10 Nutrition and Healthy eating food myths
Healthy eating food myths: We debunk some prevalent nutrition myths and offer weight-management strategies!
Healthy eating food myths: It might be confusing to decide which healthy eating recommendations to take because there are so many conflicting messages out there. Commercials tell you one thing, friends say another, your parents give you advice based on what they were told as children, and doctors advise against the majority of what you’ve heard.
Nutrition Myths and Facts
- Myth about meal timing: I’ll gain weight if I consume the majority of my calories in the evening.
- Myth about nutrition: I can eat as much as I want since “calorie-free” and “fat-free” imply the same thing.
- Myth: Sugars and carbohydrates are bad for you because they make you acquire weight.
1. Meal timing myth: Eating most of my calories in the evening will cause weight gain
Calories are calories, period. Since it has been established that your body doesn’t process food in a different way depending on the time of day, when you consume them doesn’t really matter. What matters, though, is how many calories you consume overall compared to how much you expend. Evening TV watching while mindlessly munching can and will cause your calorie intake to rise.
Try healthier options including fresh fruits, unsweetened dried fruits, low-fat yoghurt, and milk if you must snack. Snacking is not a crime, whether it occurs between meals or at night while watching a movie. However, bingeing on unhealthy foods when seated boils down to disregarding your body.
2. Nutrition myth: “Fat-free” means “calorie-free”, which means I can eat as much as I want
The terms “low fat” or “fat-free” do not equate to “calorie-free.” A food that is low in fat or fat-free typically has fewer calories per serving than a food that is full of fat. However, many processed meals that are low-fat or fat-free may nonetheless have the same number of calories—and in some cases, even MORE—as the full-fat version of the same product. This is so that the original flavour may be maintained when dishes are become fat-free by adding sugar, flour, starch thickeners, and other carbs.
When grocery shopping, be careful to read the nutrition labels of both the regular and low-fat versions of the product and compare their calorie and fat contents based on a serving size of 100g for each.
To find food items that are healthier choices, you can also check for the Healthier Choice Symbol emblem. Keep in mind that calories ultimately determine body weight! Additionally, just because a food has fewer calories and fat doesn’t imply you should consume excessive amounts of it. Consume everything in moderation, particularly dishes with excessive fats.
3. Myth about carbohydrates: Carbohydrates (and sugars) are evil because they cause weight gain
Fact: Just like protein and fat, carbohydrates don’t make you gain weight. Taking in more calories than you need will probably make you acquire weight. White bread, pasta, and doughnuts are examples of foods high in refined carbohydrates and sugar that can increase your risk of getting diabetes and heart disease.
The best strategy for ensuring a balanced nutritional intake is to adhere to the My Healthy Plate: whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables are all “good-carb” meals, but intake of refined sugar and sweet foods should be kept to an absolute minimum.
4. Healthy eating myth: Eating mostly salads and greens will help me maintain a healthy weight
It is a fact that salads and green vegetables have a low energy density, which means they contain nearly no fat and very little energy. Consuming a lot of salads and other greens in your diet will give you the critical vitamins, minerals, fibre, and other nutrients you need to be healthy.
When choosing a salad, be careful not to ruin its nutritional value by smothering it in fatty sauces and salad dressing. Don’t go overboard and make the salad calorielier.
5. Weight loss myth: I can burn fat by eating certain foods, like grapefruit and cabbage soup
A meal cannot burn fat. According to fad diets like the grapefruit diet, you must consume protein-rich dishes with half a grapefruit at each meal to benefit from the fruit’s purported fat-burning enzymes. Grapefruit does not cause you to burn fat, despite the fact that it is fat-free, low in calories and sodium, high in vitamin C, and filled with fibre. Similar to this, a diet high in cabbage soup causes deficiencies (a lack of a variety of vitamins and proteins), can leave you dangerously underweight, and will have an impact on your immune system.
Limiting foods high in fat, oil, and sugar while eating balanced, varied meals is the greatest strategy to reach a healthier weight. Remember to up your physical activity as well. Sports activities are a terrific way to be active and social with friends.
6. Food myth debunked: Eggs are bad for my heart
The yolks of large eggs have roughly 134 milligrammes (mg) of cholesterol in them, which is a significant amount. The fatty substance called cholesterol found in our blood plays a role in clogged arteries and heart attacks. However, claiming that eggs are “bad for your heart” is making the incorrect connections. The majority of healthy individuals can eat one egg each day without experiencing any issues since the body just balances the cholesterol intake by producing less cholesterol on its own. Saturated and trans fats, which have a far bigger impact on rising blood cholesterol, especially in persons predisposed to such circumstances (for example, family history of high cholesterol), are the main causes of heart disease.
A three-egg omelette shouldn’t be your daily breakfast just because you’re young and healthy. Less than 300 mg of cholesterol should be consumed per day.
7. Myth people believe in: Microwaving is bad for food and is dangerous to my health
Fact: The food you eat is affected by the different cooking techniques. Regardless of the method you use to cook—microwave, charcoal grill, fryer or solar-heated stove—the food is affected by the heat and the amount of time you spend on it. You will lose some nutrients that are sensitive to heat and water the longer and hotter you cook a fish, especially vitamin C and thiamin (a B vitamin). In fact, nutritional losses from microwave cooking can be minimized because it frequently cooks food more quickly.
With the help of heat waves that propagate outward as they move through a microwave oven, food is heated from within. Unlike X-rays and gamma rays, which do pose health risks, microwaves are relatively low-intensity kinds of radiation, similar to radio waves and energy waves. However, certain plastic food containers that we use in the microwave weren’t designed for that use and could cause plastic chemicals to leach onto your food. Use only microwave-safe containers for this reason.
