Everyone is beautiful and everyone deserves access to information about nutrition to live a healthy life.
Every day, we are bombarded with information about new diets, supplements, and workout routines that will give us the perfect body. However, most of them might be hogwash. Firstly, the idea of the perfect body perpetuates the myth that only thin bodies are the right ones. But, there are people of all sizes and shapes in this world, and everyone deserves to know how to stay healthy without focussing on weight loss alone.
It's not easy to shift our perspective from believing that only if we are thin are we beautiful. Everyone is beautiful and everyone deserves access to information about nutrition. There are many myths about it that we continue to believe and it might be detrimental to our journey of being a healthy individual. For instance, one of the biggest myths that we believe about weight loss is that creating a calorie deficit is enough, writes Healthline. There are multiple factors that affect weight loss like hormonal imbalance, health conditions like hypothyroidism, certain medications, and genetics. This method only looks at the calorie value but not the nutrient value.
Here are six other myths that women need to stop believing in:
Since childhood, we are told that breakfast should not be skipped but if you don't like breakfast, there is no harm in skipping it. Also, there are no particular kinds of foods that you should eat in the morning. Preventive medicine specialist Dr. David L. Katz tells Everyday Health, "There’s nothing special about breakfast." It doesn't need to be eaten early or at all. People who do intermittent fasting benefit from skipping or eating it later in the day.
All this myth does is create guilt for us. This belief is inaccurate and needs to stop being a part of our lives. Not all carbohydrates, including white potatoes, are bad for us. These starchy tubers are highly nutritious and can be part of a healthy diet but in moderation, as per Healthline. Similarly, high-fiber, unrefined carbohydrates like whole grains, legumes, fruit, and vegetables reduce the risk of chronic disease, Abbey Sharp, a registered dietitian in Toronto, tells Everyday Health.
We tend to avoid high-fat foods when we are on a weight loss journey but a low-fat diet isn't necessarily the path to losing weight or being healthy. Fat in our diet is necessary for us to be healthy. Low-fat diets can become a health risk as they have been linked to health issues, including metabolic syndrome, an increase in insulin resistance and triglyceride levels, which are risk factors for heart disease, according to two studies, published in Clinical Nutrition Journal and Journal of Clinical Medicine.
Along with a balanced diet, having supplements in the right amount can be beneficial for our health. People with health conditions like diabetes and those who take certain medicines can benefit from some supplements. For instance, magnesium and B vitamins are beneficial for those with type 2 diabetes. These supplements can improve blood sugar and reduced heart disease risk factors, according to two studies, published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics and in Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Disorders - Drug Targets.
While obesity is linked to many health problems like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, depression, certain cancers, being skinny is not the same as being healthy. What is important is having an active lifestyle and eating a nutritious diet. A healthy body fat percentage is an easier way to understand your health status than your dress size. It is also important to note that there is no one diet that is perfect for everyone.
Losing weight is not easy and rapid weight loss should never be the aim. Above all else, we need to be consistent on this journey. One of the things that we do while trying to lose weight is keeping a track of calories. While it can be helpful for some people, it won't work for everyone. When we obsess over tracking calories, it can also lead to eating disorders.
References:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/biggest-lies-of-nutrition
https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/popular-food-and-nutrition-myths-you-shouldnt-believe/
https://www.clinicalnutritionjournal.com/article/S0261-5614(15)00244-7/fulltext
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/8/9/1301
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jhn.12454
https://www.eurekaselect.com/126005/article
Cover image source: Getty Images | Photo by GlobalStock
Disclaimer: You can call National Eating Disorders Association at 800-931-2237 Hours (PST): Monday through Friday: 8:30am-4:30pm if you are suffering from an eating disorder. For crisis situations, text “NEDA” to 741741 to be connected with a trained volunteer at Crisis Text Line.
