Food myths can be confusing and at times, fatal. Should you be told that some thing is good or bad, make sure to get it verified from an expert, doctor
or internet, where all kinds of information is available. This applies to food as there’s a lot of myths floating about it. Instead of compromising on a nutritious diet, which can cause health problems, here’s what you should know to strike a balance…
1. Chocolate is good for you: Yes, chocolate does taste good but that is because they are a feel-good food otherwise the high fat content and sugar add to the negatives of chocolate. While there are some studies which have established a link between some varieties of dark chocolate having minor heart
benefits, none says that all types of chocolate might be good for the heart. Dark chocolate is said to be healthy because it contains fibre, iron, magnesium and copper, but even so you should not eat it regularly and it doesn’t aid weight loss either.
2. Eggs are bad for the heart: The myth of eggs being bad has led to many skipping it to keep their cholesterol in check. However, research has proved that eggs have nothing to do with high cholesterol levels, but in fact keep it in check by monitoring the saturated fat since they are a source of
important nutrients like zinc, iron, Vitamin D and choline. The healthy way out is to eat eggs in moderation since you cannot bypass the good effects that eggs have on the body. Try to have boiled eggs instead of making them into oily omelettes.
3. Less carbs keeps you healthy: While deciding on whether to include carbohydrates in your diet, make sure to opt for healthy ones. You can safely eat whole grains, which are important as they reduce the chances of getting heart diseases. Whole grains also help in reducing body weight, so don’t say no to all carbs completely.
4. Nuts should be considered as junk food: There is nothing wrong in eating nuts as a mid meal snack since they are an excellent source of protein and other useful nutrients. Just be careful and take only a handful; don’t overload yourself with it. A regular intake of nuts in fact might just protect
you against heart disease.
5. Margarine is better than butter: Butter contains saturated fats, while margarine is made from vegetable oils, thus it is promoted as being healthier. However, margarine can be bad for your health too as they can be loaded with transfats that may hurt your heart more than butter. So don’t choose margarine blindly, just pick up one that is free of trans-fats to save calories.
6. Frozen food is less nutritious: To get the best from fresh food, you will have to pick the fruits and vegetables from the farm and eat them immediately which is not exactly possible. The fresh produce that finds way to your home after a lot of transit loses it’s freshness by the time it reaches the dining table. As compared to this, frozen foods are plucked and immediately freezed in a well controlled environment. This ensures locking the best of vitamins and minerals and preserving it in a safe manner. So don’t avoid frozen foods, just look out for added sugar or unnecessary preservatives.
7. Always opt for fat free foods: It is true that less fat is better, but instead of going completely off fats, you should opt for low-fat food. Fat free works better when you are having raw, unprocessed edible food products. However, in the case of packaged foods, remember you will find sugar or salt
added to it instead of fats. The artificial flavours are as bad and unhealthy, so instead opt for whole foods with healthy fats.
8. A diet rich in Vitamin C helps build immunity; It is a myth that vitamin C can help you keep away from catching cold. For that you need to maintain an overall hygiene. The vitaman can help strengthen your immunity, but it’s not enough to protect you from cold or viral infection. Also Vitamin C will work only when it is combined with other micronutrients and cannot provide benefits on its own.
9. Olive Oil cannot be used for cooking: Olive oil has a very low smoking point, leading to the oil to burn and release harmful compounds. However, since it has monounsaturated fat content, the smoke point for olive oil is actually quite high than what people think. It is a steady oil which can be used to cook but without burning it. And as such if you are worried about your health, you will avoid deep frying.
10. You need to eat meat to get enough protein; Meat is not the only source for protein, but a variety of protein-rich plant foods including soy protein can give your body all the protein it needs for good health. In the vegetarian category, nuts, seeds, legumes and grains are all good sources of protein and to get the best from them eat a variety of these foods every day to make sure you get all of the essential amino acids.
