How would you like to see the top four diet myths busted into little pieces?
Read our research results that reveal the hard truth about dieting and how it affects your health and many other aspects of your life.
Nowadays we come across so many theories regarding what and when to eat and how much we should consume that it becomes confusing. How do you know if Diet Plan A is better or Diet Plan B is more effective?
Unfortunately, a mixture of speculations and interpretations has given birth to several diet-related myths, which can adversely impact your fitness levels.
They come in many forms, but the basis of most misinformation stems from commonly held beliefs that have gained popularity through various media, but that doesn't necessarily always make them right.
Let us debunk a few of them:
Low-Carb Diets
If you are working hard towards losing excess weight and getting a fit and healthy body, you will come across diet charts that advise you to eliminate bread, pasta etc. from your food intake.
But a low-carb diet wreaks havoc on your digestive system, as the lack of adequate fiber causes constipation.
Healthy carbs are also required for energy - if you leave out carbs in entirety, you will soon feel tired and fatigued most of the time. Eat carbs in moderation - try fiber-rich veggies such as spinach, broccoli, and peas, or whole-grain bread, brown rice, and oatmeal.
Soybeans and lentils are also good sources of fiber.
Organic Foods
It is a misconception that organic foods provide better nutrition than conventional ones. While organic varieties involve sustainable farming practices, it is not correct to stamp them as a healthier version.
Researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine have studied both types and have successfully concluded that there is no major nutritional difference between the two. As a precaution, you should wash conventional food items more carefully to eliminate pesticides or herbicides.
Crash Dieting
The concept of crash dieting will cause you to lose weight in the short term. However, it may cause you to gain more in the long-term if not done properly.
If you opt for a crash diet by drastically reducing food intake, it removes fat as well as lean muscle and tissue, which leads to a drop in the basal metabolic rate (calories required by your body daily).
This happens unless you deliberately workout to preserve muscle mass and strength. In that case you retain muscle mass and increase metabolism to match, thus burning fat more rapidly for fuel to replace that derived from food.
Once your body starts needing lesser calories than before, you are bound to gain weight after you stop dieting, unless you retain a healthy eating regimen combined with regular exercise.
Don't confuse crash dieting with fasting. There are healthy ways to fast (such as with intermittent fasting) making sure to maintain electrolyte intake as well as vitamin and mineral supplementation that have great health benefits aside from the weight loss effect. But that's for another article.
Low-Fat Milk
It is inaccurate to say that low-fat milk lacks calcium content as compared to the full-fat version.
However, it is the watery part that contains the calcium and not the creamy portion, so skimmed and semi-skimmed milk are not low on calcium in any way. Semi-skimmed milk is usually recommended for those who aren’t on some kind of diet plan.
Also, be aware that when the fat is taken out of a food product (as with skimmed milk) the sugar content is generally higher.
Summing Up
There are a number of effective dieting methods that can be used to lose weight safely.
While traditional diets following the instruction of a dietician are very effective, diet food delivery diets such as Nutrisystem are also useful especially for busy people.
Before following a diet structure, consult with a nutritional therapist to verify if the end results will be to your satisfaction or the theory is just a myth. I hope you enjoyed my myth-busting article and gained some useful knowledge about these particular aspects of dieting and how it affects people.