Even with such clear advancements in nutrition and science, the datedmyths on how we should eat are still in circulation. Health-e helps clear the confusion.
Myth: Avoid eggs because of their cholesterol content.
Eggs have gotten an underserved reputation. The latest research indicates that they don’t actually contribute to high cholesterol at all and are super healthy.
Myth: It’s important to fast periodically to cleanse toxins from your body.
Let’s be clear, your body has its own perfectly designed system for removing toxins: the liver, kidneys and spleen. There isn’t any evidence that going without food or consuming only juice, for any period of time “cleanses” you.
Myth: Loading up on fruit helps you slim down.
Just because grapes are loaded with nutrients doesn’t mean you should graze on them for any stretch. Fruit is high in vitamins and fibre but guess what, they contain calories and sugar. An innocent banana as an example has roughly the same calories as two chocolate-chip cookies.
Myth: Vitamin C can keep you from catching a cold.
It is true that vitamin C is critical for immune function and that it plays a key role in wound healing. But the best way to keep your immune system strong is to eat healthfully all the time.
Myth: Microwaving destroys nutrients.
The longer and hotter you cook food, the more you’ll lose heat and water-sensitive nutrients, true, especially vitamin C and thiamin, but because microwave cooking often cooks foods more quickly, it can actually help to minimize nutrient losses.
Myth: Eating meat is bad for my health and makes it harder to lose weight.
Eating lean meat in small amounts can be part of a healthy plan to lose weight. Chicken, fish, pork, and red meat contain some cholesterol and saturated fat, but they also contain healthy nutrients like iron, protein and zinc.
Myth: Raw carrots are more nutritious than cooked.
Cooking actually increases a carrot’s nutritional value. The process breaks down the tough cellular walls that encase the beta-carotene.
Myth: Red wine is tops for heart health.
Researchers found that although moderate drinkers lived longer than those who abstained, wine drinkers weren’t better off than those who preferred beer or liquor.
Myth: Spicy food like Indonesian sambal will give you an ulcer.
Spices can exacerbate an irritable bowel, which people often mistake for an ulcer but typically it’s the bacterium called helicobacter pylori that causes ulcers.
Myth: Low-fat or fat-free means no calories.
Many processed low-fat or fat-free foods have just as many calories as the full-fat versions of the same foods (often even more calories).
Myth: People with diabetes have to give up sweets.
In moderation, an occasional sweet treat is fine. The key to maintaining healthy blood glucose levels is balancing meals and snacks to provide a mixture of carbs, fats and proteins.
Myth: The fewer carbs, the healthier you are.
Carbohydrates, especially whole grains, are vital to your well-being. Major studies conclude that those who eat whole grains have 20 to 30 percent less heart disease.
Myth: Calories eaten at night are more fattening than those eaten early in the day.
Calories are simply calories and it doesn’t matter what time you eat them. What’s key are the total calories you take in throughout the day and night combined.
Sources: Readers Digest; Eating Well; National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; Fitness magazine
