Top 10 Food Myths

Myth 1: Does eating eggs increase cholesterol levels?

Two myths I want to mention about eggs.

1. The bad rep it gets about cholesterol
2. Avoiding egg yolks because it’s higher in calories

In fact, eggs are one of the cheapest sources of protein. Egg yolks are very nutrient dense, contain vitamins A, D, E, K, potassium, folate, magnesium and many others.

Eating whole eggs/yolk will not increase your cholesterol, this a pretty old myth. It does not affect your cholesterol.

Egg are also very low in calories with only one egg containing 60-70 calories and can be cooked in many different ways and taste great

If you’re worried about cholesterol focus on lowering your saturated and trans fat intake.

Enjoy your eggs!

Myth 2: Gluten-free diets are better for you!

If you are not celiac and do not suffer a gluten intolerance, removing gluten from your diet can be detrimental on your health. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barely and rye and is present in any food for drink made from or containing these grains.

It’s normal to see a food and say ‘oh it’s gluten free it must be healthier for me’- because that’s what we are perceived to believe!! Gluten supports our gut health by feeding the ‘good bacteria’. In fact 1% of the population suffers from celiac disease. And gluten intolerance up to 13%. These conditions are uncommon, but the symptoms associated with them are widespread and they have many potential causes. This means that it can be easy to misidentify gluten intolerance.

If you do think you have a gluten intolerance please seek medical advice before making any dietary changes as adverse health consequences can occur. In some cases (or most) it's likely to be another food or good group causing the symptoms (such as bloating) I am not a registered dietitian but if you need any advice or questions I am happy to help

Myth 3: Eating late at night makes you gain weight

The answer? NO!!!!

Calories do not know time and therefore it does not matter what time of day you eat as long as it’s a balanced diet, consuming foods in moderation.

So eating your dinner after 8pm will NOT make you gain more weight. Weight gain occurs when you eat more calories than you burn.

Now, eating big meals late at night isn’t recommended because it can interrupt or distrust sleep but will not alter weight loss/make you gain weight.

The association with weight gain is night time snackers have a tendency to choose higher calorie foods (we crave sugar in the evenings, especially if your diet is unbalanced). Now obviously eating a giant slice of cake isn’t going to be the best! Opt for foods like some cereal or some yogurt and fruit which will satiate you but not impact your sleep.

Myth 4: Unrefined sugar is better for us

Whether sugar is refined or not refined, at the end of the day sugar is sugar. Both refined and unrefined sugars have much the same effect on the body. They spike our blood sugar levels. Coconut sugar, date sugar, agave nectar and other natural sugars are touted as healthier and more nutritious alternatives to refined sugar. These unrefined sugars do contain some minerals, but you’d have to eat a LOT of the sugar in order to reap any nutritional benefits… Just remember, although we should limit our sugar intake where possible DONT feel guilty for having some sugar! Just remember balance

Myth 5: Detox diets work

Why doing a ‘detox’ juice cleanse is a waste of time. Celebrities and Instagram pages juice cleanses and detoxification, the reality is that these are highly restrictive fad diets that involve depriving your body of key nutrients.

The human body is designed to rid itself of toxins naturally. This is largely what the liver, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract are for.

Enzymes in your stomach and intestine absorb the nutrients you need, excreting what you don’t. The liver converts anything we've consumed too much of into other compounds the body can use elsewhere. I could go on but I won’t bore you. Periods of juicing does not expedite the functions that your gut, kidneys, and liver already do all day, every day. Trying a celery juice "cleanse" for the purpose of giving your liver a break is incorrect - your liver doesn’t need celery’s help

Despite the fact that there are no true health benefits to juice cleanses, people often report that they feel better - the placebo effect. The placebo effect can be very real. You want to believe what you are told, and if you spending a lot of time and money then you want to believe it will change your life.

It may be tempting to lose quick weight before a holiday for example but any pounds shed are simply water weight that will be regained once the individual goes back to eating solid food.

Myth 6: Skipping breakfast will help me lose weight

Skipping breakfast may lead to weight gain!

