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Heather Benek

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October 26, 2023

The Tea on Nutrition Myths - BUSTED

The Tea on Nutrition Myths-BUSTED

I’ll be the first to say it, nutrition is a complex world of information and it’s confusing to find facts in the mess of myths out there! Here are four common nutrition myths that we can all stop believing right now. I mean it, right now, this very instant.

TLDR:

-Eat food in its most original form, these are often called whole foods. Ditch processed foods, they’re just giving you problems.

-Complex carbs, potatoes and fruit are our friends.

-Undereating isn’t worth it.

Carbs cause weight gain:

I’m not trying to play the blame game, I just want to give credit where it’s due. What people do to carbohydrates is what causes the problem. Aka, making them highly processed and turning them into simple carbohydrates. This often means removing the fiber (not to mention all the processed fat and processed sugar that is commonly added, ex: pastries, crackers, white bread, soda). Instead, choose complex carbohydrates with their fiber still intact, ex: brown rice over white rice, whole grain breads over white bread products, mashed potatoes from real potatoes over instant potatoes in a box etc. Fruit, veggies, and legumes (beans) are additional sources of complex carbohydrates. We need complex carbs to function well and feel our best, carbohydrates are the brain's primary source of fuel. Athletes and people are athletes but still think of themselves as non athletes even though they are highly active, also need higher amounts of complex carbs due to increased energy expenditure.

Potatoes aren’t healthy:

Potatoes are primarily a carbohydrate (that means they don’t count as part of your daily 3-4+ servings of vegetables per day) and they’re not an unhealthy food. What people do to potatoes, makes them the vehicle for low nutrient meals like french fries and baked potatoes with mountains of butter and sourcream. It’s not the potatoes fault. So enjoy your potatoes in their truest form and remember about our dear friend the sweet potato as well!

Fruit has too much sugar and you shouldn't eat it:

Let’s think of the bigger picture, if you’re still having candy, desserts, sweet treats, sugary drinks, and processed foods with high amounts of secret sugar (alcohol, packaged foods, etc.) then for most people, fruit is a great thing to swap IN to crowd OUT the high sugar, highly processed alternatives. Yes, a banana has about 14 grams of complex sugar and 105 calories. It also contains fiber, potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and various antioxidants and phytonutrients. Fruit offers your body all types of valuable nutrients and it comes ready packaged to do good things with the sugar it carries. Berries and most foods that are naturally brightly colored are a rich source of valuable nutrients.

The less you eat the more weight you’ll lose:

Calorie restriction is a story from the past and that alter, we no longer need to pray at. Everyone’s caloric needs are different based on height, weight, activity level etc. You can find an estimate for the caloric needs of your body using the free “calorie calculator” at calculator.net. Remember, undereating can cause your body to hold on to weight too. AND not all calories are created equal, 500 calories from sweet potatoes, kale, and eggs will get you a lot further than 500 calories from a frappuccino and bowl of Cheerios

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