Hello again! Today we will be talking about some common myths revolving around healthy lifestyle habits. First of all, there are many misconceptions about what it means to eat “healthy” or to how to exercise in a safe manner. By the end of this blog, my hope is that I have cleared up some of these myths to help individuals follow their healthy lifestyle in a manner that best fits their needs.
Myth #1: Un-cooked carrots have more nutritional value than cooked carrots… FALSE! According to Reader’s Digests article about myths of healthy foods, they state that by cooking the carrots, it actually increases the access of beta-carotene in the carrot.
Myth #2: Exercise converts fat into muscle. FALSE! Fat cells cannot be converted to muscle cells, but by increasing physical activity this causes you to increase muscle mass and burn off calories resulting in fat loss. An article from Seconds Count-Educated Patients Lead to Better Care, lists several common myths related to exercise. For more information, click on the link!
Myth #3: The best way to lose weight is by restricting calories. FALSE! This type of dieting does not work for everyone. Many individuals have found that restricting foods often decreases interest in dieting and has a high non-compliance rate. Eating foods in moderation allows you to still enjoy the certain foods you like, but focusing on moderation instead of restrictions. This often will allow people to be happy and consistent with their portions of each food item. The article by Seconds Count listed in the paragraph above, includes more information on this topic as well.
Myth #4: Carbohydrates are bad and should be avoided at all costs… FALSE! In fact, carbs are a great source of energy. It is true that often, we get un-healthy carbohydrates from things like sugar or grains. Therefore, we should be focusing on getting our carbohydrates from things like fruit, beans, and vegetables. For more information on this topic visit Food Networks’s article about Healthy eating myths.
Myth #5: Frozen vegetables and fruits are not as healthy as fresh produce. FALSE. According to Joy Brauer, the nutritional expert for NBC’s Today Show, states that produce is flash-frozen once picked to preserve many of the nutrients. Her recommendation is to take advantage of fresh produce when possible, but if you’re a busy college student like myself, having quick access to frozen produce is a great substitute when you have tight schedule. To justify credibility for this article, I reviewed the authors and determined it was a credible source coming from a nutrition expert in the field.
Myth #6: Spot-Training will help you lose fat in certain body parts. FALSE! Spot-training does not work because fat cells exist throughout our entire body, and when we workout, many different parts of the body may be working in different ways to produce movement. The only way to lose fat in a specific place, is to lose overall body fat mass. For more info on this myth, check out this article published by Self Magazine.
Myth #7: Exercising 3 times a week for 15 minutes a day is sufficient to maintain good health. FALSE! As I have discussed in previous blog posts, the Physical Activity Guidelines of 2018 state that individuals should be getting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week to maintain overall health. And to increase physical fitness, individuals need to exceed the 150 minute guideline. These guidelines and the website which includes more information, are credible and trustworthy sources of information to consider when you are looking to create a healthy lifestyle for yourself.
Myth #8: People who have diabetes are not allowed to eat sugar. FALSE! According to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, A healthy diet for diabetics is a mixture of fruits & vegetables, sugar and grains in moderation, carbohydrates, and proteins. To check out more information relating to healthy eating and diabetes check out NHS on Twitter (@NHSGGC) or check out the Food, Fiber, and Fitness Twitter profile (@andFiber) where the specific article is retweeted.
In conclusion, I hope this blog post has cleared up some of the common misconceptions towards exercise and healthy eating. I have provided the links to all of the credible the sources in order for you all to go in depth about certain topics that may interest you. Happy eating and exercising!
Food, Fiber, and Fitness 