8 Dieting And Weight Loss Myths Debunked

When we decide to start a weight loss plan and search for healthy life style tips, we get bombarded with information and news which aren’t always true. There are some false myths about dieting and weight loss out there that really need to be debunked. Debunking these myths is an important step towards a better and thinner body, without harming our health.

8 dieting and weight loss myths debunked

1 – The less you eat, the more weight you lose

Eating little is not a solution. Food deficiency may be dangerous and cause such serious disorders as gastrointestinal disorders (stomach bloating, stomach-ache, colitis, constipation or diarrhea etc.), dermatological disorders (skin rash, psoriasis), muscle weakness, fatigue, anxiety, depression, sudden mood changes, and other disorders caused by vitamin, mineral and protein deficiency. We should never eliminate certain foods from our diet without any medical advice. Let’s give an example: meat is a precious source of protein and amino acids, like tryptophan – a precursor to serotonin, the good mood hormone, and to melatonin, the sleep hormone. What is more, in order to get absorbed by the brain tryptophan needs glucose, which is contained in fruit or honey.

It is also important not to limit the calorie intake excessively without having visited a doctor first.

2 – There are foods with negative calories

Don’t let anyone convince you that there are foods with zero or negative calories. All foods have calories. Foods with zero or negative calories don’t exist, as in order to digest any food the body never uses more calories than the food itself actually contains. Some people think that eating foods, that take more energy to digest than they provide, may help to compensate for the other high calorie or high fat ingredients. Zucchini, cucumbers and celery, when digested, have almost zero calories, yet it is wrong to eat them with high calorie foods, thinking it would decrease the overall calorie intake.

3 – We have to include superfoods in our daily diet

Goji and Acai berries, spirulina algae, chia seeds are just some of the so-called superfoods, passed off as miraculous. All of these foods certainly have lots of health benefits, though we shouldn’t prefer such exotic foods to local ones. Flax and poppy seeds, blueberries and oats are as healthy as those superfoods. What is more, it is important to point out that when it comes to healthy dieting the main rule is moderation – eating a bit of everything is the best way to give our body all the nutrients it needs.

4 – High protein diets are the best

These diets have become very popular lately, and many people follow high protein diets for long periods of time. Even though it is true that a low carbs intake allows our body to burn out fats and lose weight faster, such dieting may cause lots of gastrointestinal disorders and lower life expectancy. Daily protein requirements shouldn’t exceed 20 – 30%. A good share of carbs and fats should be added to protein.

5 –  All genetically-modified foods are dangerous

Genetically-modified foods get meticulously controlled and don’t harm our health. Lots of studies have shown genetically-modified foods equal ordinary foods and eating them is not risky.

6 –  It is best to eat gluten free foods

This trend has been around over the last few years. Many people who follow a healthy life style prefer to remove gluten from their dieting. Unless you are gluten intolerant, the foods containing it shouldn’t be wholly avoided. The Spanish National Research Council carried out studies that have shown giving up gluten may jeopardize the bacterial balance of our body and weaken the immune system.

7 – Alkaline foods are healthier than acid foods

More and more people think we should limit the consumption of acid foods (meat, fish, milk and dairies, walnuts etc.) and eat more alkaline foods (vegetables, fruit, cereals), because acid foods may harm our health. Yet many medical researchers and therapists advise against this practice, announcing that the human body is able to control the inside Ph by itself and that if we try to reduce gastric acidity by ourselves, without any medical advice, we may risk weakening the digestive functions and jeopardize our immune system.

8 – There are some miraculous weight loss foods

We might have heard of green coffee, pineapple, garcinia Cambodia, Guaranà and their beneficial effects on health and body weight. Undoubtedly these foods may help us lose weight, but if we don’t follow a healthy eating pattern and an active life style, there’s nothing such foods can do. If we keep consuming too many calories, hoping that drinking a cup of green coffee after lunch will compensate for that and miraculously burn out excess fat, nothing positive will result from it eventually!!!

Extra weight is bad for our health, but we often risk causing more damage by following or spreading false weight loss and dieting myths and beliefs. Now that they have been debunked, hopefully, people will be more cautious and conscious in making eating and weight loss decisions.

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