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From "Body for Life"........
Fact or Fiction
Understanding the truth on nutrition myths.
By Kelly James-Enger
Red meat is bad for you. Chocolate makes you fat. Eliminating carbs from your diet is the fastest way to lose fat. No-fat foods are best. With all the nutritional information—and misinformation—tossed about, how can you separate fact from fiction?
Consider high-protein diets. While thousands claim that restricting carbs has helped them lose fat, these strict plans may not be right for women who work out frequently, says nutritionist Joy Bauer, author of The 90/10 Weight Loss Plan (Renaissance Media, 2001). "For exercisers who are trying to lose or manage their weight, the high-protein diets will give you this honeymoon in the beginning, and you can see a dramatic drop on the scale," says Bauer. "But, to really optimize your energy levels, you need carbohydrates to efficiently function and be able to exercise.";
Have you fallen prey to food myths? We’ve uncovered the truth behind some of the most popular food myths, and the results may surprise you.
Myth: Eating red meat is dangerous
Fact: With the recent incidences of "mad cow disease" (also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy or BSE) in Europe, you may be afraid to include any beef in your diet—and isn’t it bad for you, anyway? These fears appear to be unfounded.
First, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, no cases of BSE have been reported among cattle in this country, and no cattle have been imported from countries with confirmed cases of BSE since 1989. Second, red meat is an excellent source of absorbable high-quality iron, says Bauer. If you do have cardiac risk factors like high blood pressure or high cholesterol, however, it’s a good idea to have red meat only once or twice a week because of its high cholesterol and saturated fat content. Look for leaner cuts of beef or try buffalo or venison, both of which are naturally lean.
Myth: Chocolate makes you fat
Fact: Eat pounds and pounds of chocolate—or any food—and yes, you’ll gain weight. But no one food should be demonized—every food can be part of a healthy diet. "Nobody got fat from a handful of peanut M&Ms or from two chocolate chip cookies," says Bauer. "If chocolate is your thing, it’s a great food for the soul as long as it’s in moderation and it doesn’t get out of hand."
Besides, recent studies have proven that chocolate contains phytochemicals, which help your body fight off disease—another reason to include it in your diet. If you tend to go overboard, Bauer suggests doling out small portions (this means not eating out of a M&M pound bag.) That will help you keep this "feel-good" food from becoming a "feel-bad" one.
Myth: Margarine is better for you than butter
Fact: You may have heard this one from your mother, who insists on using margarine rather than butter on toast. Margarine was actually created as a substitute for butter because of the concern over the saturated fat found in the latter, says registered dietitian Joan Carter of Houston, Texas, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. However, to make margarine, vegetable oil must be hydrogenated, which results in "trans fats" being created—and these appear to be just as bad for your heart as saturated fat. The smartest choice is to use small amounts of butter or margarine or opt for monounsaturated fats like those found in olive oil, safflower oil and other vegetable oil. They’re still high in calories, but they’re better for your heart.
Myth: Fasting is a good way to give your body’s digestive system a break or trigger fat loss
Fact: This myth appears to be gaining momentum again, possibly due to the popularity of "juice diets" that claim to cause dramatic, lasting fat loss. First, the body’s digestive system doesn’t require "breaks"—it’s designed to be constantly in action. Second, your body can’t tell the difference between fasting and starving, and when you fast, it starts trying to conserve its resources (i.e. calories.) "Starvation lowers the body’s ability to efficiently burn fat and it lowers the metabolic rate," says Bauer. "The other thing is that you feel like crap and you move less, so you burn fewer calories because you’re more sluggish." So forget fasting and watch your portions instead.
Myth: No-fat foods are better than regular versions
Fact: Take a look at the supermarket shelves. There are reduced-fat and fat-free versions of nearly every cookie and snack food available, as well as reduced- fat versions of yogurt, lunchmeat and even ice cream. The problem, though, is that no fat doesn’t mean no calorie. "A lot of the no-fat foods just pump in extra sugar, which is basically extra carbohydrates, to make up the calorie difference," says Bauer. "And we tend to eat more [of them], because we tend to feel like we have carte blanche when something says low-fat or fat-free." In fact, studies prove this—women eat more of the fat-free or reduced-fat versions of foods when they know they’re lower in fat. If you like lower-fat versions of foods, that’s fine—just don’t consider it license to eat the whole box of cookies or carton of ice cream.
