slightly. However, eating bigger meals at more spaced out times will have the exact same effect on calories being burned throughout the day.

What we eat is more important than how many times we eat. And, let’s face it, we won’t have time to be prepping six small, healthy meals through out the working day. So cut down on the snacking and have bigger, healthier meals.

Myth 5: Too many Eggs are bad for you.

The Yolk of the egg has this stigma of having high cholesterol. It does.  The body produces cholesterol in the liver. When we eat a lot of eggs the body simply reduces the amount we produce. The yolk actually has the most nutrition so when you’re cooking your eggs, don’t throw them away if you do not have any pre existing heart conditions

eggs yolk nutrition vitamins healthy

Myth 6: It’s all in the calories consumed.

All calories are not consumed the same and thus can have a different effect on the body. "The quality of what we eat determines the quantity of the calories we consume." Therefore, and a lot of ladies who have read the Booty Camp nutrition manuals will know this; don’t count calories, count chemicals. A lot of foods that have low calories (due to fat being taken away) have been replaced with sugar and chemicals instead. So low calorie foods tend to actually be more harmful to you as increased sugar can lead to obesity and diabetes... but you already knew that!

Myth 7: If the food is Gluten Free, that’s good.

Gluten is a combination of two proteins that are usually found in grains. While it’s essential for celiacs to remain gluten free, there is a market out there for producers to label items gluten free just to appear more healthy. This myth has been given a blog to it's self, here.

gluten free sugar muffin taste calories

Myth 8: Microwaving your food is bad for you.

The argument for this is that microwaves kill the nutrients in food. Microwaves are a lot weaker than those in X-rays and are mainly heating to prepared foods. Heating them in plastic containers can have an effect so use a microwave container. It’s more down to the food in the microwave rather than how it’s prepared! If you keep re heating the food, you will eventually lose it’s nutrients. The longer something is cooked, the less nutrients it has. And a microwave usually heats our food quickly which is very beneficial to saving the nutrients in the food.

Myth 9: Natural foods are good for you.

Just like ‘Gluten-Free’ products, the word ‘natural’ is a term loved by marketers to trick consumers into thinking they are eating more healthy. Anything can be labeled Natural. a product could have natural sugar... it still has the effects of sugar! The word you’re really looking for is ‘Organic’.

Myth 10: If you’re drinking, stick to red wine only because it’s the only one with health benefits.

According to a number of studies, it’s actually the alcohol it’s self which can raise good cholesterol! Which means... no, I’m afraid it doesn’t mean that going on the piss every night is good for you! 

Wine is better to drink than beer mainly because you will drink less and it will reflect on you consuming a lot less calories. Red Wine contains the fewest amount of chemicals and carbohydrates. After that, whiskey, scotch and brandy are your next best bet before white wines and then vodka/gin. Of course it all depends on the mixer as well! Cider is slightly better for you than beer. There’s more calories in Heineken (44 per 100g) than there is in a Guinness 37 per 100g) believe it or not! Once again, you can find a whole blog on the effects of alcohol on your health and fitness here