Food myths. Granola is always nutritious and healthy

Myth 1. Do not eat fatty foods - and you will not gain fat.
If a person consumes more calories than they burn, they will gain fat no matter how little fatty foods they eat. Once glycogen stores in the liver and muscles are restored, excess carbohydrates will accumulate in the form of body fat. Even if you eat only carbohydrates without a single gram of fat, all the same, fat reserves will not decrease. The same with protein - its excess, not used to restore muscle fibers, will be deposited in the form of fat. So fat will accumulate in any diet structure if the amount of food eaten is excessive. Only one thing is effective - reducing portions.
However, limiting your daily fat intake is important because fat provides 9 calories per gram of weight, which is twice as much as carbohydrates or protein. To accelerate fat loss, you need to reduce total food and its calorie content.

Myth 2: All types of fat are bad.
Our body needs certain types fats, such as essential fatty acids (EFAs) found in vegetable oils not produced by the body. SFAs are building material for hormones and are important for maintaining normal fat metabolism in the body. That is, we need fat in order to burn fat.
Flaxseed oil, olive oil, and omega-3 fatty acids (found in many types of cold water fish) are all important species fats that improve glucose tolerance and support the immune system.

Myth 3. Carbohydrates build muscle tissue.
In fact, only protein is part of the newly created muscle tissue. Carbohydrates provide fuel for work various systems body and are important when training at sufficient intensity to stimulate muscle growth.
For every kilogram of body weight per day, there should be 5-7 grams of carbohydrates. This should be enough to replace the muscle glycogen lost during training and to provide the body with fuel.

Myth 4. In order to simply maintain muscle tone, you do not need to eat a lot of protein at all.
There is no such thing as "tone support". Our muscles either grow (hypertrophy) or break down (catabolism), and fat stores either increase or decrease - these are all the changes that occur in the body and which we can control. “Toning” is generally understood to mean an increase in muscle tone (muscle hardness) and a decrease in fat stores.
To provide normal conditions for muscle building, you need to consume 3 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. If you consume insufficient amounts of protein, the body begins to break down its own muscle fibers in order to obtain the amino acids necessary for normal functioning. The result of this process is an increase in the ratio of fat and muscle tissue, which is undesirable.

Myth 5. Three meals a day can provide all the nutrients your body needs.
It is difficult to get everything our body needs with three meals a day. Then for each meal you need to eat quite a lot. This creates problems: large portions of food are poorly digested and stimulate the accumulation of fat.
Three meals a day - the result social structure and the work schedule of most people. A more flexible meal plan is 5 small meals a day. It provides more high level energy and better absorption of nutrients.

Myth 6. Fancy diets don't work.
Some work, some don't. Those that work provide, as a rule, short-term weight loss. But we need to change general structure body, gain more muscle and burn more fat. Fancy diets tend to cause both fat and muscle loss.
Real fat reduction requires combining a healthy eating program with a smart training program that raises general level metabolism, and with moderate aerobic training, which helps to get rid of fat.

Myth 7. If you skip breakfast, your appetite will be better.
Skipping breakfast usually leads to a late dinner, which is very unhealthy.
An old saying goes: eat breakfast yourself, share lunch with a friend, and give dinner to an enemy. Our metabolism peaks in the morning and gradually declines towards the end of the day. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It should provide the amount of carbohydrates sufficient to restore glycogen stores and brain function, and the amount of protein sufficient to restore muscles. This is very important in the morning, after our body has rested for 10 hours.

Myth 8. To lose weight, avoid starchy (“bad”) carbohydrates.
This rule leaves us with only fruits, vegetables, and dairy products as carbohydrate sources. It is quite difficult to get the proper amount of calories from them, and such a diet leads to a decrease in metabolism and a drop in blood sugar levels. And this contributes to the destruction of muscle fibers.
On long journeys, a decrease in metabolism and fat gain is a very common result of muscle loss. Excellent sources of starchy carbohydrates include potatoes, wholemeal pasta, brown rice, and oatmeal. And remember: 5-7 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight can do wonders.

