Some Nutrition Myths – And Facts
Sugar causes Diabetes
This is probably the most common misconception about diabetes. If you have diabetes, you need to watch your sugar and carbohydrate intake to properly manage your blood sugar level. However, if you do NOT have diabetes, sugar intake will not cause diabetes. The risk factors for getting diabetes are: being overweight, high calorie intake (that leads to being overweight) and inactive lifestyle.
All Fats are bad
Not true. The fact is we all need fats because they help in nutrient absorption, nerve transmission and maintenance of cell membrane integrity. We just need to know which are the bad fat and the good fat. The good fats (like the monounsaturated fats and the polyunsaturated fats) promote health, while the bad fats (saturated fats and trans fats) increase our risk for heart disease. The key here is to replace the bad fats with the good fats and to consume fat in moderation so as to prevent weight gain, heart disease and certain cancers.
Brown sugar is better than white sugar
Brown sugar is actually white sugar with added molasses and contains minute amounts of minerals which is very insignificant really.
Brown Eggs are more nutritious that white eggs
The color of the egg has nothing to do with the quality, flavor, nutritive value, or cooking characteristics of the egg.
Avoid seafood to lower blood cholesterol
Actually, it is the kind of fat we consume that raises blood cholesterol – like the bad fats (saturated fats and trans fats which are mostly found in meat, packaged foods, and deep fried foods).
Avoiding carbohydrate will help in weight loss
Low Carb Diets are often deficient in the essential nutrients found in carbohydrate foods. The key here is eating a well balanced meal in moderation.
Skipping meals can help you lose weight
Some people think that by skipping a meal, they eat less food and that is therefore effective in losing weight. However, they fail to recognize that our bodies do not operate this way. When we skip a meal, our metabolism slows down, resulting in our body not burning the calories we ate. This also results in overeating at the next meal. A better approach is to eat smaller healthy meals frequently throughout the day.
Eating for two is necessary during pregnancy
A very nice excuse to overindulge in food intake. But this practice of overeating will only result in gaining too much weight during pregnancy, thereby increasing the risk for serious pregnancy complications like gestational diabetes, pregnancy induced hypertension, and pre-eclampsia, to name a few. It is recommended to increase daily intake by 100 calories in the first trimester and 300 calories in the second and third trimester. In addition, a daily prenatal multivitamin supplement is essential.
Red meat is bad for health
Partly because of its saturated fat content, some studies linked red meat with increased risk of heart disease. But remember, red meat is also high in iron and is a good source of some essential nutrients. So, instead of excluding red meats, choose leaner cuts of beef (like eye of round, top round roast, top sirloin and flank) and for pork, choose tenderloin and loin chops.
