Diet Myths

With all of the diet myths out there it can be hard to determine what to eat and what not to eat. Here are 10 of the most common myths and the truth behind the fiction.

Top 10 Diet Myths

1. All fat is bad. The truth is that the body needs fat in order to function properly. Fat provides energy, maintains cell membranes and blood vessels, and helps produce essential hormones. The body needs fat in order to process the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Fat also helps maintain healthy hair and skin, protects vital organs, and keeps the body insulated. But some fat is healthy and some is not. Unsaturated fat is healthy fat that can lower LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol). Saturated fat and trans fat are unhealthy fats that can raise LDL cholesterol and lower HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol). Visit the Creating A Healthy Eating Plan page for more information on fat.

2. Dietary cholesterol causes high blood cholesterol. The truth is that about 75% of blood cholesterol is produced in the liver, while only about 25% is absorbed from food. As long as you don't have high blood cholesterol in the first place dietary cholesterol will have little effect on your blood cholesterol level. Saturated fat and trans fat are the primary dietary causes of high blood cholesterol. Visit the Creating A Healthy Eating Plan page for more information on cholesterol.

3. Skipping meals and drastically reducing calories is the best way to lose weight. This is one of the longest lasting diet myths. If you try and lose weight by skipping meals and drastically reducing calories you will force your body into "starvation mode." Once your body is in starvation mode your metabolism will slow down and fat loss will stop. This will result in you losing mainly water and muscle, not fat. The best way to lose weight, and keep it off, is to exercise on a regular basis, cut back on calories, and eat five or six small healthy meals throughout the day. Visit the Best Way To Lose Weight page for more information on effective weight loss.

4. Carbohydrates make you fat. There's no scientific proof that carbohydrates are fattening and there's ongoing debate on the value of low carb diets. Carbohydrates are important because they are the main source of fuel for the body. They are quickly and easily used by the body for energy. They are also stored in the muscles and used during exercise. Make sure that most of the carbohydrates you eat are complex carbohydrates, not simple carbohydrates. Some people are "carbohydrate sensitive" and they would need to limit their intake of even complex carbohydrates if they are trying to lose weight. Visit the Creating A Healthy Eating Plan page for more information on carbohydrates.

5. Eating at night makes you fat. This is one of the newer diet myths. The truth is that no matter when you eat, if you don't use all of the calories that you've consumed your body will store the extra calories as fat. If you're less active at night then you need to eat less during this time. If you work out at night, especially if you lift weights, then you need to make sure that you eat enough after your workout to fuel muscle recovery and growth. Adjust your food intake based on your energy expenditure.

6. Low-fat or fat-free means low calories. Don't assume low-fat or fat-free means low calories. Many low-fat and fat-free foods are high in calories because they add sugar and refined starches to make up for the lost fat. Don’t just check the fat content of your food, also look at the ingredients list and the calorie content.

7. Diet sodas help you lose weight. Not necessarily. Even though diet sodas contain little or no calories recent research strongly suggests that the artificial sweeteners in diet sodas may actually increase your appetite

8. Certain foods, like grapefruit, cabbage soup, or celery, can burn fat. This is one of those diet myths that comes and goes. There are some foods, such as fibrous vegetables and lean protein, that have a high thermic effect and a low calorie density. This means that a lot of the calories in these foods are burned off during digestion. But there are no foods that can burn fat from your body.

9. Brown color equals whole grain. Just because a food is brown in color doesn't mean it contains whole grain. You need to look on the label to see if "whole wheat" or "whole grain" is one of the listed ingredients.

10. Skim and low-fat milk have less calcium than whole milk. Skim and low-fat milk actually have more calcium than whole milk because the calcium is in the watery part of the milk, not the creamy part.

Don't be fooled by any of these diet myths. Rely on proven information to help you meet your fitness goals.