8. Skipping meals myth: Skipping meals or having various smaller meals is good for my metabolism
Every time you eat, you rev up your metabolism as your body works to break down the food you have eaten. If you eat several small meals throughout the day rather than a few larger ones, your metabolism will shift into high gear more frequently, burning an additional few calories.
On the other hand, fasting or ingesting only liquids will not aid in the removal of extra fats or toxins from your body. In actuality, losing weight does not result from skipping meals—typically breakfast. According to studies, those who skip breakfast and eat less frequently during the day are more likely to be overweight than those who have a healthy breakfast and eat four or five times daily. This is because skipping a meal encourages you to eat more food later on.
The best option is to consume meals that are well-balanced, well-timed, and appropriately sized, together with fruits and vegetables, to best meet the demands and requirements of your body.
9. Myth About Fat: All fats are bad for me
Factual statement: There are numerous varieties of fats. Some of these should be a staple in your diet, while others should never be placed in your shopping cart. For instance, unsaturated fats may improve our health by lowering blood levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol. It has been demonstrated that saturated fats from meat and dairy products increase levels of LDL (bad) and total cholesterol. Trans fats, however, not only cause an increase in total and LDL (bad) cholesterol, but also a decrease in HDL (good) cholesterol. Trans fats can be found in a variety of processed foods, including cookies and French fries. Overall, some fats have a good effect on your health while others raise your risk of heart disease. The secret is to switch out unhealthy fats in our diet for healthy ones.
Just keep in mind that healthy fats provide energy and permit the body to function regularly. However, you should keep your daily fat intake to no more than 25–30% of your total calorie intake. Lean meat and poultry cuts, or meat with the visible fat and skin removed, should be your usual preference. Include fish in your diet, especially fatty fish like salmon, and consume as little processed and fast food as possible.
10. Nutrition myth: Brown sugar is better than white sugar
The nutritional value of brown and white sugar is nearly same. Actually, brown sugar is just white granulated sugar that has been mixed with molasses. However, unless you consume a huge amount of brown sugar every day, the mineral content difference between brown sugar and white sugar is utterly negligible. Brown sugar does contain very little levels of minerals.
Keep in mind that effective marketing is largely responsible for the perception that brown sugar is a healthier alternative to white sugar. In a similar vein, so-called “diet” sodas are neither “light” nor “healthy” at all because they include numerous substances that are bad for your health, including sodium, phosphoric acid, caffeine, and artificial sweeteners. Additionally, many meals (such as fruits, honey, and milk) already include different types of sugars that your body can easily handle and utilise. If diabetes runs in your family, you should take extra care to limit your sugar intake.
Some Healthy eating food myths about Nutrition & Physical Activity
Do you find that deciding what to eat, how much to eat, when to eat, and how much exercise you need each day is overwhelming? If so, don’t give up because you’re not the only one. It can be challenging to determine what to do and which information to believe when faced with so many options and alternatives.
By adjusting your regular routines for eating and exercising, you may be able to improve your wellbeing and achieve or maintain a healthy myths.
Healthy eating food myths
Myth: You must give up all of your favourite foods to lose weight.
Fact: If you’re attempting to lose weight, you don’t have to give up all of your favourite foods. You might include a small amount of your favourite high-calorie items in your weight-loss regimen. Just keep an eye on how many calories you consume overall. You must expend more calories than you consume through food and beverages if you want to lose weight.
TIP: Restricting calorie-dense foods may aid in weight loss. Based on a person’s age, sex, and amount of physical activity, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025 External link have calculated daily calorie needs.
Myth: Foods made from grains, such bread, pasta, and rice, make you fat. They should not be consumed when attempting to lose weight.
Physical Activity Myths
Myth: Only engaging in physical activity over extended periods of time counts.
Fact: The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, recommends that adults engage in at least 150 minutes, or 2 hours and 30 minutes, of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. This amount of regular physical activity does not require prolonged periods of activity. Brisk walking is a type of moderate-intensity exercise. You can spread out these sessions throughout the week and even engage in quick bursts of action for 10 minutes three times per day on five or more days of the week.
Tip: Find methods to incorporate brief periods of exercise into your day. If your schedule and job allow it, go for a 10-minute walk during your break or hold a “walking” rather than a “sitting” meeting. Take the stairs rather than the escalator or lift. Get off the bus at the next stop. Instead of going out to eat, meet a friend for a walk.
Myth: Lifting weights won’t help you lose weight or enhance your health since it will cause you to “bulk up.”
Fact: You won’t gain weight by lifting weights or engaging in other activities like push-ups and some types of yoga, which may help you develop strong muscles. Only rigorous strength training, combined with specific genes, can result in massive muscular development. Similar to other forms of exercise, muscle-strengthening exercises will benefit your health and may also help you manage your weight by increasing the amount of muscle that burns calories.
Tip: Using thick rubber bands, resistance bands, sit-ups or yard or housework tasks that require lifting or digging can all help you develop strong muscles.
Clinical trails
Research on numerous illnesses and ailments is conducted and supported by the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and other NIH divisions.
What are clinical trials, and are they right for you?
The foundation of all medical advancements is clinical research, which includes clinical trials. Clinical trials examine novel approaches to avert, diagnose, or treat disease. Clinical trials are also used by researchers to examine various facets of treatment, such as enhancing the quality of life for those with chronic illnesses.
Reference
- https://www.foodnetwork.com/healthy/packages/healthy-every-week/healthy-tips/11-healthy-eating-myths-that-just-arent-true
- https://easy4learning.com/easy-biology-education/
- https://easy4learning.com/amino-acids/
- https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/myths-nutrition-physical-activity
