Common Nutrition Myths
So much misinformation is out there about nutrition. At a recent book signing, I was in line to
get some of the delicious treats that were being served. The lady in front of me told her friend that
she was trying to lose weight. “I am
cutting out the carbs, but you can’t cut out all your carbs,” she stated as she
looked at all the table laden with delicious cookies and cakes. Cutting back on carbs to lose weight is a
common nutrition myth. Yes, cut back on
those added sugars and refined carbs like white bread, but keep the whole
grains, fruits, and vegetables in your day.
My daughter shared with me some common nutrition myths that were posted
on Snapchat. Let’s look at 2 of those
nutrition myths this week and more next week.
In a nutrition course I teach, a
mother indicated she served her children only egg whites and never the egg
yolk. When I asked why? She said the egg yolk is bad for you. Egg yolks are actually loaded with
nutrition. The entire egg has
only 70 calories and provides a high-quality protein that actually helps
stabilize your blood sugar levels. According
to Harvard,
“an egg a day does not increase your risk of a heart attack…” Researchers have found saturated fat is more
linked to heart disease risk than dietary cholesterol. The yellow color of eggs yolks is due to the carotenoids,
lutein and zeaxanthin which are good for eye health by lowering the risk of
macular degeneration and cataracts.
Yolks contain choline for our brains and heart health. Egg yolks provide
a good amount of vitamin A (270 IU) and vitamin D (41 IU). Egg yolks are one of the few foods that
provide vitamin
D in our diets. Yolks provide the
mineral selenium that helps our immune function and iron for our red blood
cells. Yes, the yolk also has the
cholesterol but the American Heart Association indicates we can now eat eggs
once again.
Cutting carbs to lose weight is a
long-standing nutrition myth. Never have
I heard an overweight person say, “I want to lose a few pounds so I am cutting
back on fat in my diet.” Or, “I want to
lose a few pounds so I am cutting back on the added sugars in my diet.” If you want to “cut the carbs” cut the
unhealthy carbs, the added sugar carbs in soda, in the fruit drinks like Sunny
D, in cereals like Froot Loops that has sugar as the first ingredient. But don’t cut the whole grain cereals, the
whole grain bread, the baked sweet potato.
Carbs are the major energy source for our bodies. Cut your carbs and you could end up feeling
tired. Fuel up with carbs, but healthy
carbs. By choosing the fruits,
vegetables, whole grains you add many nutrients, folate, many B vitamins
(needed for energy production) and much needed fiber to your day.
Going Gluten Free – one can hardly pick up
a food package in the grocery store without reading “gluten-free”. Another food craze not based on
nutrition. Yes, there are people who
have to adhere to a gluten-free diet, those with celiac disease or Crohn’s. But as the November 2017 issue of Consumer
Reports states, “A gluten-free diet isn’t necessarily a healthy diet.” They also warn, “For most people, eating less
gluten may be risky.” Gluten is found in
the grains, wheat, barley, and rye.
According to Consumer Reports, about a third of us are buying
gluten-free products. Most do so
thinking “gluten-free” means healthier. But
if you don’t have a medical condition like celiac disease, there is no reason
to be “gluten-free”. A British study
found that those who avoided gluten in their diet, also had less whole grains
and less of the many nutrients and fiber whole grains provide. A surprising
finding is those who go “gluten-free” may be adding more arsenic or mercury to
their day. Consumer Reports notes, “A
recent study published in the journal Epidemiology showed that people who were
on gluten-free diet had up to twice the amount of arsenic and 70 percent more
mercury in their systems than people who were not.” Alarming that people trying to eat healthier
by going “gluten-free” could be eating to the detriment of their overall
health. Why more arsenic and mercury if
you go gluten-free? Because many of those gluten-free crackers, cereals, pastas
are made with rice flour and rice can have “worrying amounts of arsenic”. The Chief Medical Advisor at Consumer Reports
sums it up by saying, “The bottom line is that by eliminating gluten from your
diet unnecessarily, you are missing out on some important aspects of nutrition.”
Recommendations:
1. Enjoy some eggs in your diet and the whole
egg. If you are worried about
cholesterol levels, then limit your egg consumption to one egg a day. A 2016 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that
eating one egg a day was not associated with an increase in heart risks. That's
on top of a 2003 study published in the British Medical Journal, which tracked
115,000 adults for 14 years: researchers found eating one egg daily was not
associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease and stroke. I enjoy 2-3 eggs
at a time, scrambled, hard-boiled, but I don’t eat eggs every day. But when I do eat eggs, I eat the whole egg
to get all the nutrients.
2.
Add some whole
grains to your day – so important for good health.
At least half the grains you eat each day should be whole grains. Even those with celiac disease can add whole
grains by adding Quinoa, Amaranth and other whole grains to their day. Whole
grains are full of vitamins and minerals and have fiber to fill you up. Fiber helps lower one’s risk of Type 2
diabetes, heart disease and helps with weight loss as it fills you up at meals.
Sources: egg, Harvard,
carotenoids,
vitamin
D, Consumer
Reports Image sources: Whole
grain bread, Whole
Grain Stamp, eggs
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