Diet Myths To Avoid

Diet Myth 1:

Certain Food Groups Should Be Eliminated

Many fad diets emphasize the elimination of certain food groups or eating primarily only one or two food groups. Your body needs a balanced diet that supplies you with the diverse nutrients that will keep you healthy.

Your body needs water, vitamins, protein, fat, minerals, energy (carbohydrates), fiber, and oxygen. Eating a diet rich in fruits, veggies, grains, nuts, and seeds will help you rebuild your immune system, which will in turn help you to stay healthy.

Carbohydrates are getting a bad rap these days but they are very important. You cannot drive your car without gas and that is what you do to your body when you eliminate carbs. Whole grains are a great source of carbohydrates and a great source of fiber. If you are really concerned about carbs then try to take them in early so you have all day to burn them off.

Diet Myth 2:

Eliminate Fat From Your Diet

Today's diets encourage lowering fat consumption. This does not mean all fats. You should by all means avoid saturated fat. In moderation, poly and monounsaturated fats are the good guys. Fat will help with the absorption of fat-soluble vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin K. It’s also a concentrated source of energy, and the essential fatty acids in some fats are vital for many important body functions. Your body needs 50 grams of fat each day. You should try to eat foods rich in omega-3, which is an important polyunsaturated fat.

Fat also helps your joints and muscles work smoothly. Good sources are flaxseed and its oil; walnuts; oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, and tuna; and hemp oil. Raw nuts, olive oil, and avocados are also a rich source of nutritious and healthy fats. Look closely at the foods you buy and stay away from hydrogenated fats.

Diet Myth 3:

You Have To Eat Meat To Get Enough Protein

Your body should get about 30 grams of protein each meal. If you try and get your protein from meat or dairy sources, it could set you back. Meat and dairy products are very high in sodium and fat. Trying to get your protein that way will most likely cause weight gain from the added fat. Fruits and vegetables have at least one gram of protein in them. Chicken, turkey, tuna, eggs, natural peanut butter, are all other sources of protein. If you need to you can fill in a void by taking in a whey protein shake.

Diet Myth 4

Carbohydrates at night will result in weight gain.

This is not true. It is the amount of calories taken in throughout the day that determines whether you gain weight. If you remain under the caloric maintenance level you will most likely LOSE weight. Thus, body composition is determined by the total number of calories, not the time at which the calories were ingested.

Diet Myth 5:

Starving Yourself To Lose Weight

The average woman should never eat less than 1,200 calories/day and the average man should never eat less than 1,800 calories per day. Starving yourself will actually lower metabolism which will hurt your weight loss diet. Eating a well balanced diet will give you the fuel you need to make it through your workouts and your daily activities.

If you feed your body natural foods, then you'll have no need to go hungry. You can pretty much eat all the fresh fruits and vegetables you want, and it will not adversely affect your weight.

In order to maximize the nutritional value of your foods eat them in as natural a state as possible. Avoid processed foods as they are loaded with added sodium. Canned foods also have extremely high amounts of sodium.

Conclusion

By getting back to nature and the foods your body was designed to run on, you can stay fit, maintain an optimal weight and build up your immune system so that you live a longer, more energetic life.

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