Popular Health myths busted

Sugar free and fat free foods lead to fat-free bodies

When you read the words 'sugar free' or 'fat free' across a box of chocolate it's you feel probably  less guilty about eating the entire box in one time. "Fat free and sugar free do not mean foods are calorie free. It doesn't matter what type of food you are eating, if you are consuming more calories than you're expending, you will gain weight. When sugar or fat are removed from food, artificial ingredients may be added back to the food to enhance its taste which will give you the extra calories!

 

Carbs make you fat

Carbs alone do not cause weight gain but it is important to choose the carbs wisely. Carbs are the body's main source of fuel so you need to consume a balanced diet higher in complex carbs and lower in simple or processed carbs. It is advisable to eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains and less processed foods, refined carbohydrates and white flour products.

You Need a Daily Multivitamin

Have you heard about taking multivitamins to makeup the nutrient needs of our body which are not fulfilled by diet? Researchers don’t agree on that point. But if your doctor advices you to take vitamin, go for it. And if you’re pregnant, you need to take folic acid to lower the risk of birth defects. But still it is good to eat a balanced diet filled with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and healthy oils to fulfill the nutritional requirements of your body rather than depending on pills. 

Skipping sleep CAN cause weight gain.

It is found in study that who people who sleep less than seven hours were more likely to gain weight; other research has shown that even partial sleep deprivation ups production of the hormone cortisol, which triggers hunger and can lead you to overeating. The increased levels of the hormone also help cause higher insulin levels, your blood sugar drops and you crave sugary, fatty foods.

Exercise can wipe away all my bad eating habits.

This one is unescapable and unluckily a myth. You can’t out-exercise a crappy diet. It’s a calorie game, and people often overestimate the amount of food they burn in an hour-long session. If you do five workouts each week it doesn’t mean that you can eat whatever you want. You can easily out-eat your exercising. It’s essential to both work out and eat right for successful weight loss and to maintain good health.

Eat only egg whites and not the yolks.

Egg yolks have got had a bad crack, supposedly being terrible for your cholesterol. Conversely, eggs won’t affect your cholesterol balance unless they’re fried in butter and served with bacon. In fact, one study by the University of Connecticut found that the fat in the yolks helped to reduce LDL, or the bad cholesterol. In fact, eggs are an inexpensive source of many nutrients, including zinc and iron, antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, vitamin D, and the brain-boosting chemical choline. Keep cholesterol in check by monitoring saturated fat in your diet. 

 

Drinking water helps you lose weight.

Drinking water won’t specifically prompt weight loss, but it can support in the process. Water replaces other calorie-laden beverages in the diet, initiating you to reduce your overall number of calories. Also it keeps you feel fuller, so you may eat less at each meal. 

Coffee causes cancer

Coffee has been linked to cancer on over the past several years. However after 1980’s the scientists looked for links between coffee and these cancers, using superior research methods and studying larger groups of people. They found none. For instance, a review of 17 studies conducted from 1990 to 2003 found a 24 percent reduced risk of colon cancer among people who regularly sipped coffee and tea. Studies have also shown in recent years that drinking coffee appears to offer some protection against other conditions, including Parkinson’s disease and type 2 diabetes.

Radiation from microwaves creates dangerous compounds in your food.

Microwaves, radio waves and the energy waves that we perceive as visual light all are forms of radiation. So, too, are X-rays and gamma rays—which do pose health concerns. Only a few types of radiation cause cancer and these depend on the dose. But the microwaves used to cook foods are many, many times weaker than X-rays and gamma rays and the types of changes that occur in microwaved food as it cooks are “from heat generated inside the food, not the microwaves themselves.  Radiation from the sun can cause skin cancer, for example, but just enough helps your body make Vitamin D, too. Microwaving in some plastics may leach compounds into your food, so take care to use only microwave-safe containers. 

Brown sugar is healthier than white sugar.

In fact, brown sugar is mostly white sugar with some molasses — so refining it further would give you white table sugar. As far as your body is concerned, white and brown sugar are one-in-the-same.

References:

1. www.sciencedaily.com
2. http://www.webmd.com
3. http://www.health.com
4. www.forbes.com
5. Cancer Research UK
6. www.besthealthmag.ca
7. Business Insider,"The dispensatory of the United States of America," Self Nutrition Data

How to understand Food labels and claims?

How many of you have checked the labels on food containers or packets before buying it from supermarket? Well it is important to take a note of food labels to know about the ingredients in the food and other nutritional information. Knowing what nutrition information to look for, can help you make the best choice for your health and avoid unnecessary saturated fat, added salt, added sugars, preservatives and kilojoules.

