Let's Debunk Some Common Food Myths
Posted by Elena Vicente | 11th May 2023
With so much nutrition nonsense out there in the media, it's no surprise that many of our customers come to us with a sense of confusion around how to follow a healthy diet.
During our nutrition consultations we often help our customers to debunk any myths they may have picked up online, on social media or from word of mouth. Here are some common food myths we have come across over the years:
1. All calories are equal
All calories have the same energy content, the quality and nutritional value of the food that provides those calories can have different effects on your body's health and well-being.
If you were to compare 100 calories of broccoli to 100 calories of chocolate, the broccoli would be more filling and provide more essential nutrients, while the chocolate would be higher in sugar and unhealthy fats.
It's important to consider the overall nutritional value of the food you consume, rather than just focusing on the calorie count.
2. Eggs are unhealthy
Eggs are low in saturated fat, and the type of dietary cholesterol found in eggs doesn't raise the concerning cholesterol type in our blood as it was thought some years ago.
According to different scientific sources, it's important to be cautious on your cholesterol intake, but what it's more important is to limit the total fat consumption, specially saturated fat in your diet, because it increases significantly your "bad" cholesterol in blood.
3. All carbohydrates are bad for you and should be avoided
Carbohydrates are probably one of the most misunderstood macronutrient.
One of the reasons that carbohydrates are often targeted for weight loss purposes is that short-term weight loss can occur after reducing carbohydrate intake.The issue with cutting carbohydrate intake to extremes is that, for most people in long-term, instead of reducing adipose tissue, you are actually losing a big part of your muscles.
Carbohydrates also play a central role in a balanced healthy diet by being the body’s preferred source of fuel.
It's preferable to reduce the quantities and choosing nutritious and complex carbohydrates in our diets, such as: whole grains, fruit and vegetables.
5. Dairy can affect weight loss results
Contrary to popular belief, dairy foods like cheese, milk and yoghurts are so good for you and can still be included in a healthy, portion controlled diet even when you have a weight loss goal.
Dairy foods contain calcium, potassium and vitamin D for strong bones and protein for muscle growth.
Also yogurts are natural source of probiotics, which help to restore the "good" bacteria in our gut to improve digestions and to boost our immune system.
We always recommend to take nutritional advice from reliable sources, for instance: nutrition experts, health related professionals and scientific health related websites or magazines.
I hope this helped to clear up any confusion around these common food myths. If you still feel a bit confused, why not book in for a nutrition consultation with one of our registered nutritionists and we'll help to get you on the right path to a healthy life!