I agree nutrition is a complicated ‘science’.
By far one of my major roles within the nutrition industry is constantly debunking myths. These are 3 of my current favourites, that I’m more than happy to jump onto my soap box to address.
Myth 1: Eating fat makes you fat!
Oh wouldn’t it be so easy if our amazing human bodies were as simple as that. As with most things diet related, it is important to understand the full story before making judgement. A high fat diet in combination with a high carbohydrate diet, certainly will be detrimental not only to your waistline but your overall health too. However, when a high fat diet is combined with a low carbohydrate diet, research has consistently shown that individuals actually lose MORE weight than those on a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet. Interesting isn’t it?
In the wise words of a Swedish doctor: “You don’t get fat from fatty foods, just like you don’t turn green from green vegetables”
Myth 2: The healthiest, most sustainable diet is a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet
This way of eating is what has been drummed down our throats for the past 40 odd years. It is represented by the so-called ‘Healthy eating pyramid’. Interestingly despite every Western country jumping on board with guidelines reflecting this way of eating, there has actually NEVER been a single study to demonstrate that this diet actually prevents disease. In addition, studies continue to show that this way of eating has virtually no effect on body weight. In my opinion we simply need to look at what has happened to the health of Western nations over the past 4 decades to come to some conclusions for ourselves… sky-rocketing rates of obesity, heart disease, cancer, dementia, and the list goes on. Could these recommendations be wrong?
Think about how despite eating what you believe to be a healthy diet, you continue to struggle with your weight, you constantly feel run-down, low on energy and exhausted. Albert Einstein defined insanity as “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. It’s time to leave low-fat, high-carb diets behind and bring back food that humans are meant to eat, which leads me right into my next favourite myth.
Myth 3: Low carbohydrate, high fat diets are dangerous, unsustainable and increase your risk of heart disease
This couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact over the past decade a number of large studies have been able to demonstrate that low carb diets actually result in more weight loss and improve risk factors for heart disease more so than low fat diets!
Years of indoctrination have caused most of us to quite literally fear fat. We’ve been told that saturated fat will raise our cholesterol levels and dramatically increase our chances of having a heart attack. Once again, several massive studies have now clearly shown us that saturated fat is NOT linked to an increased risk of death from heart disease or stroke. Most recently, TIME magazine reflected this research publishing a picture of butter and the words ‘EAT BUTTER’ on their front cover. Similarly the Harvard University school of public health published an article titled ‘Dietary fat and heart disease study is seriously misleading’. And possibly most enlightening was Sweden who have become the first Western nation to reject low-fat dogma in favour of low-carb, high-fat nutrition.
In the world of nutrition, there is certainly NO one-size fits all. However for the majority of us out there I believe low-fat, high-carb diets should become a thing of the past. Personally I know that since making changes to my diet, I am leaner and more satisfied. I’m eating tasty, delicious food that is filling and satisfying. I have enough energy on a daily basis to engage in any exercise I so choose. I feel great about eating whole, real foods and for me there is no turning back.
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