5 nutrition myths you need to know about
The world of nutrition is plagued with myths, misconceptions and sometimes just straight-up lies. And it’s no wonder! It’s an industry that is not very well regulated, with the global human nutrition market estimated to be $383 billion in 2022. So yep, lots of money to be made with not a lot of accountability. So how do you go about figuring it all out? Regardless of your goal - be it fat loss, fueling for performance-based goals, or just making sure your diet is balanced and healthy, we’re here to help! Today we’re debunking five of the most common nutrition myths so you can switch off all nutrition noise next time you’re on socials.
Carbs/fats are the enemy
Pretty much every macronutrient has been demonized at some point by a guru or someone trying to sell you their new book. The truth of the matter is, a balanced diet is exactly that - it balances all the food groups - your fats, carbs and proteins, and includes all the micronutrients your body needs to thrive, too. Your body NEEDS them. Carbs are the primary fuel for your body - your brain literally functions on carbs! And healthy fats play a crucial role in cell function, hormonal production, vitamin absorption…the list goes on! So while modifying the macronutrient ratio might be a good idea - depending on your goals - completely eliminating a food group is a no-no.
Eating before bed will make you gain weight
This one has been taken out of context and transformed into a rule-of-thumb guideline. So let’s break it down. Eating before bed - in fact eating at any point in the day - does not make you fat. The only thing that makes you gain weight is being in a calorie surplus. So where did this myth come from? It has to do with human behavior! Eating before bed generally means you’ve already consumed your calories for the day - so anything on top will put you in a surplus. Additionally, eating before bed or late at night is when cravings kick in, we’re at our lowest in terms of energy and just general ability to make sensible decisions (did you know that your willpower depletes during the course of the day?) - so it’s likely that you’ll reach for the biscuits and crisps. By the way - nothing wrong with biscuits and crisps, they’re just not very nutrient-dense.
Supplements are bad for you
Actually - let’s get this out of the way - whenever you see the formula something is bad for you, steer clear! These are blanket statements that generally don’t take context or nuance into account. For example - if consumed in extreme quantities, water is bad for you too (think loads and loads of water). Now remove the first part of the sentence and ta-da, we have a blanket statement that is clearly … not true.
Right, back to supplements. If they are well researched, and aid your goals - they aren’t bad for you! Stuff like protein powder, creatine, vitamins – as long as they supplement, not replace your diet, you’re good.
Fruit is bad for you because it contains a lot of sugar … what?!
…honestly, don’t even get us started! This one falls under the ‘sugar is bad for you’ statement, that once again doesn’t take into account nuance or context of what it’s like living in your own body. Fruit does contain natural sugar in the form of fructose - which then the body metabolizes into glucose, which is then used for fuel. So this is your body just doing its thing. Fruit is also very rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals. Unlike other foods high in sugar - such as biscuits, cakes, candy - it is VERY difficult to overeat fruit. Just try eating a whole watermelon. Or four apples! No one ever got a chronic illness or gained fat because they ate too much fruit.
Detox anything
Your body was able to detox itself long before humans invented the term and started selling stuff for it. This is your liver and your kidneys. They literally function for that reason. You don’t need a detox diet, detox tea, or a detox drink. You just need a healthy, balanced diet, your body is perfectly capable of doing the rest!
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