Diet Myths

7 Popular Diet Myths

Lots of myths and half-truths prevail in the nutrition field, especially dieting. If a myth is circulated through Television and print media, it becomes a fact. Once a myth gains momentum there is no way of stopping it from spreading like a forest fire. Here we have listed 6 popular myths that you should consider:

Myth 1 – Genetics play a role in losing weight

Genetics has nothing to do with losing weight. It is true it has a major role in a person’s tendency to gain weight but not in losing weight. Proper nutrition and exercise program has helped many to lose weight successfully. All you need is patience, will power and good guidance.

Myth 2 – Salad alone is a healthy meal
Some people prefer a salad to a main course at home or restaurants. It is good. But if they think salad of all kinds constitute a healthy meal, they are wrong. Salads of all kinds are not necessarily healthy. If you have a good leafy green salad with other vegetables with a light amount of dressing, it is considered healthy. But some people use chicken, eggs, nuts or other food choices to their salad, which makes the salad quite unhealthy. To top of it all, if they add creamy salad dressing, it would just amount to eating a plate full of calories.

Myth 3 – Whole wheat bread is always better than white bread.

This is a very common statement found in articles about diet. Nutritionists say that it is as bad as white bread. But whole grain oat bread is a better substitute.

Myth 4 – Honey is natural sweetener and is better than sugar
Many of us believe honey is harmless since it is a natural sweetener. But do you know it has more calories than sugar? Consider this - a tablespoon of honey contains 64 calories and a tablespoon of sugar contains only 46 calories. Do you still think honey is better than sugar?

Myth 5 - Low-fat milk contains less calcium than full-fat milk.
Wrong. Skimmed and semi-skimmed mild in fact contain more calcium because calcium is found in the water part of milk in these and not in the creamy part. Myth 6 - Foods that are labeled as ‘low-fat’ or ‘fat-free’ are good for health.

This is one of the most popular myths spread in the world of dieting. A food label may claim a product as ‘low-fat’ or ‘fat-free.’ But are you aware that these foods contain a good amount of sugar in the form of carbohydrate or any other sugar substitute to add taste and flavor? Sometimes you would be better off in choosing a regular fat version of a food item.

Myth 7 – You should skip meals often to lose weight
Never skip a meal. Research shows those skipping breakfast and eating fewer times during the day tend to be heavier than those who eat a healthy breakfast and eat regular meals 4-5 times in a day. When you skip a meal you tend to overeat because you get hungrier later on. This may result in overeating. It is therefore wise to eat small meals throughout the day but make sure you eat a variety of healthy, low-calorie foods.