Top 20 Myths About Nutrition
You rely on nutrition information to help you achieve your health goals Here are 20 top myths about nutrition that can help you weed out the good information from the bad.
1. All fats are bad.
Unsaturated fats like Omega-3s found in fish and monounsaturated fats found in olive oil, canola oil, nuts and avocados all aid in good health. Saturated fats from animal products and and trans-fats, partially hydrogenated oils, are the ones that should be used sparingly.
2. Eggs are bad.
It’s true that eggs have cholesterol and fat, but there is no evidence that the cholesterol in eggs raises bad cholesterol in blood and the fat in eggs is unsaturated.
3. Avoid carbohydrates.
The recent popularity of the Atkins and South Beach diets have given carbs a bad name. In reality complex carbohydrates found in whole grains and some vegetables are necessary requirements. They provide the body with energy and lots of nutrients.
4. Eat fat free or low fat foods and you won’t gain
weight.
A calorie is a calorie whether it’s full of fat or not.
5. Never eat after 8pm.
Again, a calorie is a calorie no matter what time of day it’s eaten, but remember the later you eat the less time you have to burn off those calories consumed.
6. Weight loss products and diet supplements
labeled “natural” or “herbal” are safe.
Not necessarily. Little or no testing is done on these products. Many herbs can react with medications
that are being taken for legitimate reasons. Check
with a doctor before taking these products.
7. Fresh produce is always better than frozen or canned.
Not always. If produce is frozen or canned immediately, the product can retain a lot of its vitamins and minerals. Fresh produce, if left in the air or sun too long, can loose some.
8. Becoming a vegetarian will help you loose weight.
Only if you make healthy vegetarian choices. Candy
and chips are still allowed on a vegetarian diet.
9. Honey is a better choice than sugar.
Honey and sugar are almost chemically indistinguishable.
10. Brown sugar is better nutritionally than white
sugar.
Brown sugar is white sugar with added molasses. It’s no better than plain white sugar.
11. Sugar can cause diabetes.
If you do not have diabetes, the amount of sugar you intake will not cause you to contract it. However, being overweight and inactive can lead to diabetes.
12. Skipping meals can help you loose weight.
When a body is hungry it goes into starvation mode and the metabolism slows down, lowering the rate at
which it burns calories.
13. Dairy products cause mucus.
This has recently been proven false. It’s no longer necessary to avoid milk or cheese when you have a cold.
14. Always avoid fast food restaurants.
Many fast food restaurants offer a limited amount of
healthy options such as salads with low fat
dressings and fruit. They are fine occasionally
if you’re in a hurry. Because even fast food is
better than no food at all.
15. Snacking makes you fat.
If you eat healthy snacks, they can actually help control your appetite. You’ll be less likely to binge on cookies and more likely to eat moderately at
meals.
16. Caffeine is an appetite stimulant.
There is no evidence that shows that caffeine stimulates the appetite.
17. Diet drinks will help you loose weight.
Without lowering the calories you consume and increasing your activity, diet drinks alone will do nothing. In fact the aspertame and artificial sweetners in diet drinks are more harmful than the sugar in non-diet sodas
18. 0 grams of trans-fat in a product means it’s
trans-fat free.
If you look at the ingredients and see partially hydrogenated oil, it still contains trans-fat, just not enough to be counted.
19. Foods like celery and grapefruit burn calories.
There is no food that burns calories.
20. You should never eat cookies, candy or cake.
Everyone needs a treat once in a while.
Scott White
http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/top-20-myths-about-nutrition-72087.html
admin on May 27th 2010 in Diabetes and Nutrition
paavni responded on 27 May 2010 at 6:55 pm #
what r the types of adolescent myths like nutrition myths sex myths,depression myths and…?
please help i want some more
and any detailed information about that type.
please answer it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i m waiting…
Nicole O responded on 27 May 2010 at 11:57 pm #
Myths about alcohol:
Some parents breathe a sign of relief when they find their child is "just" drinking alcohol and not using drugs, but it is a myth that alcohol is a "better" drug. Alcohol abuse, drunk driving, and alcohol-related diseases take a major toll on our society, and children who begin drinking at a young age are at much higher risk of developing problems.