Myth 9. Fruit juice is better than lemonade.
Fruit juices, which provide the vitamins your body needs, are very rich in calories. A glass of sweet grape or apple juice provides about 200 calories - the same as two large apples or a large potato. Juice is absorbed very quickly, while fruits and potatoes take much longer to digest, take up more space in the stomach and give a feeling of satiety.
Because fruit juice is rapidly absorbed, blood sugar levels can spike, triggering the release of insulin, the energy-storing hormone. This spike in insulin can promote fat storage and lead to an increase in appetite after sugar levels return to normal. So the amount of sweet fruit juice should be limited. Here are vegetable juices that are no less healthy, but do not contain sugar, have a low calorie content and are therefore recommended for every day.

Myth 10: Red meat is fatty and should be avoided.
Not all red meat contains a lot of fat. The tenderloin is almost as lean as skinless chicken breasts, but contains much more iron and vitamin B.

What does it mean to "eat right"? Eat a balanced diet and allow yourself slight indulgences or set severe limits by eliminating whole line products? Does a healthy lifestyle consist only of proper nutrition?

The more popular this topic becomes, the more myths appear around it. And to understand a large flow of information is often not so easy. We have found for you the 20 most common myths about proper nutrition and debunked them.

1. The less fat in the product, the healthier it is

Fats are considered worst enemies figures. And in vain. These substances are essential for the body. Only trans fats and saturated fats are harmful. And vegetable and animal fats in moderation must be supplied to the body. These are, for example, fish, nuts, dairy products.

2. Fruit juices are just as healthy as fresh fruit.

It is widely believed that fruits are very useful in absolutely any form. However, there is still a difference. Juices contain practically no valuable fiber, and the concentration of vitamins and minerals drops markedly. That is why it is better to give preference to fresh fruits. By the way, we are talking about freshly squeezed juices. You can safely forget about packaged nectars from the store forever. They are too high in sugar, preservatives and other food additives.

3. Proper nutrition is tasteless

People who know about proper nutrition only by hearsay sometimes make completely absurd arguments in favor of their laziness and lack of willpower. Proper nutrition is not tasteless food.

You can experiment and find new interesting combinations and dishes for yourself. For example, stuffed vegetables.

4. Healthy food is expensive

Another favorite excuse of opponents healthy lifestyle life is a statement according to which, in order to eat right, you need to have untold wealth. It is a myth. Proper nutrition can be quite affordable. For example, the price of cereals and seasonal vegetables is quite acceptable. You don't have to buy products labeled "organic". This does not always mean that you really have something useful in front of you.

5. Reducing calories is the only way to lose weight.

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Cutting calories if you want to lose weight is natural and logical. Only if it is not about starvation diets. Nutrition should remain balanced and complete. You should consume a little less calories than you expend during the day. To see a good result, you must also turn on physical exercise and sports in your schedule.

6. Sushi and rolls are a dietary product

By themselves, sushi and rolls will not do much harm to the figure. Although white rice, which is used to prepare this product, is not a leader among diet foods. However, it is soy sauce that poses a great danger, without which not a single lunch or dinner in a Japanese restaurant can do. It is very high in calories and will not help you get a flat stomach.

7. Snacking is harmful

Snacking is not a harm, but an absolute necessity. They should be present in the diet of every healthy person, because during the day it is necessary to replenish the reserves of vigor and energy. It is only important to be able to choose the right snacks. Chocolate bars and other sweets are not suitable.

8. Diet soda is healthy

The smart marketers who invented Diet Coke never tire of convincing us that it doesn't contain any extra calories. Someone willingly believes in tricks and believes that sweet soda fits well into the canons of a healthy diet. This is not true. Even more colorings, preservatives, and sugars are often added to diet foods to kill the peculiar taste.

9. Only buy organic products

This item is very similar to the previous one. Labels and labels on products that proudly say "100% natural" or "organic" often have nothing to do with reality and are no different from their conventional counterparts. Such inscriptions are intended to stimulate sales rather than objectively assess the composition of a particular product.

10. Carbohydrates should be reduced or eliminated from the diet.

Losing weight mistakenly dislikes not only fats, but also carbohydrates. In the case of the latter, there were also misunderstandings and distortions. Carbohydrates are different: simple and complex. It is better to really minimize the consumption of simple carbohydrates, since the feeling of satiety after them quickly passes. And complex carbohydrates, on the contrary, should definitely be included in the diet if you decide to start eating right.

