Some Nutritional Myths

 

Low fat’ means healthy

Low-fat foods can be healthy, but not always. Many processed foods that are classified low in fat are actually high in sugar and salt to make up for the loss of flavour that results from the removal of fats. People mistakenly believe because it is a low fat food they can eat more and so put on weight while on a ‘low fat’ diet. Check the labels on these products and decide for yourself.

Eggs affect cholesterol levels

For many years it was thought because of eggs high cholesterol content that they increase our cholesterol levels. Recent studies have shown that moderate egg consumption, up to 4 a week has little affect on cholesterol levels. Eggs are a storehouse of vital nutrients especially protein, fat and vitamins. To get the maximum health benefits it is best to soft boil/poach eggs with the yolk runny. Overcooking eggs as in scrambled, can oxidise the cholesterol content and increase inflammation levels in the body.

Eating after 8pm will make you fat

With long working hours it is not always possible to eat your main meal before 8pm and often we think this is why we put on weight. What matters is, what we eat and how much we eat. When we are tired we tend to overeat to compensate fatigue. A properly balanced meal after 8pm will not put on weight. Late night snacking that tends to be high carbohydrate sugary foods, chips or crisps is actually what puts on weight. Instead for nighttime snacks, make good food choices such as lean proteins, vegetables and healthy fats.

Chocolate is bad for you

Chocolate contains sugar, so excessive consumption of chocolate can adversely affect your health. It also contains many benefits too. The cacao in chocolate contains phytonutrients that can act as antioxidants and improve health – the darker the chocolate the higher the phytonutrient content. To reap full health benefits eat dark chocolate, no more than 2 squares a day with a minimum of 70% cacao content. Chocolate triggers the release of serotonin ‘the happy hormone’ so relax and enjoy this pleasurable feeling

Skipping meals can help lose weight

If you skip meals your body is not getting sufficient nourishment. Regularly skipping meals over a period of time can slow down your metabolism and your body will not burn as many calories. Another consequence is, at the next meal you will be hungrier and will crave high sugar foods as opposed to healthy foods. The result of both of these can be weight gain. A better way would be to eat smaller healthier meals and snacks more frequently, to keep your blood sugars balanced.

Artificial sweeteners are better than sugar

Artificial sweeteners are a synthetic sugar substitute. They are found in a variety of food and drinks usually marketed as ‘diet’ or ‘sugar free’, the most commonly known one is aspartame. Lots of people also use artificial sweeteners to sweeten their tea and coffee, to promote weight loss. What is not generally known is that artificial sweeteners can actually stimulate your appetite and fat storage and increase sugar cravings and weight gain. If you do need to use a sweetener, try a natural sweetener such as stevia.