Saturday, June 14, 2014

3 Nutrition Whoppers You've Been Told


1. Eggs / egg yolks are bad for you.

The demonization of eggs started because egg yolks are high in cholesterol. Because of that, some nutrition/ medical professionals assumed that eating eggs would raise cholesterol in the blood.

Well, you know what they say about assuming, right? Multiple studies involving hundreds of thousands of healthy participants found no correlation between egg consumption and the risk of heart disease.

Some mainstream nutritionists will tell you it’s O.K. to eat more eggs IF you stick to mostly to the whites but guess what? The yolks contain most of the nutrients!

Egg whites are mostly protein but the yolk is chock full of important nutrients, especially fat-soluble vitamins and essential fatty acids. Egg yolks are an excellent source of carotenoids and are very high in choline, a brain nutrient that 90% of people are deficient in.

Eggs are so nutritious that they’re often referred to as “nature’s multivitamin”. In fact, they contain so many important nutrients that eating a few a day would offer better insurance than taking a multivitamin.

2. Going too long without eating slows down your metabolism.

If you find eating 5-6 times a day helps you control your appetite and/or weight, do it, but it’s a myth that it keeps your metabolism stoked. Fitness and nutrition pros who promote this way of eating as necessary to dropping excess fat do their clients a huge disservice. 


Some people don’t feel satiated on the smaller meals. They end up always feeling hungry or consuming more overall calories. For many others, it’s difficult to find time to prepare and/or eat 5-6 times a day.

Not only is eating that frequently unnecessary but research does not support the widespread notion that eating more often increases metabolism. In fact, a British study found no decrease in basal metabolism rate (BMR, i.e. the amount of calories it takes you keep you alive if you don’t move) even after 72 hours of fasting.

I’m certainly not advocating going without food for 3 days. That said, some people have found success with intermittent fasting. No, you won’t go into “starvation mode” (see above) but if you find yourself consuming more before or after your fast, I.F. is not a good option for you. Everyone is different. Do what works for YOU.

3. Eating fat makes you fat / is unhealthy.

All fats are not created equal. Reviews of research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and the British Journal of Medicine shatter the myth that eating saturated fat causes heart disease or obesity. Contrary to popular misconception, most people who suffer heart attacks have normal overall cholesterol levels but do have Type 2 diabetes or are pre-diabetic.

The true dietary culprit behind our obesity problem and many health issues is too much sugar. People who cut back on fat, tend to eat more sugar and starch (which turns into sugar). And, manufacturers pile on the simple sugars and refined carbs in fat-free or reduced-fat foods to replace flavor that’s lost by removing fat.

Avoid trans fat (listed as “partially hydrogenated oils” or “vegetable shortening” ) but sources of good fats are avocados, wild salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel, and trout, flax, macadamia nuts, extra virgin olive oil, tofu, walnuts, pecans, seeds (pumpkin, sesame, chia, hemp), cashews, almonds, and grass-fed meat.

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