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Diet Myths

There are a Lot of Diet Myths Out There

Diet myths are everywhere. And sometimes it’s the people who appear to know what they’re talking about who perpetuate them. You can find all kinds of diet information online, but unfortunately a great deal of it is simply personal opinion that’s full of myths about dieting . Some of these myths range from things like bananas being banned from a healthy foods list , to how you can’t lose weight if you eat bread. A good rule of thumb is to see how extreme the idea is. The more radical it seems, the more likely it’s a diet myth .

For instance, many people have long claimed that you shouldn’t eat bananas when you’re on a diet. But a banana is rich in nutrients, low in fat and healthy. Because a medium banana has about 100 calories though, some people have marked it off the “goods foods for diets” list, which is a shame. If you’re watching your calorie intake, you can fit a banana in without any problems. It’s one of the higher calorie fruits, but also one of the most satisfying for many people, so bananas as a forbidden diet food is a diet myth. No food is really forbidden. A wide variety of foods make eating more pleasurable. You just can’t have them all in the same day!

Another one of the most popular dieting myths is that if you eat late at night or before bed, those calories will turn into fat. This is untrue, because your body really doesn’t know what time it is. Time is manmade, and your body’s systems really don’t follow our clock for anything.

If you use a body fat calculator to measure your body’s fat stores, you won’t find ‘daytime’ stores and ‘nighttime’ stores. So if you’re hungry before you go to bed, it’s okay to eat. Avoiding snacks at bedtime might be better for your digestion, though, especially if you have heartburn issues. And healthier snacks are, of course, wiser choices any time of day or night.

Another diet myth concerns “diet” food. Low-fat cookies, cakes, crackers, potato chips and sugar-free this or that can help you lose weight, the manufacturers claim. People who enjoy these treats believe that they’re helping their weight loss efforts. And maybe they are. But for most people, these so-called diet foods do more harm than good. People eat more of these kinds of foods because they’re “diet.”

It’s easier to give yourself permission to eat a whole box of cookies when you know they’re low fat. The best way to steer away from these foods is to read the labels. Look at things like cholesterol , trans fat (which is now believed to be worse than saturated fat), and sodium. You might be surprised at how unhealthy looking some of these diet foods really are.

If you have a craving for something you feel you should normally avoid, indulge in a small portion of the real thing. It’s no diet myth that letting yourself “cheat” now and then can help you stick to your healthy eating plan.