It’s easy to get confused when you hear another “quick tip” or get new nutrition advice nearly every day. The simple truth is that there’s so much information out there, it can seem impossible to get on the right track! We’ve got 7 big nutrition myths that we can’t believe are still around.
MYTH: If you exercise regularly, it doesn’t matter if you eat right.
FACT: If you exercise regularly, it matters even more that you eat right. Exercise increases your body’s need for nutrients. And exercising a nutrient-deficient body actually creates worse nutrient deficiencies. Make no mistake, for exercise to be effective and for it to help improve your health, you must feed your body plenty of protein, vitamins, minerals, essential fats, quality carbohydrates and drink ample amounts of water. Then you’ll be able to build a stronger, healthier, leaner, better and more energetic body with each workout!
MYTH: Once you reach a certain age, you can’t get in shape.
FACT: You can improve your health and energy, at any age. You can improve your physical fitness, boost your energy and even improve your mental performance at any age, when you start feeding your body the right way.
MYTH: To be healthy, you just stop eating bad foods.
FACT: Your health is enhanced by eating the right foods. There is so much emphasis in diet books on what not to eat and so much misinformation in the media about how “bad” food is for us that I’m increasingly concerned what’s being overlooked is the fact that health is enhanced and our energy enriched by eating the right foods. Your body needs essential nutrients every day and it’s vitally important to understand that food is the ally, not the enemy.
MYTH: It’s bad to eat for “emotional reasons.”
FACT: I wholeheartedly believe that you should enjoy food. There’s absolutely no reason you shouldn’t look forward to your meals and count on them to help you feel good. A delicious dinner can settle your nerves after a hectic day. A great breakfast can lift your mood and help you get ready to take on the day ahead. And a sweet, satisfying dessert can put a smile on your face. It does mine! There’s really no reason not to honor the tradition of making food a part of the process of celebrating holidays, birthdays and special occasions as well. I think it’s perfectly fine to reach for a bowl of chicken soup when your body aches or you feel under the weather. The key is making healthy versions of the foods you enjoy. You can eat to fuel your body, while also feeding positive emotions.
MYTH: To stabilize blood sugar, you have to stop eating carbohydrates.
FACT: Eating protein and carbohydrates balances blood sugar. Today’s carbohydrate confusion began years ago when we fell for the low-fat fad. When food manufacturers began removing fat from foods and replacing it with highly processed carbohydrates, our collective blood sugar went through the roof, and the problems began. As it turns out, dietary fat wasn’t really the problem after all. However, in somewhat of a knee-jerk reaction, now the food fad is to cut carbs in an effort to bring blood sugar levels back into balance. Ten years from now, I guarantee we’ll be looking back at this current craze and seeing some very serious side effects. The fact is, cutting carbs is not the healthiest way to stabilize blood sugar levels. Carbohydrates are essential to eating right. The solution is to eat meals balanced with protein, quality carbohydrates and the essential fats your body needs.
MYTH: In order to be satisfied, you need to eat large portions.
FACT: Quality, not just quantity, produces healthy satisfaction. Our bodies crave quality nutrition, not merely massive quantities of food. So many people in America today have it completely backwards, though. They believe the more they eat, the better they’ll feel. Supersized portions at restaurants, fast-food chains, and those packaged goods at the grocery stores are obviously all playing into the myth that more is better. Yet so many people are stuffed but still “starving” for nutrition. The fact is, our bodies are satisfied by high-quality meals, not just big quantities of junk food.
MYTH: To make a change, you need to wait until you’re all ready.
FACT: Don’t wait until you’re “ready.” Please, start eating right, right now! Don’t fool yourself into believing now is just “too soon.” If you wait until everything is perfect in your life before you make a change for the better, you’ll be waiting forever! Trust us. Things are never going to be “perfect.” Fact is, the time to change is now. The longer you wait before you take control of your nutrition and eating habits, the more you delay the rich rewards that are rightfully yours. Energy, strength, renewed health and decreased body fat… please begin feeding these benefits today!
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