I came across this article 12 Food and Nutrition Myths We Could All Do Without, and I thought “wow, these really are the most common concerns/ questions I get on a daily basis. This is where the truth comes out. People seriously need to read this!”

This article is fantastic! It’s concise, addresses many of the “conventional” dietary wisdoms, and the reasoning behind them.

Here are the 12 myths Mark covers, along with my own thoughts. Check out the article to see his full commentary:

1. Eat small meals throughout the day- If you need to do this you have a problem with your blood sugar regulation. This recommendation makes me sad because it shows how prevalent blood sugar issues are, based on the fact that this is a “nutritional standard.” Not surprising though, seeing as we have all been told to eat large amounts of “healthy” whole grains for good health. Low fat = higher carbohydrate= higher blood sugar levels.

2. Foods marked “low-fat” or diet, are best- I have found literally ONE product that makes these claims and is actually healthy! End all be all- food manufacturers could care less about your health and can basically write anything on their packaging. If it tastes good and you buy it= WIN for them. If it tastes good and you think it’s good for you = double WIN!

3. Vegetable oils are heart healthy- Maybe if your only determination of “healthy” is you LDL and total cholesterol. Let’s try looking at overall health outcomes instead, like chronic disease and mortality rates… Oh yeah, I guess those matter too.  Cholesterol level as a predictor of heart disease risk- Hospital admission data indicates that at least half the people who’ve had a heart attack had “normal” cholesterol levels.

4. We should avoid all cholesterol- So a cholesterol level of 0 is optimal, right? The lower the better, right? WRONG. Unless you want to be dead.

5. A calorie is a calorie, doesn’t matter from what- You really mean to tell me that all markers of health will be the same if I eat 1800 calories worth of donuts, verses 1800 calories worth of quality proteins, fats, and carbs? I wish it did work that way…I love donuts!

6. Replace butter with margarine- Let’s take a look at how margarine is made, then you can decide if you think it’s a good choice-

7. Juice is Healthier than soda- Apple juice (8oz)= 24 grams of sugar. Coke (7.5oz)= 25 grams of sugar. I realize that not everything comes down to sugar, but it’s still good to recognize that juice is no “health” drink. Eat a fruit and minimize your sugar while maximizing your vitamin, mineral and fiber intake!

8. Soy is a healthy meat substitute- All other issues aside, the fact that most soy is GMO makes me want to steer clear. Check out more on GMO’s: GMO Foods

9. Gluten intolerance is a myth- I can tell you I have witnessed otherwise! Check out this article for more: What’s the Deal with Gluten Free Diets?.

10. Taking vitamins insures nutritional needs are met- By this logic, if I eat “Total” cereal which has 100% or more of all my vitamins and minerals I need each day, I can proceed to eat donuts for the rest of my days. But I’m getting all my essential nutrients! The box said so!

11. The majority or calories should come from carbohydrates- This goes right back to the low-fat dieting craze. If you pull fat out of the diet, the next thing to replace it with is carbs or protein (which you can only stand to eat so much of). Wonder what directly affects your blood sugar and triglyceride levels? CARBS!

12. GMO’s have been extensively studied, nothing to fear 

View the whole article 12 Food and Nutrition Myths We Could All Do Without to read Mark’s points for each one of these myths!

Surprised by any of this information?

Did you abide my any or all of these rules?

Share your thoughts below! I love to hear from you guys!

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