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Ten nutrition myths debunked

Not all fats are bad for your health and too much sugar does not cause diabetes. DR BRIGID MONDA separates facts from falacies

Brown sugar is better than white

Yes this is true. Brown sugar does contain minute amounts of minerals. But unless you eat a gigantic portion of brown sugar every day, the mineral content difference between brown sugar and white is insignificant.

All fats are bad

Not all fats are bad and not all fats are equal. We all need fat because it helps the body absorb other nutrients, helps maintain cell membrane integrity and in nerve transmission. The key is to avoid bad fats like saturated fats and trans-fats that raise blood cholesterol and contribute to weight gain, heart disease and certain cancers. Instead, take good fats like monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats like omega 3 fatty promote good health.

Sugar causes diabetes

It is not true that eating too much sugar causes diabetes. Diabetics do have higher than normal blood sugar levels. But their problem is not what is eaten or how much but a problem with insulin.

When one eats, the pancreas sends insulin into the bloodstream and it stimulates the cells of the muscles and liver to take in the sugar and store it as starch. The sugar in the blood is also either burned off or converted into fat and stored in fat cells.

When those genetically predisposed to diabetes gain too much weight, they will produce insulin slower or stop responding to it, causing their blood sugar to rise. When blood sugar is too high for too long, the body will develop complications of diabetes, which includes progressive organ damage.

Brown eggs are more nutritious than white ones

Contrary to a widely believed nutrition myth, eggshell colour has nothing to do with the quality, flavour, nutritive value or cooking characteristics of an egg. The eggshell colour only depends on the breed of the hen. There is no difference in taste or nutrition content between white and brown eggs.

Avoid carbohydrate to lose weight

Many low-carb diets do not provide sufficient carbohydrates to your body to use for energy for its daily maintenance. Therefore, your body will begin to burn stored carbohydrates in the form of glycogen for energy.

When your body starts burning glycogen, water is released and, therefore, the drastic initial drop of weight at the beginning of a low-carb diet is mostly the water that you lose as a result of burning glycogen.

To lose one pound a week, you only need to eat 500 fewer calories per day in your normal diet. So it doesn’t matter if you eat a high or low-carb diet, you will lose weight if you decrease your caloric intake to less than needed to maintain your weight.

Nuts are fattening

Yes, it’s true that nuts are quite calorically dense and on top of that, it is very tough not to overeat these tasty snacks. But nuts can be a part of a healthy diet if you can restrain yourself from overeating them.

Nuts are high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats which are the good fats, as well as plant sterols. Eat nuts in place of foods high in saturated fats.

Eating for two during pregnancy

It is generally recommended that pregnant women increase their daily intake by 100 kcal in the first trimester and 300 kilocalorie (kcal) in the second and third trimesters.

An extra snack before bedtime consisting of a fruit, a serving of milk or yogurt, and a few biscuits is often enough.