Breakfast provides the body and brain with fuel after an overnight fast - that's where its name comes from- breaking the fast! Without breakfast you are effectively running on empty, like trying to start the car with no petrol!

Apart from providing us with energy, breakfast foods are great sources of important nutrients such as calcium, iron and B vitamins as well as protein and fibre. The body needs these essential nutrients! Without breakfast you may find you are hungrier later in the day, and at this point you’ll usually crave the sweet stuff. Also you’ll find that if you skip breakfast, by late morning/lunch your blood sugar levels are low and you may opt for higher sugar/fatty foods to compensate. Leading to weight gain!

Making good breakfast choices - aim for a meal which contains a source of carbohydrates, protein and ‘healthy’ fats. Avoid foods with a high G.I (I will do another post explaining this in more detail. Eating a high GI breakfast will lead to increased blood sugar levels, this will then drop and within a few hours you’ll be craving sweet treats. If you have breakfast early morning this will usually fall into the window of the ‘mid morning snack’ and for example, you are more likely to pick up a chocolate bar instead of an apple.

Myth 7: Vegan diets are healthier and help weight loss

If you are going vegetarian/vegan to become ‘heahlthier’ and lose weight, maybe think again….

Vegan doesn't necessarily mean healthier. You can still have the same chance of over eating in a vegan diet (and lacking protein as well). And uou still get vegan-friendly high calorie foods.

On a vegan diet, you will need to be more conscious with your food choices. It is very restrictive and difficult to consume all the nutrients you need if you are not organized.

I repeat you don't need to be vegetarian/vegan for weight loss.

Its all about following a balanced diet!

Myth 8: Bananas are too high in sugar

The sugar found in bananas is natural, meaning sugar has not been added during manufacturing/processing like in sweets and chocolate (this is called ‘free sugars’). ⁠Free sugars have a different effect on our blood glucose compared to natural sugars. Foods containing natural sugar provide lots of other important nutrients. The fiber content of a banana helps to slow down the rate at which sugar is digested and absorbed which prevents blood glucose levels from rapidly rising. Bananas and all fruit can be a satiating, nutritious snack, that can be paired up with oats, peanut butter, toast, cereal, smoothies etc. ⁠ Riper (yellow/brown) bananas dont contain more sugars than a green banana. However, they may slightly raise your blood sugars quickly. If you do have diabetes this may be something you need to be aware of.

Myth 9: 1kcal oil is bad for us

In the confusing world of ‘healthy’ food alternatives and conflicting information it makes it IMPOSSIBLE to know if you are doing the ‘right’ thing. And before you know it you’re reading something completely different.

The ‘diet’ industry is designed to confuse people so spend more money on diets and diet products. Now a question I get a lot is - should I use oil? What oil should I use? I can’t be the only one who has lost track of all the oils out there.

~ I’m not telling you to avoid oil, because we need fats in our diet. I use 1kcal oil because i love food and I would much rather use the calories I’m eating in the oil for physical food.

At the end of the day we all have different goals but if it’s to lose weight I would opt for the 1kcal oil unless you know exactly how much oil you are using

Myth 10: Carbohydrates are bad for us

You should love carbohydrates, if your goal is to lose weight, gain weight, gain muscle or just stay the same you need to eat carbohydrates.

Obviously, the carbohydrates you choose will depend on your goal, ‘complex’ sources (wholegrain bread/pasta, fruit, legumes) are considered ‘healthier’ as they contain more vitamins and minerals and fiber but that’s not to say you can’t eat ‘simple’ carbohydrates (cake, white bread, sweets, chocolate).

Just limit the amount you eat but, of course can still be included as part of a healthy lifestyle. No food should be excluded to have a ‘healthy’ lifestyle. Because is there such thing as a perfect healthy?

Diets such as keto don't work, they are not sustainable and we need carbohydrates for survival. We certainly should not be cutting out whole food groups.

These are just a few of many nutrition myths. Any questions contact me via email or facebook!

Eat healthy, live healthy

Robyn