11. Fresh vegetables are healthier than frozen.

Modern freezing technologies make it possible to preserve absolutely all vitamins, minerals and other useful substances in the composition of vegetables. This is especially true in the winter season, when vegetables and fruits of not the first freshness get on the shelves, in which there is practically no use.

12. All chocolate, without exception, is bad.

If you are quietly horrified at the mere thought of chocolate, it's time to rethink your mind. Not all chocolate harms the figure. There is dark chocolate, which has a lot of vitamins. It strengthens the immune system, stimulates mental activity improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system. So one slice of dark chocolate in the morning will only benefit.

13. Granola is always nutritious and healthy

This popular snack, which came to us from the United States of America, is considered one of the most nutritious snacks. However, this product is not always really useful. Granola sometimes contains artificial sweeteners designed to reduce the calorie content of the product. They, in turn, only provoke an increased appetite and a desire to eat more than necessary. Choose your granola carefully.

14. Fewer meals are better.

The less you eat, the more your body reserves. For a person, two meals a day is not enough. Even if they are very large and satisfying. It's even worse. The stomach stretches, and excess calories turn into fat. Ideally, there should be about five to six meals: a full breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks during the day.

15. You need to forget about sweets

For some reason, it is believed that with proper nutrition, you need to forget about sweets once and for all. First, everything should be in moderation. Sometimes you can treat yourself and allow yourself to eat a piece of your favorite treat until 12:00. Secondly, who said that sweets are only unhealthy food? Choose for yourself something tasty from healthy snacks for the sweet tooth.

A healthy lifestyle has been adopted today - we all want to live longer, maintaining health and youth until old age. It is not surprising that so much attention is paid to the issue of proper nutrition. There is already a clear concept in the minds of what is right and what is not. But this concept is mainly replicated to the masses by glamorous magazines and film stars. And how does it really work? Consider on our website what proper nutrition should be, and debunk the myths that have developed around it.

The legacy of Alexander Suvorov

Since the 1970s, the world, following nutritionists, began to repeat the saying of commander Suvorov “Eat breakfast yourself, share lunch with a friend, and give dinner to the enemy” as the basis of a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition. The result was a surge in the incidence of the gastrointestinal tract, especially gastritis. Gastritis has become so commonplace that there was a belief that this is a natural appendage to civilization.

In fact, you can not do without dinner, as well as without breakfast, lunch. Moreover, it is believed that the smaller the nutrition, the better. The optimal ratio of the distribution of the daily diet is considered to be 30-35% of calories eaten for breakfast, 40-45% for lunch and 25% for dinner. Much more accurate was the phrase spoken by the mother from the film “Stop, otherwise the mother will shoot”: “Breakfast is the most important meal in a boy’s life.” Home is not the main, but necessary.

It has already been proven that people who do not eat breakfast are more likely to suffer from digestive disorders and gastrointestinal diseases. Although it is still unclear exactly, the lack of breakfast causes a tendency to gastritis or the presence of digestive disorders (gastritis causes a lack of desire to eat in the morning).

Myths about dinner

With light hand no one knows whom humanity suddenly believed: in order to lose weight and maintain health, you do not have to have dinner after 6 pm. If you start digging into where such a strange idea came from, it becomes clear that it first surfaced when scientists discovered the existence of natural biorhythms. Their research showed that in evening time many digestive enzymes begin to be produced in smaller quantities and metabolism slows down. Based on this, it occurred to someone that it was impossible to eat in the evening. Apartment in Spain for rent from http://arenda-spain.com/kvartiri-i-komnati/ 5000 ads on our website

Actually further research showed that biorhythms in people are individual. But this no longer interested anyone - the myth of proper nutrition was launched and nestled in their heads. In reality, dinner should be no later than 3-4 hours before going to bed. And if a person goes to bed at midnight, then he may well have dinner at 21.00. Large intervals between meals are bad for the stomach and can lead to the formation of gallstones. Another thing is that dinner should not be too fat and plentiful.

