Clarifying nutrition myths -
The report suggested that we should cut down on our red meat consumption , especially processed red meat. But red meat is also an excellent source of protein, iron and other micronutrient such as zinc.
If you eat a lot of red meat you may wish to consider cutting down, choosing lean unprocessed meat on just a few nights per week and replacing the red meat on other days with plant-based protein. Sea salt is still salt even if its name sounds more natural and healthier.
This is the same for other types of salt such as Himalayan pink salt! Too much salt is linked to high blood pressure which is a major cause of strokes and heart attacks.
Adults should be having no more than 6g of salt a day. Try using more herbs and spices for flavour instead of adding any type of salt. Not necessarily. Despite smoothies and juices containing 1 or more of your 5 a day, they are very concentrated in sugar and calories.
Juices lack the fibre content of the whole fruit. Although they contain natural fruit sugars, when they are blended the natural sugar is released from within the cell walls of the fruit and become free sugars.
Fruit juice and smoothies do contain a good source of vitamin C so if choosing a juice or smoothie then watch your portion size, go for unsweetened and no more than mls per day. Partly myth. Eating too much fat in our diets could lead to weight gain and some lower fat foods do have a place; skimmed milk is a better choice than full fat in weight loss programmes, but we all need fat in our diet.
Our body cannot make essential fatty acids which are needed for brain and cell function. It keeps us fuller for longer and fat containing foods come with essential vitamins including A and D. Low fat foods are often high in sugar and sweeteners and are not as filling.
Small amounts of normal foods, such a normal cheese, are fine and nuts, seeds, olive oil, rapeseed oil and avocados are fantastic sources of essential fats.
Most of us have the enzymes to break down lactose in milk to digest it. Dairy products are an excellent source of calcium and protein, phosphorus, potassium, iodine, riboflavin and pantothenic acid and vitamin B If you are avoiding milk, ensure your diet contains sufficient calcium from non-dairy sources.
Fruit does contain natural sugar but you shouldn't avoid it. The sugar in fruit is contained within the cellular structure of foods so is not classed as free sugars which need to be reduced 1.
In fact eating fruit and vegetables is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer 4. Fruit is a great source of vitamins, phytochemicals and fibre.
Try to eat a rainbow of different colours of fruit and veg as they will contain different combinations of vitamins, minerals and fibre and aim for 5 portions of fruit and vegetable a day. If you have diabetes, take advice from your dietitian. Taking extra vitamin and mineral supplements will not boost your immune system.
You are able to get all the nutrients involved in keeping your immune system healthy by eating a healthy balanced diet. There has been some speculation that Vitamin D could prevent or improve the course of covid 5 , but there has been no studies examining the effect of vitamin D to prevent or treat covid 19 infections.
Therefore, it is recommended that in the UK we should be taking a 10ug vitamin D supplement daily to prevent deficiency 6. Have you heard these myths about food before? Are there any that you want clarifying?
Then let us know. Remember to always get your trusted nutritional information from qualified sources e. Dietitians and Registered Nutritionists. There are lots of people who based their nutritional advice on their experience only and this is not right for everyone.
Disclaimer — this advice is for general information only, please speak to a dietitian for tailored individual advice. Please read our disclaimer for more information. But knowledge of nutrition myths and facts is imperative if you want to zero in on a healthy diet.
The use of inorganic fertilizers, pesticides, and synthetic additives is minimal in organically grown foods or raised livestock. So, the retention and bioavailability of nutrients are indeed better in organic foods as compared to those produced using conventional methods.
However, you need to be wary of processed organic foods such as canned products or ready-to-eat meals that may include certain organic ingredients and conform to the required standards, but are likely to be stripped off nutrients due to the processing involved. However, not all products tick this box.
You can then choose the ones made with organic ingredients or go for natural additive-free food products. Remember not all fats are bad.
Fats can be broadly classified into saturated and unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats are considered to be healthier than saturated fats as they lower the risk of heart disease by aiding in the reduction of blood cholesterol levels, and should be a part of your daily caloric intake.
Though lower in fat than the same-size portion of the full-fat products, low-fat alternatives may contain added sugar, refined flour, or starch thickeners, and other unhealthy ingredients to improve flavor and texture, which can increase its caloric value and prove to be unhealthy.
Regular consumption of ghee or clarified butter is thought to be an effective weight-loss strategy. This is mainly owing to the presence of antioxidants and short-chain fatty acids in ghee that can render several health benefits such as the ability to fight inflammation and improve absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.
It is also a dense source of energy. But be mindful and avoid excess ghee in your diet as this can deter your weight loss effort. That said, you can reap the benefits of ghee when consumed in moderation teaspoons a day as part of a healthy diet.
Choosing a vegetarian eating plan that is high in fiber and micronutrients and low in calories and saturated fat content is a healthy strategy to build immunity and achieve weight loss.
But vegetarians — like non-vegetarians — can make unhealthy food choices such as high-fat, high-calorie foods or foods with little or no nutritional value that may contribute to weight gain.
