Do you overeat at the annual July Fourth barbeque or during your family
vacation?
Myth: To maintain a healthy weight, deprive yourself of all your favorite foods.
Reality: Eat your favorite foods during the summer…but enjoy them
in moderation! Here are more myths about good nutrition.
Myth: Eggs are bad for your heart.
Reality: The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee dropped its caution on eating
eggs and other foods high in cholesterol in 2015; it also rescinded its
previous recommendation of limiting cholesterol intake to 300 mg daily.
A 2015 study in theAmerican Heart Journal found that even people with coronary artery disease showed no cardiac effect
from daily egg consumption.
Myth: Eating carbohydrates leads to weight gain.
Reality: Calories, not carbs, lead to excess pounds, but some carbohydrates are
better for you than others. Skip foods with refined flour and added sugar,
and focus on fiber-rich fruits and vegetables and whole grains to make
healthy carbs work for you.
Myth: Fresh food is always better than frozen.
Reality: While fresh is great if you can buy from local sources, frozen fruits
and vegetables are a good alternative to standards found in the grocery
store produce aisle since they are flash-frozen at their peak freshness
after harvesting. They retain more nutrients than produce that has been
picked before it is ripe and spent time traveling from farm to store.
Myth: Everyone should go gluten-free.
Reality: Dropping gluten (a protein in wheat, barley and rye) has become a popular
dietary trend in recent years. But unless you suffer from celiac disease
or have gluten sensitivity, eliminating food such as whole-grain breads
and cereals can reduce needed nutrients and dietary fiber, nutritionists
warn. Additionally, commercially produced gluten-free products often have
extra sugar, sodium or fats to make up for the often inferior quality of taste.
Myth: Eating late at night will lead to extra pounds.
Reality: What you eat is more important than when you eat it. Late-night snackers
tend to go for comfort items such as sweets or chips. Instead, nibble
on fruits, vegetables or even Greek yogurt. A recent study in the journal
Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise found that eating protein a half-hour before going to bed helps protein
synthesis, rebuilding muscle tissue and promoting muscle growth.