Myth: Eating breakfast makes you hungrier all day
Fact: This prevalent myth seems especially popular among frequent dieters, but studies show that people who eat breakfast actually eat less on average than people who skip meals. "I think a lot of people think that it makes them hungrier because they’re used to this mentality of saving calories and not using them up in the early part of the day," says Bauer. "They sort of live on Diet Coke and coffee in the morning and then they first eat something at noon or 1:00 p.m." But this habit often leads to overeating later in the day, or snacking late at night—then when they wake up, they’re not hungry, which leads to forgoing breakfast once again.
If you’ve been a breakfast-skipper, start with something small like fruit and yogurt, and remember that it’s a good sign when you start waking up hungry. It means your metabolism is picking up and that you didn’t overeat the night before, says Bauer.
Myth: To lose fat, you should cut as many calories as possible
Fact: This is a tricky one because at first glance, it seems logical. If you burn more calories than you take in, you’ll lose fat. So slash the amount you’re eating, and you’ll drop pounds even faster. But it’s not that easy, and worse yet, this mindset backfires for most people—deprivation usually results in bingeing or overeating.
It’s better to make smaller changes and cut 300 or 400 calories from your usual daily intake instead of trying to get by on the bare minimum of calories. Sure, it will take you longer to lose the fat, but you’re more likely to reach your goal. "It’s consistency that gets you to your goal, and it doesn’t necessarily mean perfection," reminds Bauer. "It just means in the long run collectively eating less and burning more."
Myth: Exercise is more important than diet for fat loss
Fact: Actually, diet appears to have a bigger influence on fat loss than exercise. Which means you can work out for hours but if you live on pizza and junk food, you may never see those numbers on the scale go down. In fact, nine times out of 10, simply exercising isn’t enough to produce at loss, says Bauer. The most effective strategy is to do both—cut calories and increase the amount of exercise you get. When it comes to keeping weight off, though, exercise plays a critical role. According to the National Weight Control Registry, people who lose fat and maintain the loss burn about 2,800 calories a week (that’s the equivalent of walking 28 miles) through physical activity.
Myth: Juice is a good substitute for fruits or vegetables
Fact: Yes and no. Sure, fruit juice is a better choice over something like soda, but it doesn’t offer as many benefits as eating whole fruit or vegetables. Juice has very little fiber, which is important for digestion and helps you feel full, and most of us drink far more juice than we realize—a serving is only eight ounces, and a large glass can contain twice that amount. Because it’s high in calories—if you’re watching your weight—it’s smarter to opt for a piece of fruit, which is more satiating, or at least control the amount you drink.
Myth: Eating at night makes you gain weight
Fact: Have you heard "Don’t eat after 8 p.m." or "Any calories you consume after 10:00 p.m. turn to fat?" There’s no "witching hour" where calories start magically turning to fat. Studies show that the amount of calories you take in rather than the timing of those calories affects whether you’ll gain weight, says Carter.
"The problem is the type of choice that people tend to eat before they go to bed—it’s the cake and the icing, not the orange," says Carter. That means your body is less likely to burn off late-night ice cream and chips. You can still eat at night, but opt for lighter, healthier snacks, and make sure you’re eating enough throughout the day so you’re not ravenous after dinner. |
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Sun Apr 27, 2008 4:59 pm |
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| Sugarplum Fairy
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I really like this quote from the story:
"It’s consistency that gets you to your goal, and it doesn’t necessarily mean perfection," reminds Bauer. "It just means in the long run collectively eating less and burning more."
For me, that is motivational. I've never been a perfectionist, but I've been more anal about this diet than anything else ever before. It's working for me.
Also, very interesting is the part about fasting, and how it gives your digestive system a break. I am just reading this book all about hunger and there is a whole chapter on fasting. Apparently, a lot of people, whether nutritionists, or spiritual persons, believe this is true. The chapter forcuses on Gandhi and talks about his 17 fasts. Amazing stuff, but I don't get it, and I'm a Buddhist! I see fasting for a day or two, maybe three if you're hardcore, to teach oneself discipline, but NOT to let the body rest....anyhow, don't want to get into THAT debate, but it's just interesting to me that they think it lets our digestive system rest. They DID prove that fasting lowers blood pressure. But some of these people fasted for days and days, and we're talking 30 days, 40 days, some ever over 200 AND 300 days! I am wondering, is this possible? These were obest people. And it also said that the physical act of starvation does not occur UNTIL all of the body's stores of fats and muscle tissue have been used up. I don't know if this is true, I'm not a Dr., but just wanted to share the info this book was talking about. Makes for a good discussion, anyhow. |
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Sun Apr 27, 2008 8:12 pm |
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