Top 10 Diet Myths Debunked

What Are The Top 10 Diet Myths

Ideally, to live a better life, diet plays a significant role. In fact, people with excess weight and in need of weight loss programs are advised by their doctors or their medical experts to check on their diets. This implies that whatever they are consuming contributes a bigger percentage of weight gain. However, proper dietary has been hindered by some myths that circulate in the air and various online blogs. Nevertheless, in most cases, such diet myths are dubious and people are advised to ignore them. In this regard, the following are the top ten diet myths that need to be debunked:

1: Eat only when you are hungry



This is a myth that has been going round in the air-advising people to skip some meals and take them only when they feel hungry just to save some calories. However, research conducted at the NWCR (National Weight Control Registry) shows that taking food on a regular interval is the key to weight-loss accomplishment. Indeed, people are supposed to eat healthy meals following a strict schedule, mainly after four to five hours regardless of whether it is a holiday, weekend, or weekday. Therefore, meal skippers are at a risk to weight problems because once they feel hungry and desires to eat, they tend to eat too much of the wrong stuff.

2: Red meat is not good for our health



Well, you will might hear some people saying that eating red meat is bad for our health. However, when prompted to justify their statements, they will always give scanty justification. Right, some studies have shown that red-meat is saturated with fat content that might increase the risk of getting heart diseases.

The truth of the matter is that it is not only red meat that contains a high content of fats, however, chicken meat contains even higher contents of fats-and most people like taking chicken meat! In this regard, it is just a myth that red-meat is not good for your health. Therefore, instead of excluding completely red meats, you are advised to opt for leaner cut(s) of pork and beef. For pork, choose loin chops and tenderloin; for beef, you can choose top round roast, flank, and top sirloin.

3: Sugar causes diabetes



The most common diet myth that probably goes round among many people with diabetes is that they got it due to excessive consumption of sugary foods. Truthfully, sugar intake will never cause diabetes. In fact, the main causes Type 2 diabetes include consuming diets with high calories, inactive lifestyle, and being overweight. Otherwise, those already with diabetes, need to keep an eye on their carbohydrate and sugar levels with the aid of a specialist or registered dietitian who is an expert in managing blood sugar level.

4: Brown sugar is the best compared to white sugar



Ideally, when you go shopping in a near grocery store, you will be surprised to learn that some people prefer brown sugar to white sugar. Well, brown sugar is actually white sugar with some few amounts of molasses (minerals) added to it. Not unless you consume gigantic portions of brown sugar on a daily basis, the difference in the mineral content between the two sugars is insignificant, which implies that both are just the same.

5: Avoid seafood if you need to lower the cholesterol levels



It is unbelievable that the above myth is so common to the extent that some doctors agree to it! However, research has shown that dietary cholesterol in seafood has a small effect(s) on the blood cholesterol among many people and the above video shows a list of fish that will help you actually help lower your cholesterol. Ideally, trans fatty acids and saturated fats are the culprits responsible for raising blood cholesterol. Saturated fats are commonly found in packaged foods and meat products while packaged snack foods, firm margarine, and deep-fried foods are rich in trans fatty acids.

6: All fats are considered bad



For a longer time, the above diet myth has been common among many people. However, the fact is that we all need fats for one purpose or another. Nevertheless, when taken excessively, it can contribute to heart diseases, weight gain, and leads to cancerous growth.

The reality is that all fats are not equally created. Indeed, some fats play a great role in promoting good and better health while others increases the risk of getting the above health complications. In this regard, the key idea is to replace some bad fats such as trans and saturated fats with some good fats such as polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats.

7: White eggs are less nutritious than brown eggs



It is unbelievable that some people agree that the color of an eggshell determines the quality, nutritive value, flavor, and cooking characteristics of an egg. Ideally, the eggshell color is a factor that depends on the hen’s breed.

Research has shown that hens that has white ear lobes and feathers lay white-shelled eggs while those with red earlobes & feathers produces eggs with brown shells. Therefore, there is absolutely no difference between the two colored eggs; all of them have the same dietary effects.

8: Avoid Eating nuts lest you get more fats



Well, it is very true that nuts are calorically dense. For instance, 15 cashews deliver 180 kilocalories. Nuts can be amazing part of your healthy diet, just check out the video to learn more. In fact, it has been established that nuts contain high amount of plant sterols as well as polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, that plays a significant role in lowering LDL cholesterol.

9: If you need to lose weight, do away with carbohydrates



Ideally, many people understand that low-carb diets contain carbohydrates that promote the rate at which insulin is produced, which in turn leads to weight gain. Therefore, it implies that by reducing its intake, it will help one to lose excess weight. Unfortunately, it is just a diet myth.

Truthly, any low-carb diets are usually calorie-restricted. It means that, if you need to lose weight in in just one week, you are required to eat about 500 fewer calories in your daily diet. In this regard, it does not matter if you take a low-carb or high-carb diets, you will just reduce weight if only you decrease the amount of caloric intake to a lower level less than required to maintain your desired weight.

10: Eating ice cream during pregnancy is bad



Normally, energy requirement among different individuals during pregnancy varies greatly, which implies that they need to take foods that provide instant energy. Awkwardly, the clue that pregnant women should never eat ice cream during such periods is just one of the dietary myths. Ideally, a daily prenatal-multivitamin supplement is commonly recommended, but not a routine consumption of ice cream, so it's ok in moderation.

Conclusion

The list of diet myths is just endless. However, the above are the top ten that are more common among many people. In this regard, people are advised to know the truth rather clinging to ideas that can ruin their health.



Have some diet myths you would like to share? Post it in a comment and feel free to click on the share icons below to share this article with your friends.