   1. Serving Size: 

     The size of the serving on the food package influences the number of calories and all the nutrient amounts listed on the top part of the label. This will tell you the size of a single serving and the total number of servings per container (package).

2. Food calories: 

      If you want to lose weight you should keep an eye on the number of calories per serving and how many servings you’re really consuming if you eat the whole package. If you double the servings you eat, you double the calories and nutrients. For 2000 calorie diet, 

·         40 Calories is low

·         100 Calories is moderate

·         400 Calories or more is high.

    3. Nutritional values: It is very confusing with labels like low fat, low sugar, sugar free, fat free, low calories and more. FDA guidelines for food labels and claims:

·                  Calories: FREE- < 5 calories per serving

                LOW- ≤ 40 calories per serving

·                  Total fat: FREE- < 0.5g per serving

                LOW- ≤ 3g per serving

Not more than 25% to 35% of calories from fat.

·                  Saturated fat: FREE- < 0.5g saturated fat and < 0.05g trans fat per serving

                       LOW- ≤ 1g per serving and15% or less of calories from saturated fat.

·                  Cholesterol: FREE- < 2mg per serving

                     LOW- ≤ 20mg per serving

Not more than 200mg per day.

·                          Sodium-  FREE- < 5mg per serving

                       LOW- ≤ 140mg per serving

·                  Sugars- FREE- < 0.5g per serving

                     Not more than 100 to 150 cals a day (6-9teaspoons). 
 It is important to note that low fat food doesn’t mean LOW CALORIES!! ‘Low fat’ and ‘fat free’ food may contain high sugar or sodium to enhance the lost flavor of food. 

   4. Ingredients list:Ingredients are listed according to weight. List of Top 5 ingredients to avoid in food are listed below.

i) High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS):

It’s cheaper than sugar and hence you will find it mostly in soft drinks, processed foods and junk food. Consuming too much of HFCS can cause several health problems like obesity, diabetes, heart disease and more. Limit or avoid the products containing HFCS.

                     ii) Artificial color:

       They are generally found in candies, snacks, soda drinks especially marketed to children. They will be listed as blue1,blue2, red3, yellow5 and more. These colourings do not add any nutritional value and may pose health issues.

Choose safe and natural sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, agave nectar which will help you in your weight loss progress.

iii) Artificial sweetner:

It is 180 times sweeter than sugar!! It is an excitotoxin and it leads to health problems like accelerates ageing, brain cancer, dizziness, fatigue, cramps, sleep problems, memory loss, headaches and more. It is mostly found in Sugar free or diet products like diet sodas, chewing gums, jellies, fruit juices and ice-creams. Artificial sweeteners are alternatives to sugar because they contain no calories, which mean no nutritional values. As artificial sweeteners increase your appetite and you tend to eat more and gain more weight.

 iv) Monosodium Glutamate (MSG): 

MSG is an excitotoxin, which means it overexcites your cells and may cause brain damage to varying degrees. It can trigger learning disabilities, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease. It can also cause migraines, obesity, depression, fatigue, eye damage, seizures and more. MSG is a slow poison which hides behind dozens of names like glutamate, hydrolyzed protein, yeast food, calcium or sodium caseinate, textured protein, yeast nutrient, natural flavoring, gelatin, glutamic acid, yeast extract, autolyzed yeast, monopotassium glutamate and more.  

v) Partially hydrogenated oils (Trans fat): 

Trans fat is more harmful to your arteries than saturated fat. “Trans fat free” foods also contain 0.5g of trans fats per serving, thus it is important to read labels. It is mostly found in fried/ battered food, ready meals, frozen meals, cake mixes, margarine sticks, snack foods and more

   5. Food labelling claims: We purchase food products based on labels claims on the product. For example, 100% natural, organic, low carb, whole grains, fresh, cholesterol free, fat free, gluten free. But are these really healthier choices to make? Don’t trust on labels. If a product is claimed 100% natural then it must be free from added colors, preservatives, flavors and synthetic substances but it doesn’t mean it is good for you. It can still have loads of sugar, fat or calories. So check the ingredients list and nutrition facts!

 Simply, if you can’t pronounce the ingredients on the product, “Don’t Eat It”!! Go for real and unprocessed food as much as you can. Beware next time you go for shopping grocery and food items. Don’t forget to keep it Healthy!!

References:

1.      www.fda.gov

2.      www.nhs.uk

3.      www.eatforhealth.gov.au