In an effort to maintain a healthy lifestyle, many follow various diet plans. Most of these diet plans are designed by nutritionists, keeping in mind, various things like your body type, lifestyle, etc.
However, one often tends to replace, substitute or ignore certain aspects of the plan as per convenience, which can have drastic effects on the body. If you thought you could cheat on your diet with these foods, here’s your myth-busting guide.
Myth 1: Substitute oats with muesli
Many might think that cereals make for the healthiest breakfast, however, different products contain various kinds of nutrients that may be healthy or even unhealthy for your body. One of the most common diet cheats is to replace oats by muesli, as the latter tastes better and adds crunchy feel to the breakfast. However, muesli is more fattening than oats and has as much as 20g of fats (which makes up for 471 calories), whereas oats only has 7g (389 calories). “Not just that, people add dry fruits like raisins and almonds to their muesli, which makes it even more fattening. This adversely affects the momentum of your body, as dry fruits are extremely high on calories and not prescribed for those on strict weight-loss diets,” says Dr Amrapali Patil, weight management expert.
Myth 2: Wheat flakes are as nutritious as corn flakes
“When I advise my patients to include wheat flakes in their breakfast, most of them replace it with regular corn flakes and then complain of noticing no significant change in their body after a few months. Then I have to clearly mention ‘all-bran wheat flakes’ in the plan,” says nutritionist Dr Anju Prasad. Replacing corn flakes with wheat flakes can have an adverse effect on those who are diabetic or have high cholesterol problem.
Myth 3: Neglecting hidden sources of oil
Most diet plans restrict the intake of oil and oil-products to as less as half-a-litre per head per month. This is the most important thing to follow, as it keeps your cholesterol level on track. “However, many people completely ignore the various other hidden sources of oil that are consumed as a part of our regular diet. For instance, spreading butter on multigrain bread or adding a teaspoon of ghee in dal, or using peanuts and coconut (also sources of oil) in their food can cause harm,” adds Prasad.
Myth 4: Replacing red wine with White and Canned fruit juices
Many diet plans allow people to indulge in a glass of red wine on alternate days or weekends. However, not many are aware that replacing this with a white wine or a glass of beer is equally damaging. Similarly, the intake of fruit juice without reading its contents on the label or non-alcoholic beverages also hamper the effect of a successful diet plan. These are small cheats that make significant differences in the process, as many packaged fruit juices or non-alcoholic beverages contain a lot of sugar, which is not good for the body. “Hence, when the plan says a glass of red wine or freshly extracted fruit juice, one should follow exactly that,” adds Patil.
