8 Common Nutrition Tips that are Potential Fails!

Despite common sense being touted as, well, “common”, it really isn’t. Even in the field of the health and medicine, where studies upon studies have been published, misconceptions are very, very common. Here is a list of some common misconceptions when it comes to nutrition. We’ve all heard them and they are simply not true!

1: It’s Says ‘Non-Fat’ or ‘All Natural’ or ‘Gluten-Free’ so it’s Healthy!
Food packaging is designed for one thing – TO SELL FOOD! Labels do not mean the food inside is a healthy choice. “Low” or “No-Fat” or “Gluten-Free” items may be loaded with sugars. You must look at the labels of the foods you are eating to consider what kinds of artificial, processed ingredients were included in order to make the food item taste so good! A good rule of thumb is to choose fresh, whole-food food items, most of which don’t have labels. And when you do have to choose packaged foods – read the labels. Choose the options with low fat, low sugar and ingredients you can identify.

2 Eat Every 2 to 3 Hours to Stay Healthy
The idea of eating multiple meals a day to prevent over-eating has become very popular but studies published in the late 90s and 00s show there is no relationship between meal frequency and weight gain or loss. [1] [2] Findings show that the relationship between the two concepts may be coincidental, or at least, personal to each individual. The best way to maintain a healthy weight is still to eat when hungry and keeping portions small enough to fulfill hunger and not to “stuff” ourselves. Couple that with a healthy diet filled with fresh fruits, vegetables, grains and proteins.

3: Fruit Juice Is Good for You
Just because juice comes from fruit doesn’t mean it is a great beverage to chug on a regular basis. Remember when you drink juice most if not all of the fiber has been removed. It is that fiber that slows your body’s intake of the fructose [a fruit sugar] that is in the fruit. Juice is a high sugary jolt! And if you are drinking juice that you didn’t squeeze yourself, you may be drinking in sugar that has been added in from a concentrate. Again, ready the labels and when possible – choose the actual fruit. We promise you that eating a whole apple or orange will quench your thirst while filing your belly with fantastic vitamins and ever important fiber!

4: Eggs Are Too Fatty & Should be Avoided
We’ve been told eggs are good for us then eggs are bad!! Flip flop! So which is it? While it’s true that eggs’ bad reputation first appeared due to their high cholesterol content, that story is being reversed since new studies have essentially overturned it. Did you know that egg yolks are rich in crucial fatty acids, proteins, vitamins, and other important nutrients? A 2014 study revealed eggs true nutritional potency. They supply good fats and their cholesterol content is nothing to worry about for those not already impacted by high-cholesterol. Eggs truly are a great food!

5: Junk Food in Moderation is Fine
Sure it tastes good. It’s filled with fat, salt and sugars. We’re talking about junk food! But in reality, junk food is just empty calories with little to no nutritional content. But did you know junk food may have dangerous addictive properties? Just like when a person takes drugs and it releases the “happy hormone” called dopamine in the brain, studies have shown that the same thing happens when a person eats too much junk food. Eating junk food basically trains the brain to release dopamine, this causes us to what to eat more junk food to get that same “happy” feeling in our brain. [5]

6: Bacteria is bad!!
Some bacteria is bad and some is very, very good! How amazed would you be to learn that you have more beneficial bacteria in your stomach and gut than there are people on Earth? It’s true. And you need those little buggers to get the most out of the food you eat. The bacteria is referred to as “gut flora” and is responsible for a variety of functions in the gastrointestinal tract, mainly maintaining homeostasis or balance in your digestive tract. When this balance is disrupted by poor diet [or even some antibiotics], it can cause digestive problems, discomfort, and even obesity. [3] Keeping your gut flora happy with whole, fresh foods is paramount to good health. And you can add to your flora by eating fermented foods, yogurts and some cheeses. Go ahead build your own ecosystem in your belly!

7: Cutting out Fat Causes Weight Loss
While decreasing the consumption of saturated fats is a good idea, eliminating all fats is not a good idea. When you eat food fried in oil or butter, it doesn’t immediately cause an increase in weight. We have been taught to avoid fats and oils and butter at all costs, but studies show that moderation is the key, instead of 100% avoidance. A 2007 study revealed that there wasn’t a difference between a low-fat diet and a low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet when it came to weight loss. [6] Another study in 2010 compared these two diets and determined that the difference between the two was statistically insignificant. [4]

8: I Eat Nothing but Whole Fresh Foods! Therefore I am Healthy!
Eating whole, fresh foods is only part of the health equation. The other part is movement! In today’s world of convenience and technology, we have become very sedentary. Any time you move you’re exercising! Couple movement with a healthy diet and you can achieve optimal health! Park in the further spot at the store…walk it! Skip the elevator…climb your way to health! Got kids? They are a gym in human form! Go for a walk together and discuss the day! Take turns bouncing a basketball. Jump rope together and see who can go the longest without skipping! Go for it!

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Our goal at AHP is to bring you information you find interesting, relevant and thought-provoking. Our motto is the way we live...it’s “Feel Well. Live Well. Age Well.” And that’s what we want for you! This article focused on nutrition and our office in Norwalk offers nutritional counseling in addition to Chiropractic, Physical Therapy, Acupuncture, Managed Weight-Loss and Massage. If you have a question about this article or want to learn more about us please visit www.AHP-Health.com and reach out to us! And look for more from AHP in the near future as we post more on The Patch. If you liked this article, please give us a ”like” and share it with your friends!

About AHP
Since 1990, Advanced Health Professionals [AHP] has helped thousands of patients recover from pain and injury. AHP is Norwalk and Fairfield County’s leading provider of Physical Therapy, Chiropractic, Acupuncture and Massage services. We specialize in sports injuries, auto accident injuries, worker’s compensation, work injury, sport injury, auto accident injury, massage therapy, post-surgical, pre-surgical, back pain, hip pain, knee pain, joint pain, shoulder pain, elbow pain, wrist pain, rehab, neck pain, whiplash injury, rehabilitation - please call us for an immediate appointment. Our office is based in Norwalk and serves the surrounding areas of Fairfield County, Westchester County and other suburbs of New York City.

References:

[1] Cameron, J., Cyr, M. & Doucet, E. (2010). Increased meal frequency does not promote greater weight loss in subjects who were prescribed an 8-week equal-energetic energy-restricted diet. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19943985
[2] Bellisle, F., McDevitt, R. & Prentice, A. (1997). Meal frequency and energy balance. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9155494
[3] American Society of Microbiology. Humans Have Ten Times More Bacteria Than Human Cells: How Do Microbial Communities Affect Human Health? http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080603085914.htm
[4] McClernon, F., et. al. (2008). The effects of a low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet and a low-fat diet on mood, hunger, and other self-reported symptoms. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17228046
[5] Di Chiara, G. (2007). Reward system and addiction: what dopamine does and doesn’t do. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1471489206002001
[6] Krebs, N., et. al. (2010). Efficacy and Safety of a High Protein, Low Carbohydrate Diet for Weight Loss in Severely Obese Adolescents. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2892194/