6 nutrition myths busted by a registered dietitian
With the oversaturation of information on diet and health, it’s hard to separate fact from fiction. When it comes to what we put (or not put) into our bodies, fact-checking is extremely important.
Registered Nutritionist and Dietician Jo Sebastian spares us the trouble of scouring the Internet by busting nutrition myths we somehow believe to be true.
Myth 1: You need to ban carbs from your diet.
FACT: Incorporating and balancing all food groups lets us get as much nutrients as possible, thereby bringing us steps closer to our fitness goals. Carbohydrates aren’t the source of weight gain, but rather the source of our energy. Weight gain isn’t about what you eat; it’s about how much you put into your body in relation to how much energy you use up in a day.
Myth 2: Remove ALL sugar from what you consume—even from fruits.
FACT: People think fruit is bad because it contains sugar. While fruit does have sugar called fructose, it’s not at all bad! It’s a natural sugar that the body loves as it contains fiber and other nutrients to keep our systems running efficiently. Cutting out fruits from our diet means missing out on a lot of macronutrients that keep us in tip-top shape.
Myth 3: There is one tried-and-tested diet for all.
FACT: One’s diet should be individualized and tailored to one’s needs, goals, and lifestyle. What works for one doesn’t work for all, especially because there are different reasons for following a specific diet. Simply put: every body is different, so each one’s diets must be different too.
Myth 4: Superfoods are a must to be healthy.
FACT: Superfoods like chia seeds, flaxseeds, and spirulina are high in nutrients, but aren’t what makes or breaks a healthy diet. They are not necessarily sustainable in the long run as they’re quite expensive and hard to find. All you really need is to diversify the variety of nutrients that you consume.
Myth 5: It’s ALL about calories.
FACT: While calorie counting is important, the quality of food we eat matters just as much. Ask yourself: are you eating enough carbs to fuel your body? Are you getting enough protein to build muscle? Being mindful of what kind and how much nutrients you’re getting overall affects your goals too.
Myth 6: Eating late at night is really bad.
FACT: Just because you’re less active at night and our metabolism isn’t as hard at work as it is during the day, it doesn’t mean that it slows down drastically. The only difference is that because we’re less active, we don’t use up as much energy, so the food we consume doesn’t get used up, but rather stored in the body.
As it is with most things, when it comes to food, it’s all about moderation, not deprivation. Developing healthy eating habits and knowing how to listen to our bodies (and that includes treating ourselves once in a while!) have a longer-lasting impact on our health and fitness.
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