Everywhere around us, healthy eating is being promoted more and more. They sensitize us not to buy anything without reading the label. They encourage you to consciously set up your menu. Only, how do you do that? The easiest and best way would be to go to a specialist. A professional dietitian will easily assess our needs and prepare a diet tailored specifically to us. This is the best solution, but unfortunately it’s expensive.
The services of a low-cost dietitians will not do, which is why many people go on the Internet first. Fortunately, there we can find all the information we need that will allow us to change our menu on our own. The problem is that the internet bursts at the seams from countless entries and not all are of good quality. Actually, some may cause more damage than benefits. We can find pearls on the internet that are an irreplaceable source of knowledge. We can also find myths repeated for decades. Legends that have been disproved gain new life and power online. Below I will try to provide you with some important information that may be useful to you.
Fasting diet
Everyone has heard about something like that. This is based on the fact that we feed on providing the body with the minimum amount of calories. The feeling of hunger is the key to success. If we feel hunger, it means it’s working. We must feel hunger if we try to survive at 1200 kcal. Not to mention 1000 kcal. And there are also reduction diets that provide the body with only 700 kcal. People! There are easier and faster ways to lose weight. Such a diet has no effect. That is, it gives, as long as we care only for the scale to show a lower number. There will be less weight because a fast will lead to loss of muscle mass. Added to this is the slower metabolism and deficiencies of essential ingredients (such as protein, calcium, vitamins – it’s impossible to be on such a diet and provide the body with everything that it needs). Our bodies are not the same and we need different things. In the same way we have a different energy demand. Some 1,000 kcal per day, another 1,600 kcal, and another 2100 kcal (and I’m talking about a situation where we sit on the sofa and do nothing). Descent below this triggers an alarm in our body. It gets a signal that there is a shortage of food, which means that you should store supplies. We lose our muscles (because they are not needed in times of crisis), we gain fat (because we still need fuel for our body). A well-made diet has one extremely important goal – to change our dietary habits. If we eat 700 calories a day, we do not change anything. We end the diet, and our old habits remain as they were before.
Fat makes us fat
A popular opinion says that if you want to lose weight then you need to limit fat intake. And it’s best to throw it out of our menu overall! The problem is that fats are natural carriers of vitamins A, D, E and K, which deficiency will affect our hair, skin, nails, physical condition and concentration. Unsaturated fatty acids (found in vegetable fats and fatty fish) are responsible for the construction of the cell membrane and regulate the level of cholesterol in the blood. In addition, they prevent cancer and cardiovascular diseases. So fat is needed? Naturally! Fats in the diet should account for 25-30% of energy needs.
Eggs are evil
Many people have heard that you should not eat too many eggs because they raise cholesterol. It’s healthy to eat only three eggs a week. This opinion has been going on since 1972. Almost half a century of black PR for eggs. It’s currently a myth, but it was not a myth in those years. It was associated with the diet of chickens and it’s very possible that the eggs were more harmful to our body then. Changes in the birds diets caused that the cholesterol present in the yolk was reduced by about 30%! The eggs themselves are a source of vitamins, unsaturated fatty acids and a well-absorbed protein. In principle, I should straighten out a bit here. Eggs increase cholesterol. But only this beneficial HDL cholesterol! They lower LDL cholesterol, and thus reduce the risk of diseases such as atherosclerosis.
If you want to be healthy, don’t drink coffee
Because of hypertension. Because of a heart attack. Because of a stroke. A very popular myth, but without scientific support – there were no more frequent cases of the occurrence of the aforementioned occurrence among the coffee lovers. It has been observed, however, that regular coffee drinking reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, as well as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Due to the latest discoveries, the Institute of Food and Nutrition had to change the Pyramid of Healthy Nutrition. It’s currently recommended to consume coffee 2-3 times a day. Now the morning coffee not only wakes us up but also improves health.
