Five Nutrition Myths Debunked
There’s just so much information out there about nutrition, weight loss, and body image. Some of it is excellent but most of it is clickbait created to sell you things. Ugh. These are five popular myths we often have to debunk for clients and friends who come to us for advice:
“Carbs are bad!” We see several clients every month coming off the super trendy Keto diet, a very low carb diet. They've gained back weight but don't know what to do moving forward. Some clients go as far as saying they have PTSD afterward. They've been taught by the diet industry that carbs are bad but that's simply not the whole truth. Vegetables are carbs and we need veggies for fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Not all carbs are the same and learning which ones and how much you need is a great reason why you'd want to hire a professional, not follow a diet you found on Reddit. What you eat doesn’t have to be “all or nothing.” Yes! You can eat potato or a piece of fruit and lose weight or maintain amazing health. Not everyone is the same but omitting entire macronutrients is usually not necessary at all.
“Apple Cider Vinegar will solve all your problems”, which is simply not true. ACV may help support balance in the gut which has some benefits but it's not really the answer to weight loss or gut health problems. It's important to figure out the root of your concerns with lab testing, not guess and consume random trends. Learn more about Apple Cider Vinegar
“Activated Charcoal is great so it must be smart to consume all the time.” Activated charcoal has benefits but it also works like a sponge. So, if you consume it with food or say in a Kale Lemonade, you're not going to absorb any of the nutrients from the food or kale juice. We have precise reasons why we would recommend it to a client and it’s not usually taken with food or vitamins. Learn more about Activated Charcoal
“Diet foods are healthier”. Many clients come to us eating low calorie, low carb, low-fat foods that are full of weird ingredients. Foods that are manipulated for "health" often are full of other food-like substances that can alter health in other ways. For example, fake sugars may have low to no calories but have been shown to alter gut bacteria that actually lead to weight gain. We work with clients on moderation and enjoying the real deal sometimes and reducing emotional eating habits overall for better and longer-lasting results. Check our blog on Halo Top here.
“The number on the scale is the end all be all of your health and fitness goals.” The scale provides data and can definitely be a helpful tool on a weight loss journey however it is not the only data point to pay attention to. Often clients think that their weight directly correlates to what they ate yesterday. It's possible it may affect water retention but it takes time for your body to adjust to energy inputs and outputs. When clients only focus on the scale they tend to use it as a punishment and reward tool which is very unhealthy. We work with clients individually to cultivate various data factors including lab numbers to determine goals, overall health, and to build a healthy relationship with the scale.
Do you have more questions about your health, nutrition, or food? Send us a question in the comments and we’ll answer it!
