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DIET
MYTHS
Myth 1: Low-fat or no-fat diets are good for you.
Fact: The body needs fat for energy, tissue repair and to transport vitamins
A, D, E and K around the body. There's no need to follow a fat-free diet.
Cutting down on saturated fats and eating unsaturated fats, found in things like
olive oil and avocados, will help.
Myth 2: Crash dieting or fasting makes you lose weight.
Fact: This may be true in the short term, but ultimately it can hinder weight
loss. Crash dieting or fasting not only removes fat but also lean muscle and
tissue. The loss of lean muscle causes a fall in your basal metabolic rate. This
means your body will need fewer calories than it did previously, making weight
gain more likely once you stop dieting.
Myth 3: Food eaten late at night is more fattening.
Fact: It's not when you eat that's important, but the total amount you consume
in a 24-hour period. It is true that people who skip meals during the day, then
eat loads in the evening are more likely to be overweight than those who eat
regularly throughout the day. This may be because eating regular meals helps
people regulate their appetite and overall food intake.
Myth 4: A slow metabolism prevents weight loss.
Fact: Studies have shown that resting metabolism - the number of calories used
by the body at rest - increases as people become fatter. In other words, the
larger you are, the more calories you need to keep your body going and the
higher your metabolism. Unfortunately, people are becoming increasingly
sedentary, burning off less and less calories, and it seems likely this is a
crucial factor in the increasing numbers struggling to control their weight.
Myth 5: Fattening foods equal rapid weight gain.
Fact: Believe it or not, true weight gain is a slow process. You need to eat an
extra 3500 calories to gain one pound of body fat (and vice versa for losing
it). If the scales say you've gained a few pounds after a meal out, it's largely
due to fluid, which will resolve itself - as long as you don't get fed up, and
keep overeating. For long-term weight control, balance high-fat foods with
healthy food and activity.
Myth 6: Low-fat milk has less calcium than full-fat
milk.
Fact: Skimmed and semi-skimmed milk actually have more calcium, says dietician
Alison Sullivan, because the calcium is in the watery part, not the creamy part.
If you're trying to lose weight and cut fat from your diet, skimmed milk is your
best bet because it is lower in fat and has 10mg more calcium per 200ml milk
than full fat.
Myth 7: Low-fat foods help you lose weight.
Fact: 'Low-fat' or 'fat-free' doesn't necessarily mean low calorie or
calorie-free. With low fat foods, look to see where else the calories might come
from.
Myth 8: Cholesterol is bad for you.
Fact: Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is made mostly by the liver. It can
be bad for us, because it forms deposits that line and clog our arteries.
Clogged arteries contribute to heart disease. But we all need some blood
cholesterol because it's used to build cells and make vital hormones - and
there's good and bad cholesterol. Saturated fats found in food like meat,
cheese, cream, butter and processed pastries tend to raise low density
lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, known as 'bad' cholesterol, which delivers
cholesterol to the arteries. High density lipoprotein (HDL), or 'good'
cholesterol, transports cholesterol away from the arteries, back to the liver.
So choose unsaturated fats such as vegetable oils, nuts and seeds.
Myth 9: Vegetarians can't build muscle.
Fact: Vegetarians can be as muscular as meat eaters by getting their protein
from vegetable sources such as cheese, nuts, pulses and grains. You need protein
to build muscle, but too much can lead to long-term side effects.
Myth 10: You always gain weight when you stop smoking.
Fact: Some people gain weight when they stop smoking, some lose weight and some
stay the same. While nicotine does increase the body's metabolism, its effect is
small. It's far healthier to be an overweight non-smoker than not bother giving
up because you think you'll put on weight.
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