Mark A. Mahoney
With February more than half over, are you still sticking to a healthy eating plan?
National Nutrition Month is coming up in March, so it’s a good time to look at some basics on seven common nutrition myths that should be cleared up.
The explanations to combat these myths come from a group of eight Registered Dietitians/Nutritionists and additional references are used to support their input.
Myth #1: Only shop on the perimeter of the grocery store
The perimeter of a grocery store is often recommended for offering fresh produce, meat, seafood, dairy and fortified non-dairy products, and some recommend avoiding the middle aisles because of the processed and prepackaged foods on those shelves.
Dietitian Lauren Harris-Pincus notes, “There is a storehouse of nutrient-dense and cultured foods including frozen fruit, vegetables and seafood, canned beans, fruit and vegetables, as well as dried beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds and vegetables. spices.”
Only 1 in 10 Americans eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables, and 95% do not meet the recommended daily amount of fiber.
To better meet nutritional needs and have a well-balanced diet, Harris-Pincus encourages shopping in all areas of the supermarket that stock high-quality whole foods in any form.
Myth #2: Low calorie and low fat means healthier
According to, Alyssa Pacheco, “If you choose the lowest calorie options possible, you will feel hungry and unsatisfied, causing you to overeat.
Catherine Karnatz warns that many low-fat and fat-free products, such as yogurt or salad dressing, will often contain a lot of added sugar to try to compensate for the flavor lost by reducing or removing the fat content.
Instead of focusing on low-calorie and low-fat foods, experts recommend eating enough calories and fat to support health and stay happy. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) recommends that 20 to 35% of daily calories come from fat, and less than 10% from saturated fat.
Myth #3: Natural sugars are healthier than table sugar
“At the end of the day, your body digests all these foods and you see them as sugar,” says Alyssa Pacheco. Most importantly, excess sugar of any kind can lead to increased risks for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, metabolic disorders, depression and cognitive impairment.
Pacheco says that rather than stressing about the type of sugar a person chooses, choose whichever one they prefer and enjoy it in moderation. The American Heart Association recommends keeping added sugar to no more than 6 teaspoons for women and 9 teaspoons for men per day.
Myth #4: Sea salt is healthier than table salt
Just like sugars, sea salt and Himalayan salt are ultimately salts, containing about 40% sodium, similar to table salt.
Sea salt is minimally processed and may contain trace amounts of minerals such as magnesium, calcium and potassium, while table salt is further processed to remove impurities, and is usually fortified with iodine for the health of the thyroid. With a well-balanced diet, there is no need to seek minerals from sea salt.
Americans already consume more than 150% of the maximum guidelines for sodium. “Excess sodium consumption is associated with high blood pressure and other health issues.
Rauch recommends using any salt sparingly to maintain a healthy diet. The DGA recommends limiting salt intake to no more than 2,300 mg, but ideally, they recommend closer to 1,500 mg or less per day.
Myth #5: Eggs are bad for you and raise your cholesterol
For years, reports steered people away from eggs because of their high dietary cholesterol. However, it is generally considered safe to eat six to 12 eggs a week with a heart-healthy eating plan.
The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines eliminated the daily upper limit of 300 mg of dietary cholesterol per day as more research began to show that saturated fat, rather than dietary cholesterol, may increase the risk of heart disease.
According to Umo Collins, “They are [eggs] form part of a healthy diet and support muscle maintenance, overall well-being, help meet your daily protein needs and are a versatile source of protein that can be added to many different meals.”
Myth #6: Don’t eat after 6 pm or 7 pm (or when the sun is down)
Your body doesn’t have an internal clock that lights up your cells Katie Schimmelpfenning notes. “It’s 6 pm to store this food to gain weight! Energy is energy no matter when it is consumed.”
Many studies also show that it is not necessarily eating late that leads to weight gain, but eating larger amounts of food in the evening. Eating earlier in the day may help manage hunger later and prevent overeating.
Rhyan Geiger suggests taking a closer look at our overall eating habits, and working on those instead of creating an arbitrary cut-off time. “It all comes down to the types of food you choose,” says Geiger. “Choosing fresh fruit, veggies or whole grains is a big difference than choosing cookies, candies and sweets.”
However, if eating close to bedtime interferes with digestion, reflux or sleep, consider having that last meal or snack two or three hours before bed.
Myth #7: Coffee is a meal
Many people cannot start the day without a cup of coffee. But it is not a replacement for breakfast or any meal. A cup of brewed black coffee may be rich in antioxidants, but it only has about 5 calories and no protein, fat or carbohydrates.
“And [some] coffee contains protein and fats from milk, it will not leave you full and energized in the same way as a traditional breakfast,” says Patricia Kolesa. In addition to coffee, she recommends including quick options such as peanut butter on frozen waffles, Greek yogurt with fruit or hard-boiled eggs on avocado toast to start the morning off right.
Thanks to Yahoo Life for asking a group of dietitians for collective input on seven myths they wanted to clear up for the public. The recommendations and explanations are theirs alone and are based on research and references cited by these individuals.
Mark A. Mahoney, Ph.D. He has been a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist for over 30 years and completed graduate studies in Nutrition & Public Health at Columbia University. He can be reached at marqos69@hotmail.com.