10 Common Diet Tips That Are False
Dieting is a more complex concept than some people make it out to be. It isn’t always as simple as eliminating certain things from your diet, or tracking the amount of calories you eat per day. Nutrition needs to be balanced and come from the right sources. Here are some of the most common fitness tips and advice we hear that aren’t exactly true.
1) Avoid fats at all cost. This is one of the most common pieces of advice given, especially to those trying to lose weight. However, not all fats are created equal. Yes, fats in fast food, cookies, and chips can lead to high cholesterol and certain diseases. However, there are good fats found in nuts, avocados, and fish that can actually protect your heart, support your overall health, and help regulate your weight
2) Cut out snacks to lose weight. Actually, snacking in between meals is a good way to boost your metabolism and help regulate the way your body burns calories at rest. Snacking in between meals also helps curb your appetite, which helps avoid binge eating during your main meals.
3) Count your calories. Counting calories has turned into a craze in the recent years for those following a diet plan. However, just like with fats, calories from different foods will do different things for your body. 50 calories from an apple is different than 50 calories from a cheesecake. Calories found in health foods can provide essential energy while calories found in foods such as french fries — also known as “empty calories” — have no nutritional value.
Cutting too many calories can also put your body into starvation mode, which can slow down your metabolism. (Read article “Factors That Slow Down Your Metabolism”)
4) Eliminate carbs. While it is true that eating a lot of carbs found in foods such as white bread, white rice, or white tortillas can lead to weight gain and cardiovascular problems, there is no research that suggests healthy carbs found in whole grain foods, fruits, vegetables, and legumes are bad for you. Many studies actually suggest diets high in these types of carbs is associated with better overall health and wellbeing.
5) Eat gluten-free foods to lose weight. Again, there is no scientific research that suggests gluten is a fattening ingredient. The real problem is that we eat too many refined grains, such as white flour.
6) It’s better to work out on an empty stomach. False. Skipping out on meals before an intense workout session can actually result in muscle loss. You’re body needs energy to burn during your workout, and the best energy would come from a light, healthy meal or snack. However, it is important to not overeat either since that could make you feel sick and decrease your performance. (Read article “Snacks That Fuel: Eating to Boost Energy Levels“)
7) Avoid the forbidden foods. You don’t have to take the all-or-nothing approach to dieting in order to get results. We tend to think that if we are on a diet we can never eat foods like pizza, french fries, burgers, or cake, however, with careful planning you can enjoy these foods in moderation — just not all in the same day. Research shows that eating these foods in moderation can actually help fight the urge to binge eat on these foods.
8) Don’t eat right? Take a multivitamin. The idea behind a multivitamin is to cover the gap between what you eat and what your body really needs. However, most multivitamins are made with synthetic ingredients, and the nutrients found in whole foods are far superior to anything you will see in most supplements. (Read article “The Shocking Truth About Multivitamins“)
9) Fat-free and sugar-free means healthy. Ehh, not so much. There are a lot of foods that are low in fat but high in sugar, sodium, or calories. On a similar note, most sugar-free products are loaded with artificial sweeteners which can lead to weight gain.
10) Don’t eat the egg yolk. This myth has been around for a long time, and it’s time to get the facts straight. Research from the University of Connecticut found that eating egg yolk can actually help boost your HDL, which is the good type of cholesterol. Egg yolk also contains 100% of the carotenoids, essential fatty acids, and vitamins, while the egg white only contains protein.
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