Go vegan. Eat whole foods. Don't eat fruit. Go carnivore. Eat every three hours. Eat one meal a day. Don't eat carbs. Eat fat. Don't eat fat.
Trying to figure out the right way to eat can be exhausting.
At Evidation, we're here to help you sort through common nutrition myths so you can separate fact from fiction and figure out what nutritional style makes sense for your preferences and needs. We believe in taking a balanced, sustainable approach to nutrition, rather than recommending fad diets and quick fixes that will leave you feeling exhausted. Here, we'll explore some of the most common nutrition myths, and give you the actual, expert-backed truth so you can make fact-based decisions for your health.
Myth 1: Carbs are bad for you
Fact: Our bodies use carbs for energy, and not all carbs are unhealthy.
Carbohydrates have gotten a bad rap over the past few decades. While cutting out carbs can result in rapid weight loss, it's usually not a good idea to cut carbs out completely.
Many carbohydrates—like fruits, vegetables, and beans—offer a valuable nutritional profile that can provide you with the energy you need to feel your best. Cutting down on refined carbohydrates—like candy, soda, and potato chips—is often a smart move.
While simple, refined carbohydrates can leave you with an energy crash and a craving for more processed foods, complex carbohydrates can provide you with sustained energy and the fiber your body needs to keep your digestive system moving smoothly.
The bottom line: if carbs fit into your recommended caloric intake, they can be a healthy choice that can fuel your body. If you're concerned about your blood sugar due to diabetes or another health condition, you'll want to talk with your healthcare provider to get their recommendations on enjoying carbs in a way that will support your overall health.
Myth 2: Eating fat makes you fat
Fact: Fat is an essential nutrient that helps you absorb vitamins and stay satiated.
Fat doesn't make you fat—in fact, it can have the opposite effect if you utilize fat in a way that fuels your body. The low-fat craze of the 1990s left many of us cutting out fat in favor of low-fat, high-sugar, high-carbohydrate foods.
Harvard University nutrition expert Dr. Frank Sacks says, "There's still this misconception that eating fat—any kind of fat—is bad, that it will lead to heart attacks or weight gain. That's not true. People really should be encouraged to eat healthy fats."
While it's a smart health move to avoid trans fats and to minimize the amount of saturated fat that you consume, it's important to include healthy fats in your diet.
Myth 3: You need to detox regularly
Fact: Your kidneys and liver detox your body.
Fancy, expensive detox diets aren't likely to make you healthier long-term, rather, they're likely to make you spend some extra time in the bathroom, and potentially become dehydrated in the process.
In the podcast The Science of Health, guest Dr. Frank Marino, toxicologist at University Hospitals, said, "The only thing you need to detox your body naturally, and I hate to even say that because I don't think anyone really does need to detox, is just your liver and kidneys. And, if those aren't working, you should seek medical attention anyway."
While you might notice that you lose a few pounds during and after a detox diet, they're likely to reappear as soon as you go back to eating normally. The better option? Get and stay healthy the old-fashioned way. Eating plenty of veggies and fresh fruits, increasing your exercise, and drinking plenty of water will benefit you more than any detox or cleanse.
Myth 4: All calories are created equal
Fact: Processed foods can taste good—but they don't hold a candle to whole foods nutritionally, even if they have identical calorie counts.
If you're working to clean up your diet, it can be tempting to go for maximum flavor while sticking to your caloric limit. Doing so, however, can make it harder to stick to your plan. For example, eating 100 calories of added sugar will cause lowered energy levels and additional sugar cravings, while eating 100 calories of protein will cause lasting energy and will give your metabolism a boost. Protein requires a higher amount of energy for digestion than carbohydrates or fat. This means that when you eat calories from protein, you're boosting your metabolism, making it easier for your body to shed excess fat.
Myth 5: You should avoid all sugar
Fact: Avoiding processed sugar is a better idea than avoiding all sugar.
There's no doubt that it's a good idea to cut down on the amount of sugar that most of us eat each day, but there's no need to cut sugar out of your diet altogether. Added sugar—like the maple syrup you put on a waffle or the honey you stir into your tea— is different from naturally occurring sugar in natural foods like corn, berries, oranges, tomatoes, bananas, etc. Most natural foods that contain sugar also contain fiber, helping your body to absorb the sugar at a slower rate.
An important note if you're trying to cut down on sugar: natural sugars—like honey, maple syrup, and agave nectar—are processed the same way as added sugars, like white sugar or brown sugar. While it's OK to enjoy added sugar from time to time, be careful not to let clever marketing trick you into believing a muffin made with honey is any different from a muffin made with white sugar.
Myth 6: Supplements can replace a balanced diet
Fact: It's best to get your nutrients from whole foods when you can.
According to Dr. Howard Sesso, an epidemiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital, "As we get older, our ability to absorb nutrients from food decreases. Also, our energy needs aren't the same, and we tend to eat less."
While supplements sound like an easy way to get all of the nutrients that you need, vitamins and minerals are at their most potent when we get them from actual food. In addition, food is typically far less expensive than supplements, and has additional health benefits.
If you're not able to change your diet or need supplements for another reason, talk with your healthcare provider to ensure that you're choosing a carefully-tested, reputable brand.
Myth 7: Late-night eating always leads to weight gain
Fact: If you're eating in a caloric deficit or at your maintenance level, you won't gain weight, no matter what time of day (or night) you eat.
If you've ever found yourself enjoying one thing after another in the midnight glow of the refrigerator light, you're not alone. In most cases, the total amount of calories you're eating during the day—and the quality of the foods that are providing those calories—is the most important factor when it comes to determining whether your diet will cause you to gain weight.
That being said, eating at night may not make you feel your best. Research shows that people who eat at night may have increased appetites, and that eating late in the day may actually cause your body to burn fewer calories. If you eat late at night, your quality of sleep may be negatively affected, making you more likely to reach for sugary treats and other quick energy sources during the following day. While it's unlikely that an occasional late night dinner or treat will have any effect on your weight, it's best to try to finish your food for the day at least a few hours before you go to bed.
Ready to feel your best? We've got you
It can be tough to sort through the popular nutrition myths, exercise fads, and quick fixes that you'll find in every corner of the internet, and at Evidation, we're here to help you turn down the pseudoscience noise and learn real, research-backed strategies that help you feel your best.
When you download the Evidation app, you'll be able to choose to share the health data that you're already tracking. Using the information that you choose to share, we'll provide you with personalized, content-based insights and recommendations to help you make choices that propel your wellness forward.
We're here to provide you with the insights, tips, and tricks that you need to meet your goals. Whether you're working toward fat loss, increasing your fitness, or you're curious about reversing lifestyle-related diseases, Evidation can help. Click here to learn more about how Evidation works and download the app today.