Alcohol is by far the drug of choice among adolescents. It is the most used and abused mood-altering substance among pre-teens and teenaged children. Although some teens report it is easier to get illegal drugs than buy alcohol, the overall social acceptability of alcohol and the pervasive advertising that suggests alcohol creates a positive and rewarding experience often leads both teens and their parents to think drinking is simply a rite of passage with little danger over the long run. Some studies suggest that there could be as many as four million alcoholics under the age of 18, three years younger than the legal drinking age. The age when children begin drinking alcohol has decreased over the last few decades. Many children are already experimenting with alcohol in the fifth grade, many more than were just 10 years ago when teens were more likely to start drinking in eighth or ninth grade. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 40% of ninth-graders report that they tried alcohol before the age of 13 and had used alcohol within the past month.
Sex Myths: Myth. Sex produces instant adulthood.
Facts. In their desire to become adults quickly, some adolescents believe that engaging in adult activities (sexual intercourse, smoking, drinking alcohol, driving, etc.) will make them adults. With sex, it leads to two bad effects. It may push teenagers into situations they do not want — romantic commitments, pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases. On the other hand, if teenagers feel these activities have actually made them fully mature, it may inhibit their growth and development in other areas.
Myth. Sex means love.
Facts. Young women are more likely to believe that love and sex go together. Teenagers may feel sexual advances indicate love and commitment and are very disappointed when this is not the case. Or they may feel that love (which is not necessary for sex) will be an inevitable outcome of having sexual intercourse. Young people often believe that if you have sex with someone, he or she will be more likely to love them. While it does happen at times, it more often leads to feelings of disappointment and possibly betrayal.
Myth. "No" means "Yes."
Facts. Many guys feel that they must take advantage of every sexual opportunity to prove their masculinity. In addition, they believe that most women who say "no" really mean "yes." As a result, "date rape" is very prevalent, though most cases go unreported.
In fear of offending the man, some women may actually smile while saying "no," giving him conflicting messages. Others find it extremely difficult to openly say "no" and wind up in passively squirming and retreating without saying anything. The most effective and assertive response to an unwanted sexual advance would be to say, "Although I like you, I definitely do not want to have sexual intercourse." This does not damage the fellow’s ego, and it indicates her wishes clearly and firmly.
Myth. I can’t get pregnant.
Facts. Typically because of guilt feelings about sex, many sexually active teenagers make no (or inadequate) attempts at contraception. This myth is based on the lack of factual information plus the use of denial (unconsciously refusing to see a stressful situation) as a defense against anxiety. As may occur with driving, drugs or pregnancy, many adolescents have an illusion of invulnerability. Although it may happen to others, "it won’t happen to me." In contrast, some unconsciously want a pregnancy — as proof of maculinity or femininity, desire for adult status, revenge toward parents or a former lover, or a fantasy that a baby will fulfill their need to be loved.
Myth. Condoms allow no feelings.
Facts. Many sexually active teenagers are resistant to using condoms (rubbers) for birth control. This is primarily true for those who have never used condoms. The younger boys listen to the older boys, mimic their words, and come to believe that "real men" are not supposed to like condoms. The reality is that they detract somewhat from the man’s physical stimulation, but not from the woman’s. However, anything that is perceived psychologically as unpleasurable (including condoms) can reduce the satisfaction in any interaction. Even so, this relates more to expectations of the situation rather than the physical effects of the condom. As an added feature, the latex condom (used correctly) is the best protection against sexually transmitted diseases — including AIDS — outside of abstaining from sex.
Myths about drug use:
The epidemic of adolescent drug abuse represents a phenomenon of a normal (albeit undesirable) adolescent rite of passage
For the majority of adolescents experimentation with drugs represents a brief period of testing limits followed by conventional lifestyles
Unsolicited peer pressure is not the major variable contributing to adolescent drug abuse. Psychologically disturbed adolescents, wanting drugs, actively seek out peer groups that will support drug use
The current assumption that a few hours of drug education in the classroom setting can somehow be translated into significant alterations in problem behaviors (which are rooted in deep-seated psychological dysfunction) is based on misguided and fanciful thinking
Behaviors and value orientations of substance abusers are connected to the following predictors evident in early childhood prior to drug problem: – exhibition of antisocial behaviors (cheating, lying, stealing) – seldom involved in extra curricular school activities – achieve poor grades
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