Diet Myths
Posted by
Jane N.
• Skipping a meal is a good way to cut calories: Skipping a meal lowers your metabolism to compensate, plus leaves you insanely hungry with plenty of potential to gorge at your next meal.
• Fat is bad for you: Fat is essential to our body. It helps us stay warm, cushions our body and let’s us absorb fat soluble vitamins.
• “Health” bars are no-brainer ways to eat healthy: Nutrition bars are there to help when you are too busy to make a meal, or you’re hiking in the wilderness. They should never be solely relied on to lose weight. Besides, many diet foods, such as bars, are loaded with sugar and fat.
• Crash diets work: What crash diets do is lower your metabolism and wreak havoc on your body by leaving it in a starved state. When the crash is over, you’ll pile the weight back on and most likely more, one of the reasons yo-yo dieters continually gain weight.
• Low fat foods mean you can have more: Low fat doesn’t mean void of calories, or sugar for that matter. Low fat foods are intended to be eaten in the same amount.
• Non-fat milk has less calcium: Whole, low fat and non-fat milk all have approximately 300mg calcium per cup.
• High cholesterol comes from eating too much cholesterol: Not exactly. While you definitely should watch cholesterol consumption, eating too much saturated fat plays more of a role than cholesterol.
• Not eating at night will help you lose weight: It’s not when you eat, but what. Getting too many calories is what causes weight gain. So don’t feel scared to eat after 7pm!
• Being vegetarian is always healthier: Vegetarians generally do eat more fruits and veggies and consume less fat, but there are unhealthy vegetarians out there. Loading up on fattening pastries and eating peanut butter all day is not a healthy vegetarian diet. Many celebrities promote vegetarian and vegan diets, but it is possible to include meat in your diet and still eat healthily.
• Salad is the best option when eating out: Not always. Some restaurants cover their salads in fatty dressing and load it with high fat foods, such as bacon. Sometimes a salad has more fat and calories than a regular meal! Best bet: get the dressing on the side.
• Organic food is more nutritious: There hasn’t been any evidence that organic food is healthier. Organic food is better for the environment (which is why I like it), but not necessarily better for us.
Diet Myths
Posted by Jane N.
• Skipping a meal is a good way to cut calories: Skipping a meal lowers your metabolism to compensate, plus leaves you insanely hungry with plenty of potential to gorge at your next meal.• Fat is bad for you: Fat is essential to our body. It helps us stay warm, cushions our body and let’s us absorb fat soluble vitamins. • “Health” bars are no-brainer ways to eat healthy: Nutrition bars are there to help when you are too busy to make a meal, or you’re hiking in the wilderness. They should never be solely relied on to lose weight. Besides, many diet foods, such as bars, are loaded with sugar and fat.• Crash diets work: What crash diets do is lower your metabolism and wreak havoc on your body by leaving it in a starved state. When the crash is over, you’ll pile the weight back on and most likely more, one of the reasons yo-yo dieters continually gain weight.• Low fat foods mean you can have more: Low fat doesn’t mean void of calories, or sugar for that matter. Low fat foods are intended to be eaten in the same amount.• Non-fat milk has less calcium: Whole, low fat and non-fat milk all have approximately 300mg calcium per cup.• High cholesterol comes from eating too much cholesterol: Not exactly. While you definitely should watch cholesterol consumption, eating too much saturated fat plays more of a role than cholesterol.• Not eating at night will help you lose weight: It’s not when you eat, but what. Getting too many calories is what causes weight gain. So don’t feel scared to eat after 7pm!• Being vegetarian is always healthier: Vegetarians generally do eat more fruits and veggies and consume less fat, but there are unhealthy vegetarians out there. Loading up on fattening pastries and eating peanut butter all day is not a healthy vegetarian diet. Many celebrities promote vegetarian and vegan diets, but it is possible to include meat in your diet and still eat healthily.• Salad is the best option when eating out: Not always. Some restaurants cover their salads in fatty dressing and load it with high fat foods, such as bacon. Sometimes a salad has more fat and calories than a regular meal! Best bet: get the dressing on the side.• Organic food is more nutritious: There hasn’t been any evidence that organic food is healthier. Organic food is better for the environment (which is why I like it), but not necessarily better for us.