Brown sugar is better than white sugar
Speaking of coffee, maybe we should talk about sugar now. Many people think that brown sugar is much healthier than white sugar. What is is in reality? Brown sugar, in other words reed, is made of sugar cane. White sugar, otherwise beetroot, is made from sugar beet. In both cases, the goal is to obtain sucrose, i.e. pure sugar. The difference in color comes from the fact that white sugar is purified from molasses (dark brown syrup, which also contains minerals), and the brown sugar of such purification does not pass. It contains minimal amounts of magnesium, calcium, potassium and iron. Does it make it better? A bit, but not much. We must remember that both of them are almost pure sucrose and the minimum amount of nutrients will not change that. In calories, there is also not much difference – 396 kcal / 100 g (brown sugar) and 405 kcal / 100 g (white sugar). Brown sugar is a little better than white sugar, it’s true. But it still remains sugar, and it’s still not the healthiest. If we seriously want to lose weight, I recommend replacing sugar with natural sweeteners as soon as possible.
It’s bad to eat after 6pm
This is true, but on condition that we plan to go to sleep at around 8pm. We should eat the last meal 2-3 hours before going to bed, and the dinner should be balanced. Thanks to this, we do not go to bed with a full belly and avoid snacking in the evening. Let’s stick to this and we will ensure a quiet, light and healthy sleep.
No bread, no problem
The poor bread is also being thrown under the bus. Many people see bread (and rolls) as a source of their weight problems. This is somewhat correct. We have white bread in the store that’s fluffy like cotton wool. This is evil. Empty calories and artificial filler. Stay away from them. But a decent whole-wheat and wholemeal bread should stay in our diet for good! Such baked goods handle 60% of the daily demand for manganese, 30% for zinc, iron and magnesium. It’s also a great source of vitamin B. Good quality bread additionally gives a feeling of satiety for a long time. There are no reasons to eliminate it from the diet. We just have to read the labels. The actual color assessment may not be enough, because breads are only colored brown (malt, chicory, sometimes caramel). The ingredients are the same as in white bread, and we cheat ourselves by believing that we eat healthy bread.
Fattening pasta
Definitely not if we reach for whole grain pasta. Its production uses wholemeal flour from a full milling, which is a rich source of phosphorus, zinc, iron, potassium, vitamin B and fiber (which, among other things, cares for the proper functioning of the intestines). Whole-grain pasta is also extremely filling, especially when cooked al dente. So the noodles sate, contains valuable ingredients and thanks to it our intestines work well. We definitely should not give up on it!
Blessed ‘slim’ products
Is it worth reaching for light products? Is it worth eating slim things? These products are to be less caloric. Usually, a high-energy substance is replaced by a low-calorie substitute. For example, Cola Zero, in which sugar is replaced by a sweetener. As we know, sugar is not healthy, but the sweetener remains a certain unknown. Currently, it has as many followers as opponents. That is why such a change is not something better. It’s something else. At dairy we can now find 0% fat yogurt and 0.5% fat milk. Here we must remember two things. First, you can not get rid of fat and keep the same consistency of the product. It needs to be changed. Starch, guar gum, cellulose, etc. Secondly, natural fats are a source of vitamins A, D, E, and K. By reaching for 0.5% milk, we simply get rid of these vitamins. The ideal amount of fat for us in yoghurt is 3%, in milk and 2%. It’s not that all „light” products are bad. However, you must read the labels carefully. We must remember that eliminated ingredients are replaced by something else. This is not always a good change.
Frying only in olive oil
This is very good advice. To choose a good cooking oil, we need to know what qualities it should have. First of all, it must be stable and resistant to high temperatures. The most stable is oil with saturated fatty acids, then monounsaturated, and finally polyunsaturated. It must also have a high smoking temperature (preferably above 200 degrees C). This is especially important because when we get to the point of smoking, the glycerol decays and the fatty acids lose their good properties. In addition, carcinogenic acrolein and acrylamide are secreted. And here comes our olive oil. It has a high content of monounsaturated fatty acids (one plus) and low content of polyunsaturated (second plus). In addition, it has a smoking temperature of 210 degrees C (third plus). As if that was not enough, olive oil contains squalene and vitamin E, which additionally protect monounsaturated acids against oxidation, thus stopping the secretion of carcinogenic substances (fourth plus). If you are looking for cooking oil, olive oil is the right choice.
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