5 Nutrition Myths....BUSTED!

5 Nutrition Myths....BUSTED!

We are definitely in the midst of a healthy eating revolution, however with healthy eating and nutrition advice being absolutely everywhere its sometimes really difficult to cut through the noise! Here are some nutrition myths busted!

Myth 1: The Healthiest Diet is a Low-Fat, High-Carb Diet With Lots of Grains

• This myth is in place because it was the mainstream advice given since 1977. These recommendations were untested in any trial before being introduced! (read more here)
• The assumption was that eating fat meant you gained fat so instead it was advised to completely eliminate fat from the diet. What resulted was a lot of "diet foods" such as non fat yogurts and ready made meals. 
• The problem with this is that Fat naturally satiates (makes you feel full) and gives flavor to food. When you take the fat out you generally take the flavor, to combat this food manufacturers replaced with high levels of salt and sugar! Beware of "diet foods!". Clean food is the best approach (non processed, natural foods).
• This

Myth 2: It is Best to Eat Many, Small Meals Throughout The Day to “Stoke The Metabolic Flame”

• It is not true that eating many, smaller meals leads to an increase in the amount of calories burned throughout the day. 
• Weight loss/gain comes down to calories in versus calories burned, a deficit will equate a loss and a surplus will cause weight gain
• Where eating smaller meals more frequently may help is keeping you from overeating at meal times as you may feel excessively hungry
• Personally i find eating 5 meals a day works for me as I can keep my blood sugar more stable which means i am less likely to crave food and/or overeat.

 

Myth 3: Egg Yolks Should be Avoided Because They Are High in Cholesterol, Which Drives Heart Disease

"Ahhh I absolutely hate this one! I start my day with 2 boiled eggs and the first thing people say when I tell them what I have is "ooooh watch out for cholesterol...."

• Despite eggs being high in cholesterol, they do not raise blood cholesterol or increase heart disease risk for the majority of people. 

• Dietary cholesterol does not always equal blood cholesterol - in fact researchers found that "Carbohydrates, rather than fat, plays a critical role in activating pro-inflammatory processes through their effect on the fatty acid composition of lipids and membranes". (read more here)

• See blog post on the truth about eggs and cholesterol!

Myth 4: Whole Wheat is a Health Food and an Essential Part of a “Balanced” Diet

• Wheat has been a diet staple for hundreds of years, however the problem is that the 'wheat' we eat today is not like the wheat consumed years ago due to processing techniques that make the food less nutritious (as the bran and the germ have been separated, which hold most of the starchy carb that keep us full).
• Grains are now also prepared differently to make processing times quicker. The flour is bleached and bread is cooked with quick rise yeast.
• The wheat most people are eating today is unhealthy. It is less nutritious and may increase cholesterol levels and inflammatory markers.

Myth 5: Coffee is Unhealthy and Should be Avoided

Love that this is a myth! yaaay more coffee for me! (watch the milk intake though as its relatively high in calories. Opt for an Americano rather than anything milk heavy like cappuccinos or lattes!)

• Despite being perceived as unhealthy, coffee is actually loaded with antioxidants.
• Take a coffee before your workout (30-60 mins before) to boost your energy levels
• Numerous studies show that coffee drinkers live longer and have a lower risk of many serious diseases.
• Take a look at this blog post about Coffee and your workout!

Sources
http://eatlocalgrown.com/article/13256-mainstream-nutrition-myths-proved-wrong.html
http://www.theverge.com/2015/2/9/8003971/low-fat-dietary-health-goals-bad-science
http://authoritynutrition.com/modern-wheat-health-nightmare/