February ‘22 Health & Wellbeing Blog! Nutrition Facts & Myths!

February ‘22 Health & Wellbeing Blog!

Nutrition Facts & Myths!

This month’s blog takes a look at 5 nutrition myths

Almost everyone has internet access these days which means we have a vast amount of information on just about any subject at our fingertips. The problem with this is that bad information can circulate far and wide and be taken literally without proper research.

Nutritional myths are a prime example of this!

This is not always the fault of whoever is posting this content, the science changes so fast in the Health & Fitness world that it is hard to keep up sometimes and we realise that certain old ‘truths’ may not actually be true as new and improved information comes to light.

5 Nutrition myths For February

I have whittled the list down to the 5 most pertinent myths which I believe are spread the most far and wide and the most important to be aware of.

1.Fruit is bad for you!

Incredibly, this statement seems to be coming more and more popular nowadays, if you don’t believe me, simply Google this statement and look at the results! This myth is becoming popular for one reason – the amount of sugar that fruit contains (fructose).

The reason this is gaining pace is, in my opinion, is due to the surge in low carb diet popularity such as the Keto diet which is a very high fat, low carb diet. I may talk about this in more depth in a different blog as I do like to experiment with different nutrition/diet ideas.

The fructose found in fruit is not harmful in moderation and the vitamins, anti-oxidants and fibre that is found in fruit are essential to a healthy diet.

The main thing I will stress though – EAT THE WHOLE FRUIT! The amount of sugar in a 500ml fresh Orange juice drink is around 38g, that is roughly 9 teaspoons of sugar.

If you eat the whole fruit, you will get all of the fibre that goes with it which ensures your body digests it at the correct rate without a huge insulin spike. If the drink says ‘No added Sugar’, there is still 9 teaspoons of sugar in a typical 500ml Orange juice, they simply have not added more.

2.As long as you exercise, it does not matter what you eat!

This has to be my favourite. As I always say to clients - ‘you can’t out-train a bad diet’.

I hear lots of people say that as long as the macronutrients add up, you can eat whatever food you like, wrong! Calories are not created equally.

The different foods we eat are digested in different ways and contain varying amounts of all the key nutrients we need to survive and maintain a healthy body.

Granted, you can look lean if you only consume little calories but are these calories nourishing your organs, bones, muscles etc.

3.All fats are bad for you!

When I grew up and still nowadays to some extent, low fat foods were seen as the holy grail and all other nutrients such as sugar were largely ignored.

Fat is absolutely critical for your body to survive!

There are four common types of fat: saturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated fat, and trans fats.

Saturated fat is solid at room temperature and typically found in red meats and dairy.

Mono-unsaturated fats are mainly found in almonds, peanuts, walnuts, avacados, olives etc.

Poly-unsaturated fats are typically found in most vegetable oils which we use a lot to cook with such as sunflower oil.

Trans fats is the type of fat made during the processing of food and typically found in margarine spread and similar products.

Avoid poly-unsaturated fats and trans fats, enjoy the other 2 in moderation and you can’t go wrong!

4.Carbs are bad for you!

This couldn’t be more wrong, we need carbs! Our bodies need glucose in order to function, glucose is essentially sugar. Whenever we eat carbs, this is broken down by the body and produces glucose or a form of glucose. The body is very clever and stores this glucose which is absolutely vital to our everyday functions such as walking, brain function etc.

The part which puts people off is that the body stores glucose and this is automatically linked with storing fat or gaining weight. This is not the case as moderation is the key.

This is obviously not a ticket to eat a huge bag of chips each night or a pack of biscuits, if you store more glucose than you actually use, then yes you will quickly gain weight.

Carbs are crucial for our bodies to function. Carbs won’t make you fat, consuming large amounts and over-eating will make you fat.

The key is to avoid, as much as is practical, processed carbohydrates such as cookies, chocolate and all the other highly refined foods, your body will thank you.

5.Dairy Products are both unhealthy and fattening!

Dairy foods generally contain high levels of protein which is crucial in building muscle which will in turn help you to lose body fat. Protein also helps to improve bone health which is so important in the long run, I can’t stress this point enough as Osteoporosis (weakening and fragility of the bones) is becoming more common.

Dairy products are also full of calcium which will help to strengthen bones, teeth and actually plays a huge role in the nerve messaging between the brain and the body.

Many dairy foods also have added vitamin D which will assist your body to efficiently use calcium, this is a great benefit as Vitamin D is generally deficient in most people in the UK.

I hope you gained some benefit from this blog and I look forward to engaging with you all throughout 2022.

Coach Sean