Myths about fruits and vegetables

Fruits are very useful, and the more of them in the diet, the better for health. Alas, everything is not so clear. First of all, different people fit different fruits. The abundance of fiber in vegetables and fruits in the presence of problems with the gastrointestinal tract provokes abdominal pain, heartburn, and indigestion. In addition, fruits contain many natural sugars (fructose) and acids. Fructose is rapidly absorbed into the blood and indirectly contributes to weight gain. Acids increase the secretion of gastric juice and provoke a feeling of hunger. Accordingly, snacking on fruits causes appetite, and does not help satisfy hunger.

By the way, the study of the diet of centenarians showed a paradoxical fact: almost all people who lived for a long time ate a little fruit, but ate a lot of vegetables and herbs. Accordingly, it would be correct to increase the amount of vegetables and herbs in the diet, which gives greater antioxidant protection to the body.

Also, there was no particularly strong dependence of the quality and length of life on the consumption of raw or boiled vegetables. Admirers of the raw food diet claim that only raw vegetables and fruits are useful, boiled it is a dead product. It turned out that this is a distortion. The ratio in the diet of raw and boiled vegetables and fruits for proper nutrition should be around 2 to 3. Moreover, some vegetables are healthier in processed form or acquire certain useful qualities in the course of processing. For example, sauerkraut contains in winter large quantity vitamins than fresh. Tomatoes containing lycopene are much healthier if they have been cooked - fried in oil. So lycopene begins to show itself as a powerful antioxidant.

Raw vegetables and fruits should be consumed on an empty stomach. Eaten after eating, they cause rotting processes in the intestines.

Myths about fats

Some advocates of proper nutrition have stated that fats are harmful and should be eliminated from the diet. This is too much - fats are important for the proper functioning of the body, especially its reproductive system. Then fans of a healthy lifestyle put forward a new thesis, which is now actively supported in all sorts of women's magazines. It says: vegetable fats are good, animals are bad. And many began to believe that in proper nutrition, animal fats should be excluded. It turned out that this is also a myth. And dangerous.

The fact is that in fact, vegetable oils contain much more fat than animals. Vegetable oils are almost entirely fats. Animal fats in large quantities contain water and other components. Therefore, the use of exclusively vegetable fats does not contribute to weight loss, as is believed. Moreover, Dr. Kwasniewski from Poland believes that a large amount of vegetable fats in the diet contributes to weight gain, and a diet in which vegetable oil replaced by cream, on the contrary, contributes to its reduction. In his clinic, obesity and gastrointestinal diseases are treated, while a diet using animal fats gives a very good results. By the way, Ayurvedic medicine is also based on the treatment of butter ghee (ghee). Ayurveda endows it with truly life-giving properties - it stimulates digestion, strengthens the immune system, improves eyesight, and has a positive effect on the skin.

Fats are vital for the synthesis of sex hormones and proper functioning nervous system. Fat deficiency leads to early menopause, hormonal imbalances, and failures in cholesterol metabolism. Proper nutrition involves the intake of fats in the amount of 25% of the diet (25% - fats, 15% - proteins, 65% - carbohydrates). Refusal of animal fats at the same time leads to loss of skin turgor, joint disorders. When asked when, "Where to attack from?" It is worth considering whether a low-fat diet is not to blame. Today, scientists recommend that out of the required 70-100 g of fat per day, 25-30 g be allocated to vegetable fats. That is, it is now believed that there should be more animal fats in the diet than vegetable fats!

Most importantly, proper nutrition should not be based on fat-free foods. Light oils are much more harmful than animal and vegetable oils, as they contain hydrogenated fats that are harmful to the body. As for fat-free foods, this is just a deception of the body, which it quickly “bites through” - then the product is consumed more than necessary. With all the ensuing consequences.

Myths about soups and cereals

Soup must be eaten once a day, you can not eat dry food - this leads to gastritis and ulcers. We often hear this statement from mothers and grandmothers. However, not all cuisines of the world include soups. In the traditions of many peoples, soup is used quite rarely, for example, in Scandinavian cuisine. And at the same time, between countries where soups are traditionally often eaten (Russia, Ukraine), and countries where they are rarely eaten (France, Sweden, the USA), there is no sharp difference in the number of housing and communal diseases. Hence the conclusion: soups are only a gastronomic feature of individual cuisines, and not the basis of a rational diet.

