Every day we hear about a new 'superfood' or read another article published regurgitating food myths that have been proven wrong years ago. So I have made a list of food myths that I believe to be inaccurate but bear in mind that you may not agree with all of them... Like any article, it's up to you to reach your own conclusions by doing some further reading but have a look and see what you think of my '8 Food Myths Busted!'
1. Eggs are bad for your heart: Eggs are in fact a good source of many nutrients, including zinc and iron, antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, vitamin D, and the brain-boosting chemical choline. Yes too many eggs will not be good for you (like too much of anything!) and someone with a higher risk of heart disease should be careful of their egg intake BUT labelling eggs as 'bad for you' is not the right way to look at it.
2. Nuts are as bad as junk food: Nuts are actually a great source of protein and other nutrients if you keep portion sizes down to a handful. Harvard studies showed that women who ate a handful of nuts, fives days a week were 20% less likely to develop Type 2 Diabetes than those who didn't.
3. You sleep better after a glass of wine: It may feel like you go to sleep more easily after a couple of glasses of red but drinking before bed can actually mean the opposite. In the course of a night you usually have six to seven cycles of REM sleep, which leaves you feeling refreshed. However, if you've been drinking you'll typically have only one to two, meaning you can wake up feeling exhausted.
4. Fat free and Low Fat is better than Full Fat: Now this one is a big no no in my books. When companies take out the fat in foods, they need to make it taste just as good by adding something else... usually sugar. Fat is not the enemy. Like anything, eat in moderation and you can have the full fat version and avoid the chemicals and sugar.
5. You need to eat dairy for calcium: The dairy industry has always preached that we need dairy to keep our bones strong. Yes dairy has calcium and it is beneficial for bone health BUT calcium is also found in many leafy vegetables and in much higher amounts. More than 65% of the population has some level of lactose intolerance so try adding some more greens to your plate and reducing that latte size to a small.
5. You need to eat breakfast to lose weight: Okay, I've mentioned before how I often skip breakfast and fast in the mornings until lunch. This isn't for everyone and a healthy breakfast can be a great start to the day but studies have shown a lot of health benefits to intermittent fasting including reducing inflammation, lowering the risk of Type 2 diabetes and improving heart health.
6. Drinking coffee is bad for you: As a lover of coffee, I am definitely glad that this is not the truth. What IS unhealthy for you is that large flat white- mochacino-frappacino with sprinkles on top. Coffee itself actually has some great health benefits including helping your body to burn fat so drink it in moderation and reduce your coffee size so you aren't drinking too much milk.
7. All calories are the same: Now here is the problem with calorie counting. All calories are NOT the same and our body metabolises foods very differently. It's not about how much you eat, it's about what food you eat. So eat right, not less.
8. Your brain needs carbohydrates to survive: Now this one might just be the most controversial point I've made today so take it as you will. When we eat carbohydrates, they are converted to glucose in our bodies which is used as our primary source of energy. However, when we fast our body is starved of carbohydrates and produces ketones instead. After a period of adaptation, our brains can actually use these ketones for energy instead of stored carbohydrates putting our body in a constant state of ketosis. Ketongenic diets have had success in treating epilepsy and other neurological disorders such as bipolar, autism and some cancers. Like I said, controversial. I'm not suggesting you all start cutting carbs out of your diet but I am saying that new research is showing that we don't need to eat carbs to be healthy. In fact, quite the opposite.
Alyssa x