When it comes to dieting; there are many myths that have been spread throughout our society. Some of these are due to what people have heard on the internet somewhere or from a friend/family member. Many personal trainers out there are also guilty of spreading diet myths to clients, which are sometimes based on their own biased dietary preferences rather than science. Nutrition is so often over complicated when it doesn’t need to be! So here are ten of the most common diet myths that I think need to be corrected. Please pass the information on to friends and family members, so good information can go into circulation to counter all of the bad information out there.
1 – Carbs Are Bad And Make You Fat!
Carbohydrates have been under attack for a long time due to the popularity of the Atkins diet and more recently the Ketogenic diet which is the latest trending fad diet. The truth is whilst carbohydrates aren’t necessary for survival like dietary fat and protein; eating a sufficient amount of carbohydrates is necessary for optimal hormone health, mental health and physical performance. Low carbohydrate diets have been linked to lower levels of testosterone in men and women and higher levels of cortisol (1) (the stress hormone). Athletes and those training for physical performance will suffer the most on a low carb diet due to lower energy levels. Many people enjoy the rapid weight loss from switching to a low carb diet, but the the initial weight loss experienced is due to glycogen loss, which is stored carbohydrates in the muscles and liver. This is not fat loss, which is why this weight is rapidly regained the next time you eat a significant amount of carbs. If your goal is fat loss, then eating a healthy balance of carbs, fats, and protein whilst in a moderate calorie deficit is the optimal way to do it. Of course there is a difference when it comes to quality of carbohydrates, so I recommend eating the majority of your carbohydrates from fruit, vegetables, potatoes, buckwheat and quinoa and limiting processed sugars.
2 – Salt Is Bad And Causes High Blood Pressure!
The popularity of the low salt diet has been growing over the past 20 years. This is due to medical advice which has been passed on by many doctors and the mainstream media claiming that eating a diet high in salt causes high blood pressure, which leads to cardiovascular disease. This advice is based on a handful of small studies. Since then many studies have been published which disprove this, but the mainstream advice remains the same. The largest scale study ever done on salt intake was by the American journal of hypertension in 2011, which came to the conclusion after tracking 6250 peoples salt intakes that low salt diets don’t lower the risk of death by heart attacks or strokes (2). Now when it comes to salt there’s definitely a difference between the quality of various types of salt. Table salt which is the isolated form of sodium and chloride, is missing many essential minerals and often mixed with caking agents. Whereas rock salt, sea salt and Himalayan pink salt are packed with a full spectrum of minerals such as calcium and potassium. Low salt diets are actually unhealthy, especially for athletes who lose a lot of electrolytes on a daily basis. So add some salt to your favourite dish. I recommend a minimum salt intake of between 2.3g – 3g per day.
3 – Sugar Is Bad And Causes Diabetes!
Sugar has received a lot of negative press in recent years. In 2018 the sugar tax was introduced in the U.K in order to discourage people from buying cheap sugar filled soft drinks. Companies selling soft drinks containing more than 5g of sugar per 100ml are required to pay 18p to the treasury and drinks with over 8g per 100ml will cosy the companies 24p.Many manufacturers reduced their sugar content and started using sweeteners such as Sucralose to stay below the threshold. Sugar itself is linked to obesity and diabetes type 2 due to the fast spike in blood sugar when it’s eaten alone in a fasted state. Whilst diabetes type one is genetic and inherited from your parents, diabetes type 2 is caused by having a high body fat percentage which leads to insulin resistance, and not from consuming too much sugar. Sugar is a fast digesting carbohydrate and is a source of a calories like anything else and the calories can soon mount up when indulging in sugary soft drinks and snacking on sugar filled snacks on a daily basis. Added to this the lack of nutrients found in its refined form its not the best choice of carbohydrates, but remember its the overconsumption of calories that causes obesity and diabetes type 2 not sugar. I believe a sensible amount of moderation should be applied to consumption. Also opting for using coconut sugar, agave nectar, maple syrup or honey in baking is something I recommend when possible.
4- Skipping Breakfast Slows Down Your Metabolism!
