10 Diet Myths debunked
It is not a sin if you eat past bedtime!
There are actually diet rules out there that are meant to be broken? Yes, recently many dated diet guidelines and myths are up for speculation. You’ve probably heard all these silly rules before, but experts weigh-in on the worthiness of these supposed truisms — most of which won’t help you lose weight or make dieting any easier.
10 Food Rules You Can Ignore:
1. Eating at night will pile on the pounds. The total calories you consume over a 24-hour period or over a week is what causes you to gain weight, and when you eat these calories doesn’t matter.
2. It’s best to eat at the same times every day. Eat when you’re hungry, not when the clock says it’s time to eat. Unless you have a health condition that requires you to follow a stricly timed meal plan.
3. Dieting with a buddy always makes weight loss easier. Common goals may pay off but weight loss is a personal journey.
4. Dietary fat keeps you feeling full longer, so you’ll eat less. Fat does take longer to digest, but it will not help you control your appetite. Foods likely to fight off hunger the longest are protein foods, followed by carbohydrates, then fats.
5. When you blow your diet, you might as well wait until the next day to get back on track. Nothing could be farther from the truth- always try to get right back on track with your next meal.
6. Refusing food at a party or when visiting is rude. Turning down food when you aren’t hungry or don’t feel like eating is socially acceptable. It is more than enough to say “Thank you, it looks delicious, but I’m not hungry at the moment”.
7. Skipping a meal every now and then will help you lose. Skipping a meal means you will be so hungry at the next meal that you are likely to overeat. This can also help lead to a slowdown of your metabolism.
8. Bread is fattening, nuts are fattening, pasta is fattening. Whole-wheat bread/pasta is a great source of nutrients, and it won’t make you gain weight more than any other food with the same number of calories.
9. All calories are equal. This is somewhat true, however; you’ll get more nutrients from a 100-calorie apple than from a 100-calorie portion of white bread. Choose healthier items if you are losing weight, or controlling your hunger.
10. If you don’t clean your plate, you’re wasting food. If you just don’t feel right leaving the table until you’ve cleaned your plate, underestimate your hunger and put less food on your plate to begin with. You can always have more food if you are still hungry.
As you have just learned, you don’t need to believe everything you hear,and many of the food and dieting rules we hold dear are meant to be broken — without guilt!
Whether you are at your ideal weight or striving to reach your weight goal is it simply a matter of burning more calories than you take in?
The answer, I suggest, is no!
Overall body health improvement as well as weight gain or loss must be factored in to the equation or you could be heading for problems. Correct nutrition can help to reduce the risk of a miriad of health-related problems, the most frightening of which are surely heart disease and cancer. Proper nutrition, however, entails eating many different foods, monitoring your consumption of some food and beverage items, and enjoy the foods you are eating by sharing them with others, or by eating without guilt.
To function properly, your body must have the correct combination of nutrients:
Carbohydrates. They are the primary source of ammunition in your diet. The body uses carbohydrates to build glucose which can be used immediately or stored in your body for later. Too much glucose, however, is stored as fat. There are two types of carbohydrates — simple and complex. Sugars are simple carbohydrates. Starches and fibers are complex carbohydrates.
Complex carbohydrates are nutrient dense, makes you feel for longer and taste amazing; think about brown rice, sweet potatoes and so forth.
Proteins. Proteins help your body build and maintain muscles and other tissues. They also function in the creation of hormones.
Animal and vegetable are the two major types of proteins. It is not beneficial to eat too much animal protein , as it is high in saturated fat. Whenever you chose your animal protein, make sure that is of the highest quality (ex: organic, grass fed beef or organic, uncaged eggs).
Fat. Fat is another nutrient your body requires. It comes in both saturated and unsaturated forms. Saturated fat puts you at risk of health problems. Unsaturated fat is healthy, but if it goes through any type of refinement process, it can become saturated.
You can find fats rick in Omega 3–6–9 in wild caught salmon, walnuts, seeds, avocado, olive oil, etc.
Vitamins. These are also required nutrients. Different vitamins perform different tasks within the body. They can work with the metabolism to help with energy levels for any task you can think of that you need your body to perform. It has also been noted that certain vitamins can prevent disease.
For example, vitamins A, C, and E, also called antioxidants, can assist with the prevention of coronary artery disease by keeping build up from occurring on artery walls. Vitamin B-1 is needed for digestion and proper nervous system function. Vitamin B-2 is needed for normal cell growth. Vitamin B-3 helps to detoxify your body. Folic acid assists with production of red blood cells. Vitamin D assists with the absorption of calcium. Vitamin K helps your blood clot.
Minerals and trace elements. These are another nutrient your body requires. Both are used in many different body processes. Minerals like chlorine help make your digestive juices. Phosphorus helps build strong bones. Both can be found in the foods we consume, but with a trace element, your body just needs a tiny amount. Salt is one final nutrient your body requires. You should not consume more than 2400 milligrams per day, though, as it might raise your blood pressure.
Where to start?
First, try to consume three cups of vegetables and two cups of fruit each day. When making your selections for each day, be sure to choose a good variety. A good rough guide is to eat as many different colors as possible, this will help you to select from all five vegetable subgroups at least four times per week.
You should eat at least three ounces of whole grain products each day. At least half of your grain intake should be whole grain based.
Your total fat intake should only be between ten and thirty percent of your calories (this of course doesn’t apply to people following a keto diet). Most of the fats you consume should be in the form of unsaturated fats, as saturated fats can do much to damage your health. Less than ten percent of your calories should come from saturated fats, and you should always try to avoid trans-fatty acid.
Fiber-rich fruits, vegetables and whole grains should be a regular part of your diet as should potassium rich foods. Alcoholic beverages should only be consumed in moderation.
And let’s not forget water! Drink an abundant quantity of room temperature, filtered water each day.
And laugh, be joyful, be appreciative, live in the present moment and love your food!
