10 nutrition myths
Right, just what is going on with the nutrition myths of today? As soon as one is debunked an equally ridiculous one seems to pop up in its place and, well, 2018 is certainly full of them.
Personally, we blame social media because as soon as one Insta star brandishes about the “amazing power” of this detox or that hipster food trend the myth itself spreads like wildfire.
Then you’ve the journalists jumping on every Insta stars feed to promote click-bait nutrition fodder to the masses who may not be social media savvy.
Soon the myth becomes legend, and by that stage it’s too late for any of us!
So, as a company who prides themselves on providing you, our lovely Muscle Food fans, with grub that’s lean, nutritionally viable and, yes, delicious, we feel it’s our duty to expose some of the top myths of 2018. That way you’ll be able to steer clear of the social media honey trap…
Oh, and by the way, some of these myths have been around for years but they. Just. Won’t. Go. AWAY!
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1. Carbs are Bad
Seriously guys? We mean SERIOUSLY? How many times do we HAVE to tell you that enjoying carbohydrates is not what’s stopping you from losing fat? That pesky calorie surplus is!
When you eat a carb, you are not going to instantly bloat beyond all recognition and ruin your gains. You’re simply going to stockpile your body’s favourite energy source – glycogen – which you need to perform basic daily tasks like walking from your desk to make a cup of coffee or beasting yourself in the gym.
Furthermore, eating carbs isn’t going to all of a sudden make you super insulin sensitive. That’s only true if you’re a diabetic but if you’re a healthy individual eating a healthy balanced diet you’re not going develop insulin resistance over night.
Yes, cutting carbs can be a viable fat loss tool but only if it means you eat less, i.e. you end your day in a calorie deficit, and it helps you choose wholesome carb sources like an orange over a chocolate bar.
2. Red Meat is a no no
According to the social media scaremongers, enjoying a juicy steak or any form of red meat, for that matter, will cause cancer.
This is one of those absolute statements that really grinds our MF gears. In fact, it’s one of those statements often touted as gospel with little to no hard evidence to prove it.
After all, pretty much everything we eat has the potential to “cause cancer.” Antioxidants found in fruits and veggies can both hinder or promote the growth of cancerous cells BUT the actual effect if often too small to notice.
The thing is, what all that “research” actually shows is that red meat can potentially increase the risk of cancer growth in those with unhealthy diets and lead unhealthy lifestyles.
Therefore, if you eat healthily, exercise regularly, eat your veggies and generally lead a healthy lifestyle, enjoying steak night isn’t going to be something you have to worry about.
3. Salt is super bad
Much like the Greek’s, most myths stem from a fraction of truth and indeed too much salt has been shown to increase risk of kidney damage, hypertension and cognitive decline.
However, salt is also an essential mineral that’s vital to your overall health. In fact, you need salt to help maintain fluid levels as well as regulate blood fluids and maintain the overall health of your heart, kidneys and liver.
The problem is when you consume too much salt through processed foods.
4. Bread is from the devil
We feel really sorry for the humble loaf. It’s taken an absolute battering the past few years and has often been blamed for the UK’s ever expanding waistline.
The thing is, one slice of bread in itself will not make you fat. Having an entire loaf in one sitting will. This is because it’s naturally very calorific and it’s also very easy to overeat it with lashings of butter and jam.
Do this every day and you’ll land yourself in a calorie surplus without even realising it leading to, you guessed it, weight gain.
5. Fresh is best
If you’re fed up paying hand over fist for fresh goodies that inevitably end up rotting in your fridge because you can’t get through it all in time, you’re going to love this point!
The word “fresh” undoubtedly sounds better, after all, why else would so many marketers use it when describing their amazing veggies – but it doesn’t actually mean it’s any better for you than the food you find in the frozen aisle.
The big difference is this; fresh produce often ripens in transit to your supermarket. Frozen produce is ripened THEN picked, packed and flash frozen to retain nutrients.
Generally speaking fresh and frozen goods have pretty much the same nutritional values, yet frozen goods tend to cost less!
6. Detox’s are great
Oh we know you’ve seen them… Social media stars brandishing their bottles of juiced kale and spinach along with their honed abs shouting from their soap boxes that they “only got this lean by detoxing and flushing out the noxious toxins from their body.”
Hogwash.
The reason they have honed abs is because they’ve basically lived in a huge calorie deficit for the past weekand has NOTHING to do with “flushing the toxins from the body.”
Also, the body is massively dehydrated – we know – and your glycogen stores are often seriously depleted meaning once you start eating like a human being again, the water will come back and your glycogen stores will fill right up again – bye bye apparent weight loss…
7. Fasted cardio burns more fat
If you plan on doing an intense HIIT session or run a marathon it would be advisable to eat something before you train otherwise you’ll likely underperform.
If you are simply going for a nice LISS walk or jog, then you can totally get away with doing it fasted, however, this all comes down to personal eating preferences rather than fat loss.
In fact, there’s very little difference between cardio in the fed or fasted state when it comes to burning fat. Yes fasted cardio will help you burn a tiny bit more, but you won’t have prolonged fat loss for the rest of the day once you start eating again.
At the end of the day, some people feel great running on empty. Others feel like they might just keel over right there. The moral of this story is do what makes you feel best.
8. The 30 minute protein window
Oh my. You’ve not had any protein in the 30 minutes post workout – you might as well wave bye bye to your gains!
NOT TRUE!
This is a complete exaggeration of a truth. Whilst getting 20-40g of protein within the two hours post workout is ideal, it’s not necessary for muscle growth or repair.
What truly matters is your overall daily intake.
9. Egg yolks are bad
Let’s get one thing straight. Egg whites are packed with protein – that’s it. Egg yolks are crammed with essential vitamins, minerals, fats and protein that do way more good than harm.
In fact, there’s been no association found between eggs and CV disease, except for those with pre existing conditions.
10. Eating clean is the best
This is a tricky one. There are so many people out there with opinions on what exactly “clean” eating entails. Some say no sugar. Others, no processed foods, only whole foods. Natural products. Organic goods. No risky products. No meat (it’s bad). Only raw grub.
Aggghhh, it’s so confusing. When it comes down to it, “clean” eating is basically a massive list of things you should not eat.
That’s no fun at all, especially if, like us, you love food!
Truth is, the key to a healthy lifestyle and diet is to enjoy your food however you wish to eat it – just don’t over do it! A chocolate bar isn’t going to kill you. A cheeky burger isn’t going to cause you to pile on the pounds. Organic food is tasty, so is non-organic food.
At the end of the day, as long as your diet is balanced and healthy you’re going to be ok! And don’t forget, if you wish to lose weight, a calorie deficit is the only way you will achieve your goal.
Avoiding sugar alone ain’t gonna cut it!