Cereal companies have done a good job of putting this myth into circulation. Many TV adverts from the big brand cereal companies claim breakfast to be the most important meal of the day to kickstart your metabolism and get a good dose of fibre to keep you full, and skipping breakfast will slow down your metabolism. Whilst many of these cereals do pack a healthy dose of fibre since they are made from grains, it is not necessary to eat breakfast to kickstart your metabolism. In fact skipping breakfast will not slow your metabolism down at all; it’s just a marketing target used by these companies to sell their products to you. A study done on 11 lean individuals showed that after 3 days of fasting; resting energy expenditure actually increased in the test subjects due to the increase in norepinephrine during short term fasting (3) Added to this the popularity of intermittent fasting, which is used by many fitness enthusiast. Which typically involves fasting for 16 hours per day and eating all of your food within an 8 hour period, which studies and anecdotal evidence have proven to be very beneficial. So if you happen to like eating breakfast feel free to keep doing it, but if this doesn’t fit your lifestyle or personal preference then feel to skip it and enjoy some benefits.
5 – Eating Small Meals Frequently Will Increase Your Metabolism!
Another very common myth is that eating smaller meals more frequently will increase your metabolism and lead to a better body composition. This is completely untrue. The body does burn extra calories digesting food, which is known as the TEF (thermic effect of food), but the body does this to a larger or smaller degree depending in the size of the meal eaten and over the course of the day won’t lead to any significant difference when consuming the same calorie intake. One study compared two groups with identical calories intakes; one eating 6 smaller meals per day and the other eating three larger meals per day, and found no notable differences in fat loss between the two groups when eating the same overall calorie intake (4). So if you happen to like eating smaller meals more frequently then carry on, but if you like eating a few large meal portions per day and you don’t have any not trouble digesting it then feel free to continue. With all else being equal; meal frequency won’t make any difference at all to your body composition.
6 – Saturated Fat Is Bad For Your Health!
The mainstream advice on Saturated fat is that it is considered an unhealthy fat that should be limited or avoided completely, especially if you have a pre existing heart condition. This is absolutely false and a landmark systematic review and meta analysis of observational studies showed no correlation between saturated fat intake and all cause mortally, coronary heart disease and coronary heart disease mortality (5). In fact eating an adequate amount of saturated fat is very beneficial for hormonal health in both men and women. Out of all the types of healthy fats (monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and saturated) saturated fat intake has actually been shown to have the biggest positive impact on testosterone levels followed by monounsaturated fat in both men and women (6). The only fat that everyone should avoid is the nasty trans fat. So enjoy some saturated fat.
7 – High Protein Diets Are Bad For Your Kidneys!
Not the most common myth out there due to the popularity of protein shakes and protein generally being considered healthy in the mainstream media, but this diet myth is still in circulation. I believe this is due to the recent popularity of the vegan diet. The claim is that high protein diets are bad for your kidneys. There is no evidence to prove this, and one study (7) showed that a moderate to high protein diet had no effect on kidney health among healthy individuals. Now people with pre existing kidney issues may have individual dietary requirements set by their health professional, but for the general population eating a diet with plenty of high quality protein will only provide benefits up to a certain point. For anyone partaking in a sport or weight training I’d recommend a daily intake of 1-1.2 grams of protein per lb of bodyweight, and for the general population I’d recommend an intake of around 0.8 grams per lb bodyweight.
8 – The Glycemic Index Of Food – Low GI=Good. High GI=Bad.
The glycemic index of food is a ranking system which measures how different carbohydrates effect blood sugar levels compared to one another. Foods like dates, white potatoes, white bread and sugar are at the high end of the scale and foods like sweet potatoes, brown rice and various vegetables are at the lower end of the scale. The problem with the GI scale is that the blood sugar levels of the individuals used to create the GI scale were measured after eating the food in isolation after an overnight fast, which is not a realistic way in which most people consume the foods. Most people consume protein and fat together with those carbohydrates, which reduces the blood sugar spike. For example someone who eats cornflakes for breakfast, which are high on the G.I scale usually tops the cereal with milk, which contains fat and protein, therefore the blood sugar response will be lower than the scale suggests. As I explained in myth number 1 carbohydrates don’t cause fat gain. The only thing that causes fat gain is consuming more calories than your body burns off per day, so even if you did hypothetically consume all your carbohydrates from high GI sources, you wouldn’t gain any bodyfat providing you weren’t eating in a caloric surplus. Whilst I support recommendations to avoid over consumption of high G.I snack foods like candy and carbonated sugary drinks, I thinks its crazy when people avoid highly nutritious high G.I foods like dates and white potatoes, especially since most people consume them with meals containing protein and fat. Which makes the GI scale of food essentially irrelevant for most people. So enjoy some high GI carbs, preferably from nutritious sources such as white potatoes and dates.
