3 Common Nutrition Myths Debunked

1. Eating Many Small Meals/snacks per day Speeds Up Metabolism We constantly hear we should eat many small meals throughout the day to keep the metabolism burning. Although this is true for some people with certain conditions, it is not for others. Individuals with blood sugar imbalance or Type II Diabetes benefit from eating low glycemic meals or snacks every 2-3 hours to avoid their blood sugar from dipping. However, recent studies show that eating 2-3 meals per day has the exact same effect on total calories burned and metabolic rate that eating 5-6+ small meals per day. In fat, eating too often can actually cause weight gain due to an increased amount of calorie consumption inadequately burned off. Most of us also have sedentary lifestyles – an office job sitting most of the day – and going to the gym for an hour isn’t sufficient for so much food intake. It’s best to eat when truly hungry to maintain or lose weight. A true sign of hunger is when you feel your stomach growling, not when you’re simply craving something – because there’s a difference!

2. Coffee is Unhealthy & Should be Avoided “Coffee is bad, coffee is good” - it’s like a tennis match in the media. Coffee often gets a bad wrap because of the caffeine in it, however; studies show that unless you’re drinking double double, coffee has many powerful health benefits. It is so high in antioxidants, exceeding fruits and vegetables. Coffee has even been shown to lower risk of depression and type II Diabetes and Alzheimer’s. It also heightens metabolism and is a great energy boost before a workout! Plus; most of us wake up and enjoy that warm cup of java in the morning resulting in positive endorphins and feel good hormones to be released that contain healing properties!

3. All Calories are Equal – Doesn’t Matter What Foods they Come From Wrong! Different foods go through different metabolic pathways and have direct effects on fat burning hormones and appetite regulation.

Low-calorie, processed foods are often filled with chemicals, additives and sugar and are not broken down and burned off like normal food. For example, 100 calorie apple vs. 100 calorie snack-pack will be digested and burned differently. Different foods have vastly different effects on hunger, hormones and health. Tip: High protein diets have been shown to increase the metabolic rate and significantly reduce appetite.

Stay Tuned for next months blog post for the next 3 myths!