There is an overwhelming amount of information and misinformation regarding nutrition. Just a basic search for the best protein sources or if you should cut carbs or not will yield an impressive amount of information. Some are good, and others are misleading or just inaccurate. So with that out of the way, let’s get to it!

1. All fats are bad; cut them out- While some fats are bad for you yes, others are actually beneficial and necessary for your body to function properly. Not only does it provide energy, but it also helps with the absorption of certain fat-soluble vitamins like K, D, E, and A. The things to look for are the type of fats listed on the nutrition label. Monounsaturated fats (also seen as monounsaturated fatty acids) are good fats that can lower your cholesterol and blood sugar levels, the risk level of developing cardiac diseases and provide energy.
2. All sugar is bad; cut them out and also see number 3- Not all sugar is bad for you; these also unjustly get a bad rap as some types like glucose help keep your brain working the way it should. Simple sugars such as glucose, fructose, sucrose, and lactose can be found in fruits, veggies and dairy foods. I cover sugars more here.
3. Carbs are terrible and can cause weight gain- Well, yes and no. There are several types of carbs and like many other food choices, some are going to be better than others. There are three big macronutrients (which I’ll cover in a future article) that consist of fats, proteins, and carbs. As a vital component to your body for energy production, you do not want to eliminate carbs all together. Weight gain is typically from an over consumption of food/calories, even if it is healthy, and not enough physical activity to burn off the excess calories. In turn, they get stored in the body for later use. Carbs should make up about half of your daily diet and to combat any concerns about weight gain, check out a nutrition app like myfitnesspal or noom, to find out what you need to eat more or less of.
4. Crash diets are effective- No. Sorry but…no. Wait, let me partially take that back; they are effective for losing weight rapidly. Great news right? Well, here’s the problem with crash diets. They usually require either eliminating or drastically decreasing a food group, which in deprives your body of the necesary nutrient needed to keep you moving. The other problem with crash diets is the fact that they are simply not sustainable. By robbing yourself of certain food groups,and things you enjoy eating, it’s only a matter of time before you fall off the wagon and that weight comes back to set up shop, sometimes with even more baggage than before. Make sense? A better alternative would be utilizing the free resource over at MyPlate.gov for a brief quiz to determine the correct ratios based off of your goals. Another diet that is recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA) is the Mediterranean diet. Produce, grains, nuts, and olive oil are some of the big staples for this diet. Seafood, poultry, and some dairy are consumed moderately with red meat being consumed once in a while. Before you get wide-eyed and exicted for the next crash diet, remember, it can easily leave you worse off than before.
5. Diet soda is healthier than regular soda– Again this is a no, sorry. I personally cannot stand artificial sweeteners, I loathe them, and is really the only thing I am a stickler about when it comes to food and beverage choices. Not only is it loaded with junk, but due to the lower calorie content, it is easier to over eat, or drink too many of them which can cause weight gain.

Well, I think I will wrap this post up right about here. I’ll probably end up doing another similar post covering more nutrition and even fitness myths. Until next time, bye lovelies!