9 – Low Fat Diets Are Good For You!
The popularity of ‘low fat diets’ have declined in recent years due to the popularity of the ketogenic diet (low carb diet) which is typically high in fat, but this low fat diet myth is still in circulation and many products in grocery stores still use ‘low fat’ labelling as a marketing tactic. Low fat diets aren’t good for you! A sufficient dietary fat intake is essential for your hormonal health (8). Dietary fat is converted to cholesterol in the body and used to fuel the production of many hormones. Whilst dietary fat contains 9 calories per grams which is more calories per gram than carbohydrates and protein which are both 4 calorie per gram; dietary fat intake doesn’t cause fat gain in the same way that protein and carbohydrates don’t. The only the thing that causes fat gain is eating in a caloric surplus (eating more calories than your body burns off). I recommend eating a fat intake of around 35% of your total daily calories, eating a mixture of saturated fat and monounsaturated fat, limiting polyunsaturated fat, and avoiding trans fat. So enjoy some dietary fat because it doesn’t make you fat!
10 – Eating Clean=Guaranteed Weight Loss!
When many people decide to pursue weight loss they think that they must eat only foods which are considered clean and that any treat foods such as chocolate bars, ice cream, sugar and drinking alcohol must be cut out completely for the entire duration of the diet. Many people believe that you must eat in a “paleo” style diet 100% of the time; eating only “clean foods” such as fruit, vegetables, avocados and fish. Whilst it is much easier to follow a limited calorie diet when eating healthier, natural and more nutrient dense foods, it is not absolutely necessary one hundred percent of the time! All food contains calories: protein contains 4 calories per gram, carbohydrates contain 4 calories per gram, dietary fat contains 9 calories per gram and alcohol contains 7 calories per gram. So even though typical snack/junk foods are much easier to over consume than natural nutrient dense food; the calories in junk food don’t count for any more than the equivalent calories from clean foods do. So although it’s much harder, to do; It’s still possible to gain weight and over consume calories eating strictly clean foods like chicken breast, fish, avocados, nuts and sweet potatoes even if you strictly stick to these foods 100% of the time. Whilst I don’t recommend doing this; Its also technically possible to consume nothing but snack foods/junk food and successfully lose weight. This was proven in an experiment by Kansas state university nutrition professor Mark Haub; he ate an 1800 calories diet for 3 months consisting of mostly snack foods you can find in a convenience store. The diet was nicknamed the ‘Twinkie” diet because Twinkies are a popular snack food in America. The doctor successfully lost 20 Lbs, lowered his blood pressure and improved his insulin sensitivity by sticking to the diet for 3 months. This proves that calories in vs calories out is the only thing which determines wether you gain weight, lose weight or maintain your weight. There are only three possible situations that can happen from consuming food daily. If calories in (how much you eat per day) is less than calories out (how much your body burns off per day) then you will lose body fat and/or muscle. If calories in equals calories out then you will maintain your current weight. If calories in is greater than calories out then you will gain fat and/or muscle. Its really as simple as that! No need to overcomplicate it! If you’re goal is fat loss then eating a healthy balance of fats, carbs and protein whilst in a moderate calorie deficit is the optimal way to do it in conjunction with anaerobic weight training to maintain muscle mass. I recommend focusing on eating nutrient dense, natural foods for the bulk of your diet, but still allow yourself to eat some treat foods if you wish. Eating a clean food/treat food ratio of 90/10 or 80/20 is a more sane and sustainable way to lead a healthy lifestyle for some people as opposed to forcing yourself to eat clean foods 100 percent of the time! Unless of course you enjoy eating healthy foods all of the time. Honestly with all else being equal: the same calories intake and macronutrient ratio intake (protein, fat and carbs) indulging in a treat food occasionally will make no difference at all to your health or body composition.
I hope you enjoyed this article.
References
1 – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3573976/
2 – https://academic.oup.com/ajh/article/24/8/843/226001
3 – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10837292/
4 – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19943985/
5 – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24723079/
6 – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11525593/
7 – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27807480/
8 – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8039147/
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