Numerous dietary myths one comes across on the internet and social media may lead one to have strong biases towards particular foods. For instance, an old belief from the last century that is still holding strong is that we should cut down on fatty foods. This common fat phobia is my biggest pet peeve.
Countless other myths, such as ‘carbs are our enemy’ and that we need to skip meals to lose weight, confuse us even more and will be debunked in this article. We need to get our heads around healthy food choices, stop the fear around eating and add more variety to our meals.
Myth no. 1: All fats are bad. Low-fat or fat-free products are always better.
First, we need to realise that fat is essential in our diet. The brain is composed of a significant amount of fat. Therefore, Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish, nuts, avocado and olive oil are crucial for brain development and function.
Moreover, vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble and require fat to be absorbed. In addition, fats are also involved in the synthesis, transportation and functionality of hormones, such as oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone. If we stick to low-fat or fat-free food products, such as zero-fat Greek yoghurt, we deprive our bodies of this essential nutrient, which in the long run will adversely impact our health.
It is also important to bear in mind that fat is a taste carrier. When fat is removed from foods, manufacturers often add sugar, salt or artificial additives to enhance taste.
Furthermore, fat-free food products may leave us feeling less satisfied than the full-fat ones, potentially leading to snacking between meals, overeating and even cravings.
Finally, science points out that both the size of the brain and IQ levels of younger generations are falling, coinciding with a big increase in mental illnesses. It is assumed that this is happening due to our diet, which is based on processed foods and refined carbohydrates but lacking in essential fats.
Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish, nuts, avocado and olive oil are crucial for brain development and function.Myth no. 2: Carbs are ‘the enemy’ and cause weight gain.
Carbohydrates, found in vegetables, fruits, potatoes, wholegrain bread, rice, oats, lentils, etc are a crucial source of energy, especially for our brain. Glucose, i.e. broken-down complex and simple carbohydrates, remains the primary and preferred fuel source for our brain. You might have experienced symptoms associated with hypoglycemia when your blood sugar level goes down, making you feel dizzy, irritable and unable to concentrate. This is because fluctuations in blood sugar levels negatively affect our overall cognitive performance.
Moreover, fibre found in carbohydrates plays an important role in digestive health. It promotes the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, the so-called microbiome, and enhances bowel movements. Fibre also promotes the feeling of being full, aids in managing diabetes and lowers high cholesterol levels.
There is a lot of uncertainty around carbohydrates and a prevailing view that we should follow low-carb diets. However, if we reduce carbohydrates in our diet, e.g. cut back on bread or fruits, what we should replace them with? Is a so-called diet soft drink, full of artificial sweeteners like aspartame, a healthier choice than a glass of orange juice? I strongly doubt it.
We should shift from counting calories to focusing on the quality of our food
What’s problematic for our health are refined carbohydrates, i.e. sugars found in sweets, highly processed foods, off-the-shelf fruit juices and fizzy drinks. Not only do they cause blood sugar spikes that may eventually result in diabetes but they also cause addiction.
Twenty per cent of adults are considered to be food addicts. The most craved foods are pizza, chocolate, crisps, biscuits and ice cream, to name a few.
It all starts with the brain, craving the high that we get from eating sugar and ultra-processed foods and refined carbs, which then becomes a psychological problem. Due to these cravings, we overeat, which may bring about obesity which is difficult to control. Either we do not know how to change our eating patterns or we succumb to habit-forming processed foods. The World Health Organisation raised the issue of “globesity”, an escalating global epidemic of overweight and obesity.
Myth no. 3: Skipping meals helps in weight loss
Skipping meals and fasting helps with weight loss in the short term, but the rule is that our body rids itself of water before it starts to burn fat as its energy source.
If you have ever done a water fast, where you only drink water for a few days, you would have noticed how your weight gradually went down every day. However, it rarely results in weight loss in the long term because skipping meals can slow down our metabolism. Our organism is put on the back burner and learns how to survive with the minimum amounts of calories we provide it with. The moment we allow ourselves an extra snack or a second serving of food, the body stores these “excessive calories” as fatty tissue.
The key to this whole dilemma is to start eating the right foods in the appropriate portions instead of depriving ourselves, which usually leads to overeating. What matters is the source of calories. We want to choose nutrient-dense foods, such as wholegrains, vegetables, fruits, pulses, unprocessed dairy products, seafood, eggs, fish, and meat in moderation. Therefore, we should shift from counting calories to focusing on the quality of our food.
Personally, I am very categorical about minimising highly processed foods, including fat- and sugar-free products, which in general are not great staples. These food-like substances are designed to be utterly delicious and to override the natural stop signals we have when we eat. We end up feeling full and bloated. Processed foods bump up our dopamine, giving us feelings of pleasure, satisfaction and motivation, so that we seek to keep eating them.
In conclusion, various dietary misconceptions distort our relationship with food. The persistent belief that all fats are detrimental should be debunked once and for all; they play a vital role in our brain function and overall health. Similarly, the myth categorising carbs as the enemy ought to be definitively challenged; they are a crucial primary energy source and promote digestive health.
Additionally, the notion that skipping meals aids weight loss should also be refuted, by taking into account the short-term nature of such practices and potential long-term adverse consequences.
The key takeaway here is the importance of focusing on foods with a high nutritional value, eaten in moderation, shifting from calorie-counting to prioritising the quality over quantity of our food choices.
Arnika Suska is a certified nutritionist.