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Myth:  Pasta is bad for you.

Fact:  Pasta is a great carbohydrate to eat.  Those who are on low-carb diets like the Atkins Diet may shy away from pasta because they would then go over their carbohydrate allowance for the day.  But for everyone else (unless you must avoid gluten), pasta, especially pasta made from semolina flour, whole grains, and even buckwheat noodles that have more fiber, are a delicious form of carbohydrates.  Just watch what you put on top of your pasta.  Once you start adding lots of butter and parmesan cheese or even Alfredo Sauce (a sauce that is very high in fat), you've increased your risk for heart disease because of all the saturated fat.  Try adding grilled vegetables and olive oil with exciting herbs or even a light tomato sauce to spice up your noodles.

Myth:  Your sense of thirst or need to drink something is the best gauge of whether you're dehydrated.

Fact:   While that may be true for some people, it's not true for everyone, especially the elderly.  If you haven't had anything to drink or eat within the last 1 1/2 to 2 hours, it wouldn't hurt to go get something drink, even if it's just water.  It's true that many of the foods we eat (most especially fruits and vegetables) have quite a bit of water in them.  But considering that most Americans don't eat enough of those, then if you're not drinking at least 6 to 8 glasses of liquid a day, then your body may need some.

MYTHS ABOUT CARBOHYDRATES

Myth:  All carbohydrates are bad.

Fact:  Not true.  Whole grain carbs, carbs from vegetables and fruits, carbs from dried beans and legumes are great for you.  On the other hand, carbs from refined sugar and refined flour is another story even though a little bit won't hurt you.  White sugar has no nutritional value other than just being a source of calories, which most of us can do better with any extra.  White flour has lost some of the nutrition of whole grains even if some of the nutrients are added back in.

Myth:  Carbohydrates make you fat & therefore should be avoided.

Fact:  Not true.  See above for the Fact about "carbohydrates".

Myth:  Bananas are fattening.

Fact:  Bananas, like other fruits, contain sugar (fructose and glucose).  Yet, there are so many other nutrients you get with fruit that the USDA with the Food Guide Pyramid recommends you eat several servings of fruit a day.  Just appreciate the fact that a serving is normally smaller than many of the fruits we get in the market.  For example, a 5" banana is one serving.  Most bananas in the store are far larger.  The same goes for apples and other fruits.  It's not that you shouldn't eat them.  Just know what you're getting.

Myth:  Grapefruit burns fat and calories.

Fact:  There is no magic food that will burn fat or calories.  It's your overall calorie intake, along with exercise, that's going to determine whether you can burn off fat.

Myth:  Carrots, potatoes, and white bread make you fat.

Fact:  Someone saying this is thinking about the glycemic index of these foods.  While it's true that if any of these foods were eaten alone, they might trigger an insulin response in the body because they are so quickly digested and metabolized.  But it's a rare individual who isn't having something else to accompany high glycemic foods, which will lower the insulin-spiking effect.  Best to eat a balanced meal than concerned yourself with the glycemic index of food.

Myth:  Eating sugar will give you diabetes.

Fact:  It's not sugar that gives you diabetes.  Being overweight can increase your risk of the disease.  Having someone in your family with diabetes can increase your risk.  Having hypertension and heart disease can also increase your risk.  Eating sugar gives you a lot of empty calories, which then can lead you to becoming overweight, which then can lead you into metabolic syndrome or pre-diabetes, which then can turn into Type 2 diabetes.  But appreciate that you can stop this progression by losing the extra weight.

 

Beverages:

if you work out you should drink gatorade

Drinking a lot of juice is good for you.
Caffeine will stunt growth

Calories from beverages "don't really count"

Supplements

Dietary supplements are the perfect "insurance policy" to ensure a
healthy diet

Vitamin/mineral supplements are natural and therefore safe to use

Massive doses of vitamin C can boost your immune system and protect you
from colds and infections.

Zinc and vitamin C are cold fighters.

A vitamin a day may do more harm than good

Fats

butter is good for you. (now that trans is bad, butter (or other sat
fats) have risen to a new healthy status)
avocados are a no no
If a food is fat free you can eat as much as you want

Butter is better for you than margarine.

Greasy foods cause acne.

Fat matters, calories don't

Fat Free is always a good choice

If a label states "trans fat free" or zero grams trans fat... it can
still contain some.

Weight Loss

Diets work

Skipping meals is a great way to "save calories"

eat fruits separately from meat or vegetable width='100%'s..

That anything you eat later in the evening will automatically be stored
as fat.
Diet foods (sugar free, fat free, low carb) help you lose weight.
Eating grapefruit will produce weight loss.

Bananas are fattening

I cheated, so I might as well eat all of this and "be good" tomorrow.

Certain "special" combinations of foods will aide weight loss

General Nutrition

That "all foods can fit." Lol They don't for allergic clients, food
sensitive clients, celiac clients, PCOS clients, etc.

If it's natural, it is safe to consume.

Feed a cold, starve a fever.

"Dairy sources" are only necessary in childhood or Milk myths

Sodium

"pork" is categorically high in sodium.

Food Safety:

If food falls on the floor and it is there less than 10 seconds it is
still safe to eat

Power Of Protein

Gelatin makes nails stronger and grow longer

High Protein, low carb diets is healthy and gives long lasting results
for weight loss.

High Protein builds muscle.

 

 

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Drawing the Line on Calories, Carbs, and Fat

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