6 Nutritional Myths That Aren’t Always True

6 Nutritional Myths That Aren’t Always True

Eating healthy and creating the ideal nutritional menu for each meal can be challenging when there is so much misinformation out there. Most people want to eat right, but they may be making simple nutritional mistakes that make meal planning more difficult. Instead of blindly following commonly known truths about nutrition, find out the real deal behind some of these top nutritional myths. Here are six myths that aren’t really true about eating right.

1. Eating at Night Causes Weight Gain

The first myth you need to stop believing in is that eating later at night causes more weight gain than eating earlier in the day. In reality, eating your calories in the morning or at night doesn’t impact your rate of weight gain. However, there is more to this story than just calculating calories. Sometimes, people tend to overindulge more late at night due to boredom, stress, hormonal issues, or problems sleeping. If you’re eating after dinner and choosing the wrong foods, then, you could experience weight gain.

2. Fasting Helps Cleanse the Body of Toxins

Another myth that needs to be dispelled concerns fasting. Some products, books, and diet gurus promote the idea that fasting is a necessary process the body needs every once in a while to cleanse toxins out of the system. The truth is that fasting is not really needed to clear toxins from your body. Your body already has its own internal system of cleaning itself out, the kidneys and liver.

3. Fat Is Bad for You

Next, for decades, people have been shying away from foods that have fat in them, thinking they will cause weight gain. Foods high in fat don’t necessarily cause weight gain. Followers of popular low carb diets can attest to that. In the book The Big Fat Surprise, the idea of eating foods high in fat, even saturated fat, is discussed and promoted. Research shows that eating these foods can help some candidates shed excess weight.

4. Diet Soda Can Help You Lose Weight

Another common myth that needs to be busted is about diet soda drinks. For years, people watching their weight have switched to drinking diet sodas. These drinks advertise low or no calories, giving dieters no guilt over indulging in their favorite flavors. Some research now says that diet soda may contribute to weight gain. The problem lies with the artificial sweeteners that flavor the sodas and their ability to cause additional sugar cravings.

5. Eggs Contribute to Cholesterol Increases

Dieters have also struggled with knowing whether or not eggs are actually good for them. Scientists have been going back and forth on the benefits of eggs, and common knowledge suggests that eggs cause high cholesterol. Today, many doctors and researchers recommend eating eggs and question their impact on cholesterol. Writer Nina Teicholz also supports adding these nutritional powerhouses to your diet whenever possible.

6. Chocolate and Wine Are Good for You

The last big nutritional myth isn’t so much of a myth but more of a misunderstanding. When researchers first touted the benefits of eating chocolate and wine, some people translated that to ingesting as much chocolate and wine as possible. In reality, the benefits from these foods come from specific types of wine and chocolate. Eating a candy bar each day won’t help you experience the antioxidant properties of chocolate. Dark chocolate is what is suggested. Additionally, the beneficial wine for your diet is a deep red wine, not a sweet white or rose wine.

Knowing the truths about your diet can help you make better choices each day and maintain a healthy weight. Talk to your doctor about losing weight and designing a nutritionally balanced menu before subscribing to the most common myths about eating right.