7 Food Myths to Think Seriously about
7 Food Myths to Think Seriously About
There’s a healthy eating tip that you can find here and there. It doesn’t always mean however that they are tested and proven to be true. Most of them have simply been sensationalized for marketing purposes and to attract your attention. Even nutrition research continually changes and can confuse you. Your friend’s advice can also seem to be very convincing but all of these are not actually sound. In making a choice, you could end up following a bad advice and then unnecessarily quit enjoying your favorite food. Or, you could be choosing one which you thought was a healthy option when actually it’s not.
Now, you do not want to get stuck forever in the dreamy world of food myths, so here are seven that you need to think about seriously:
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- Organic is healthy food
Organic food may be healthy but this is not automatic. There’s a big halo that surrounds the word “organic” that it can make you think everything labeled organic is automatically healthy. And just because they’re organic, you can have as much as you want. A case in point are organic snacks. Well, they still are snacks and you have to have just enough. Caroline Kaufman, RD points out the same concept with chocolate syrup that’s labeled organic. It still is chocolate and with it comes a list of organic crackers, cookies, candies, and chips. Remember that they have the same ingredients and amounts of fat, sugar, and empty calories as their non-organic counterparts.
So, no. Do not automatically equate organic with healthy. You are choosing organic because you want to avoid chemical exposure especially from foods that have high amounts of pesticides in them. Kaufman believes that conventionally-grown produce is also still safe for consumption. They have been monitored to make sure that the pesticide residue levels stay below the limits. Beyond that, organic food will only be as healthy as its non-organic versions when you apply the same health principles.
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Margarine’s better than butter and that’s automatic
It was at a time when fat was popularized as bad when margarine came into the picture as a healthier option against butter. What was not known however is that, most margarine products contain trans fat that are actually worst for your health as compared to the saturated fat that’s naturally occurring and found in butter. Butter has a short list of ingredients that do not contain anything extra to make up for the lack of taste. As such, it is important to check the ingredients first in considering margarine versus butter. In particular, stick margarines contain hydrogenated oils or trans fats that they are not highly recommended. Margarines in tubs may be tolerable as long as the ingredients can be considered beneficial. You can also have those with olive oil and benefit from plant-based fat that’s definitely healthy.
- Coffee causes dehydration
Indeed, coffee is diuretic and it promotes urine production but this does not mean it is dehydrating. Coffee is extremely mild as a diuretic and has lots of water in it and that counts toward your fluid intake for the day. And so if you have more than a cup or three cups maximum daily, your fluid levels are still going to be just fine. It would take more than that to actually cause any dehydration.
- Egg yolks are high in cholesterol and are bad
This is one myth that you must not miss to forget. Apparently, dietary cholesterol has been construed as bad for raising blood cholesterol. This has been the belief for years and yet this is not really true. What has emerged to be the culprits of raising your blood cholesterol levels though are the trans fats and saturated fats. So while whole eggs with yolks are considered to have high cholesterol, they have low saturated fats. A good number of recent research has found that eggs in their entirety can be made part of your healthy diet and for most people, they do not influence cholesterol levels in a significant manner nor do they increase your risk of heart disease. So go ahead and enjoy a protein-rich breakfast complete with sunny egg yolks.
- Natural sugar and added sugar are different
It is a myth that natural sugar’s different in comparison with added sugar. No matter what, sugar is still sugar. And if you take a quick look under the microscope and check its molecular structure, sugar from an apple and sugar that you put into your coffee are one and the same. The difference may lie in how the body breaks down sugar each time you combine it with some other nutrient but still, natural sugar or any other kind of sugar will elicit the same response in your body.
Accordingly, when you have a whole fruit, it will have sugar in it along with fiber and this will help in slowing down your digestion as well as prevent your blood sugar from spiking up. In a sense, that is way better than having sugar that is completely void of nutrients. However, whether you would eat maple syrup, drink fruit juice, or have some honey on one hand and then have a slug of your favorite soda or put more table sugar on your tea on the other, your body will react in the same way. At the end of the day, you have to be mindful of your sugar intake – natural or otherwise.
- Low-fat is better than the original
Fat-is-bad strikes again and people have been scrambling for the low-fat versions to steer clear of unwanted fat. If you are one of those who have been buying low-fat this and that in exchange for naturally fatty foods, you may not be doing yourself justice. Fact is, fat is one of the most important parts of a nutritious diet. So yes, your body needs fat and it has to be in your diet if you want to be healthy. Fat isn’t bad at all and it definitely does not go to your hips directly. If you happen to enjoy some extra calories that your body is unable to use, they also get converted into fat so it isn’t really just dietary fat.
What you can take note of though is that fat is densely caloric and it has two significant effects. One is that fat is very satisfying because it is very rich in calories and so you could just eat a small portion and you will already feel full. But then the other thing about fat is that, if you don’t watch your portions mindfully, then you already know that you are bound to gain weight. The key then is to have just enough to nourish your body instead of relying on low-fat versions which does not really guarantee you anything. Thing is, when fats are removed from food, they get typically replaced by either salt or sugar. So before you opt for the adulterated version, be sure to check the ingredients. Truthfully, you are better off enjoying a small portion of the full-fat food as you nourish your body and feel satiated enough not to crave for more.
- All salads are healthy
It’s easy to think that if you want to get fit and healthy, salads are the best option. Don’t forget however that not all salads are safe to choose because you have to check on the add-ons that are piled atop your bed of lettuce. In total, the add-ons can even have the same fat, sugar, and calorie count as the burger that you have been trying to resist. Some typical tricky toppings on your salad can include bacon, cheese, creamy dressings, croutons and sweetened fruit. Even nuts and avocado can be healthy but tend to be in bigger portions in most salads.
So the next time you order salad or toss one up at home, make it as healthy as possible by including leafy greens, small servings of healthy fat, lean protein, and oil-based dressing. The oil will help absorb the fat-soluble nutrients and are sometimes even more delicious than the creamy dressings that are high in calories.
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