The food pyramid indicates that cereals should make up the majority of foods consumed and be the basis of the diet. This pyramid was invented in America, and many people consider this scheme the basis of a healthy diet. However, it must be admitted that modern cereals and cereals that were still 30-40 years ago are “two big differences”.

Now, instant cereals from the category of “brewed and ready” are very often used. The convenience is obvious, but the benefits are much less. The fact is that in the process of grain processing in this case there is a rupture of all its membranes and cell walls. Such cereals already have a much lower biologically active value, but they are a quickly and well-digestible carbohydrate. Hence the weight gain. For proper nutrition, you need to choose ordinary cereals that are cooked for a long time.

Cereals can no longer act as a source of B vitamins. This was before the era of unbridled pursuit of productivity. Now the soils are depleted and the grain from them no longer receives the set that it received earlier. Fertilization of fields with inorganic chemical fertilizers also does not contribute to their rich biologically valuable composition.

Myths about drinks

Healthy food apologists claim that fruit juices are better than carbonated drinks. From the point of view of the content of nutrients and fiber - definitely yes. In terms of absolute health benefits, unknown. Fruit juices, due to the easily digestible fructose, lead to an increase in blood sugar levels and an increased release of insulin. Therefore, juice is not very useful for diabetics, as well as for those who are trying to lose weight. We have to admit that juices are better than carbonated drinks in terms of the content of natural substances and thirst quenching. But in large quantities, God knows how useful.

Myths about sweets

The saying “everything that is not healthy is tasty, and everything that is not tasty is healthy” is based on the fact that everything sweet should be excluded from the diet of proper nutrition. Everyone who has done this testifies that the complete rejection of sweets leads to a deterioration in mood, irritability and poor concentration. All this is because our brain for full-fledged activity needs carbohydrates, and in particular sugars. So complete exclusion sweet is bad.

Myths about separate nutrition

In the 1970s, the idea of ​​separate meals appeared. Tables were compiled that indicated which foods should not be eaten together. For example, meat and potatoes, dough and meat. The recommendations were based on the idea that our body cannot digest combinations of proteins with carbohydrates and carbohydrates with fats. Allegedly, in ancient times, mononutrition was characteristic of a person, so our digestive tract is not adapted to the combination of products.

However, the basis of human and anthropoid nutrition has always been mixed food. Moreover, each grain initially contains carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. So the combination of nutrients is programmed by nature. As it turned out, digestive system is not so stupid and perfectly recognizes this combination and produces the necessary enzymes each time in a different way, depending on the composition of the food received. Therefore, there is no need for separate meals - this is a myth. Such a system works purely psychologically - if a person is sure that it is useful, it will be useful to him.

Myths about milk

Relatively recently, the idea has appeared that milk is a product for children, and an adult body loses the ability to assimilate it. And the use of milk in adulthood is harmful and leads to slagging of the body and diseases.

The idea is based on the existence of lactose intolerance. In fact, not everyone is lactose intolerant. Moreover, according to recent studies, Europeans rarely suffer from it due to the fact that the historically established system of their nutrition is based on milk and dairy products. But among the representatives of Asian peoples - the Chinese and Thais - lactose deficiency is much more common. For example: in Danes, lactose deficiency or intolerance practically does not occur, and in Chinese after 40 years, it is observed in 95% of the population. This culture just very rarely uses milk. Therefore, for Europeans, for the most part, milk is useful, not harmful.

In principle, it is easy to understand whether a person has lactose intolerance on their own. If, after drinking whole milk, bloating, rumbling, diarrhea, a feeling of dry mouth appear, which you want to drink, then there is milk intolerance. At the same time, fermented milk products are well tolerated, since they do not contain lactose.

So, in fact, proper nutrition can be pleasant, easy and tasty. Those myths that have developed around him are nothing more than misinterpreted conclusions of scientists. Most products are not as bad as they say in glamor magazines. The main thing is to observe the measure.