When I first started on my new healthy eating plan, I was really confused. People were bombarding me with all sorts of healthy eating tips and I didn’t know what to believe. These are some of the myths I heard most often that turned out to be nothing more than old wives’ tales with absolutely no scientific basis.
- Nuts Are Fatty
photo by the_frog
Yes. They are. But wait! Nuts contain the good healthy fat that we need to have. So don’t stop eating them. Eat them in moderation, use them as garnishing or mix them in with salads. It’s important to consume some fats to keep the body balanced and eating nuts is a good way of keeping the healthy fat in your diet.
- Always Use Low Fat Products
Almost every product in the super market has a ‘Low Fat’ or a ‘Reduced Fat’ equivalent. First of all “low fat” can often translate to “low-er fat” content than the original version. So the product could still contain fat, just slightly lesser. Secondly, even if a product is low in fat, you need to read the other nutritional information as well. Many actually make up for the fat content by adding more sugar or other energy equivalents. As a result your overall calorie (energy) consumption can remain the same or even be higher!
- Poultry Is Always Preferred To Red Meat
White meat or poultry does contain less fat than red meat but several factors need to be considered.
- If the fat or skin isn’t removed, poultry remains fatty. But if the fat is removed from red meat, it automatically becomes a healthier choice.
- Also, mince meat mixes the lean and the fat components, increasing the fat quotient of the meat.
- If the white meat is deep fried or contains other ingredients such as pastry, it can be fattier than red meat.
photo by lockstockb
So choose sensibly, get rid of the fat and skin and definitely stay away from further fattening ingredients.
- Salads Are Always A Healthier Option
The first thing people do when they go on a healthy diet is gorge on salads. That’s great but are you sure it’s perfectly healthy? First of all, going from a processed food to a salad diet can leave you hungry. So you might end up eating more fatty food in the long run to keep those hunger pangs away. Also, if you’re using bacon bits, cheese, lots of salad dressing and other fatty ingredients – your salad is actually quite fatty too! So choose your ingredients carefully before you make that “healthy” salad.
- Lemon Juice Dissolves Fat On Meats
photo by woodsy
Fat on meats needs to be cut away and discarded. Sprinkling lemon juice on it does not help! Seriously! On a different note, lemon juice is good source of Vitamin C.
- Avocadoes Aren’t Healthy
Avocadoes are regarded as unhealthy for the same reason as nuts – they contain fat. But again, avocadoes contain the good monounsaturated fat that’s good for us. So there’ll be no bad cholesterol with avocado. Half an avocado every day is good for your health rather than bad.
- Margarine Contains Less Fat Than Butter
No, not really. Both margarine and butter contain roughly similar amounts of fat. Margarine fat is probably a better option and hence it’s regarded as the healthier choice. However, both margarine and butter should be used sparingly.
I’m sure there are some more of these healthy eating myths doing the rounds. If you know of one that people are misinformed about, do share with us. We’d all love to know if we’re doing something wrong.
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Mmmm, this post made me hungry, thank you for the tips, Radhika.
Hello! Susan & Radhika! Here's my take on food myths! "Prescription For NUTRITIONAL HEALING" Fourth Edition The BOOK! It puts too DEALTH ALL THE FOOD MYTHS THAT ARE OUT THERE! Let me give this to you in layman’s terms! "SUPER COMPUTER!" This is what the humen body is:(Male & Female) One of the "ONLY THINGS" that is keeping us alive & running is what we are eating & how we are eating it the way we are burning it up the time of day we are doing it! ("IT'S THE HEAVY MEALS RIGHT BEFOR BED TIME THAT PUTS ON THE POUNDS!") According to your age, hight, & bone structure you should be at a comfortable weight;("THAT IS ALL ABOUT YOU!")! Eating all the right nutrients that are in the foods & doing ALL the right Exercises will help keep you there! Dont try to keep up with some one elses eating habbits! Dont try keeping up with some ones fitness plans; ("ONLY IF IT'S YOUR TRAINER!") Because of your life (Style) your (Age) your (Hight) & (Weight) (Bone Structure) you should be eating ALL the right FRESH uncook NUTS you can get you hands on Fruits & Vegetable as well! ABOVE ALL! Make sure you are getting you (DRA) Vitamins & Minerals! Vitamin A (100% from beta carotene) 10000 IU 200 % Vitamin C (as ascorbic acid) 150 mg 250 % Vitamin D (as ergocalciferol) 400 IU 100 % Vitamin E (as d-alpha tocopheryl succinate) 100 IU 333 % Thiamin (vitamin B-1) (as thiamine mononitrate) 25 mg 1,667 % Riboflavin (vitamin B-2) 25 mg 1,471 % Niacin (as niacinamide) 100 mg 500 % Vitamin B-6 (as pyridoxine HCl) 25 mg 1,250 % Folate (as folic acid) 400 mcg 100 % Vitamin B-12 (as cyanocobalamin) 100 mcg 1,667 % Biotin 300 mcg 100 % Pantothenic Acid (as d-calcium pantothenate) 50 mg 500 % Calcium (as carbonate, citrate) 25 mg 3 % Iron (as ferrous fumarate) 10 mg 56 % Iodine (as potassium iodide) 150 mcg 100 % Magnesium (as oxide, aspartate) 7.2 mg 2 % Zinc (as picolinate, oxide) 15 mg 100 % Selenium (as selenomethionine, sodium selenite) 200 mcg 286 % Copper (as gluconate) 2 mg 100 % Manganese (as gluconate, sulfate) 5 mg 250 % Chromium (GTF chromium, as chloride) 200 mcg 167 % Molybdenum (as sodium molybdate) 150 mcg 200 % Potassium (as citrate, iodide) 5 mg < 1 % PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid) 25 mg † Inositol 25 mg † Choline (as bitartrate) 10.5 mg † And remember because you are a "FEMALE" you all need more than us Men do! Just workout;( Exercise ) when ever you can "BURN" these "NUTRUENTS" up the best way you can trust me you will be the BBW that you are! "PRICELESS...!" ps: "Moderation" is the key to eating! Always...!
Great post Radhika, and it agrees with a lot of what my trainer has told me. Nuts are good, but make sure they're unsalted and not fried or roasted in oil - my favourite is dry-roasted cashew nuts, I have a small handful of them each day. And definitely beware of "low-fat" - almost always means "high sugar"! Salads are healthy, but not if you have thick creamy dressing or lots of cheese. I have salad for lunch most days: it contains leafy greens, cherry tomatoes, celery, garlic shoots (in season), corn, avocado, tuna or grilled chicken, and my really easy salad dressing of 3 parts extra virgin olive oil to 1 part lemon juice. As for margarine vs butter, I use butter not margarine because it has no additives. Generally, I eat fresh, healthy food including plenty of vegetables - nothing out of a packet or jar. It seems to be working for me!