Furthermore, proteins derived from plant-based sources are often considered to be of lower quality. This is because most plant-based foods lack one or more building blocks of protein amino acids that are essential for health, making these an incomplete protein source.
Regardless of your food preferences, the key to a balanced diet is to include adequate proportions of healthy sources of macro as well as micronutrients. There has been endless debate around sugar. If you eat too little, you are devoid of the much-needed energy boost, especially during your workouts.
Conversely, if you end up eating too much, you gain weight. So, it all zeroes down to figuring out what kinds of sugar to eat and when. Also read: Do You Need to Quit Sugar to Lose Weight? Remember all sugars are carbohydrates.
Grains cereals , fruits, vegetables, pulses, sweets, and processed foods like breads, cookies, biscuits, and colas are all sources of carbohydrates. So, is all sugar bad? No, but we need to be able to differentiate between good and bad sources and the amount of sugar consumption.
What separates good from bad sugar is the amount of processing and the time taken by your body to break it down and provide energy. The more processed a product, the more deprived it would be of its nutritional properties.
The lesser time it takes for the carbohydrate to break down, the quicker will be the rise in your blood glucose levels. The strategy is to restrict the intake of refined carbohydrates such as biscuits, pizza, and white breads and include enough fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in your daily diet.
These good sources include a number of other micronutrients and fiber, which allows slow digestion.
Proteins are essential for optimum growth, development, and repair of muscle tissue. It is also an important component for several biochemical reactions and immune function in the body. Everyone, including children, seniors, not-so-active adults, pregnant women, sportspersons, and gym-goers should include adequate amounts of protein in their daily diets.
A way to calculate your daily protein requirement is to ensure that you consume 1g So, if you weigh 60kg, your minimum protein consumption should be 60g per day. A good way to step up the protein content of your diet is by including a bowl of cooked beans 60g with your meals, tossing a tablespoon 15g of sesame or flax seeds in your smoothies or salads, and having a handful of nuts 10g as snacks.
Also watch: Why Should You Eat Protein for Weight Loss? Since egg yolks are high in cholesterol, and a diet high in cholesterol can contribute to elevated blood cholesterol levels, we ideally should be avoiding egg yolks. Wrong, because researchers point out that it is the amount of saturated fats that are present in red meats and organ meats, and trans fats that are there in processed foods and snacks that have a greater impact in raising blood cholesterol levels compared to dietary cholesterol.
A large egg contains only a moderate amount of fat, with about 5g in the egg yolk 1. A whole egg can easily fit into the daily fat limit of a healthy individual who is otherwise following a balanced and nutritious diet. But if you have a history of heart disease, it is better to switch to egg whites and have whole eggs only once or twice a week.
Whole wheat bread, multigrain bread, and bran bread are higher in fiber, B-complex vitamins, minerals such as magnesium, zinc, and iron, and enjoy a nutritional advantage over white bread.
On the contrary, brown bread is typically prepared from a combination of refined and whole-grain flours, or worse can be a brown-colored imposter of whole wheat bread containing caramelized brown sugar, synthetic additives, and colorants.
A complete gluten-free diet may be necessary for people having wheat intolerance or Celiac disease. However, for others, this popular food trend is a legitimate pretext to avoid gluten-containing processed and oily foods, which tend to be high in empty calories, ie, calories without any nutritional value, and increased consumption of these items can lead to weight gain.
Additionally, it can raise the risk of health problems like obesity, type-2 diabetes, and cardiovascular conditions. Instead, include nutritionally sound gluten-free carbohydrates such as brown rice, starchy vegetables, fresh fruits, and nuts. When prepared using whole wheat, millets such as jowar and bajra, or a combination of whole grains, roti provides a higher amount of protein, fiber, B vitamins, magnesium, and potassium as compared to rice.
But does that make roti superior to rice? Good health is all about variety and moderation. So, rice can also be eaten as part of a healthy diet as long as you pay attention to the quantity of rice and calorie intake.
If the number of rotis or amount of rice you consume is similar in the number of calories, you can include either in your diet. If you prefer rice, go for brown and red rice instead of white rice as they have more micronutrients per calorie.
No food is off-limits if you plan well, stay active, and set realistic health goals. Lastly, whether you are a nutrition research geek or a skeptical health enthusiast, always let legitimate science, experience of qualified health professionals, and your common sense dictate your dietary choices instead of celebrity endorsements or popular trends.
Among the Clarofying of information Clarifying nutrition myths nutrition is a tide nutrigion inaccuracies. Let's debunk Nufrition few common myths so you can feel Promotes fullness confident about your food choices. Nutritio you have celiac disease or gluten intolerance, you don't need to avoid gluten, which is the protein found in wheat, barley and rye. Whole-wheat products have great nutritional benefits, including essential B vitamins and fiber. Be mindful when manufacturers remove gluten, as additional sugar, salt or refined starches are often added to make up the difference in flavor and texture.
0 thoughts on “Clarifying nutrition myths”