Five myths about healthy eating

Every hour we are bombarded with information about the most useful products and the latest weight loss systems that guarantee absolute harmony, as well as the preservation of youth and beauty. You have probably noticed more than once how often commercials urge us to immediately buy something insanely healthy and completely natural, containing vitamins, minerals, bacteria, and most importantly – free of sugar, fat and cholesterol. A huge number of trendy diets and weight loss systems have led to the appearance in our heads of insane confusion and completely erroneous ideas about what the essence of proper nutrition really is. When you consider that many of the myths about healthy food are actively used in the advertising of a popular product, it becomes clear how dangerous these kinds of misconceptions are.

Myth 1. Cholesterol – cause of vascular problems

Referring to cholesterol, many will be able to say that this compound enters the body along with:

fatty meats;
high-fat dairy products;
margarine, which is increasingly replacing butter from the diet of a modern person.

In addition, crispy crusts, so loved by many of us, serve as a source of cholesterol. Is it really a delicious juicy chop, a sandwich with raw smoked sausage or an appetizing cake – is it an absolute and undeniable evil? Is this really true?

Yes, it is. But only if your entire diet will be exclusively of the above products. In fact, cholesterol – fat-like compound, most of which is produced by our body. This substance is needed for:

synthesis of many hormones and vitamin D;
full-fledged brain work;
natural protection against cancer.

In addition, when microcracks occur in the vessels, it is he who becomes a kind of patch that can fix the problem. 

A feature of cholesterol transportation to various organs is the formation of lipoprotein complexes – protein and lipid compounds. Two types of such compounds are formed in the human body.

Low-density lipoproteins are dangerous, they provoke the development of atherosclerosis, coronary disease and many serious and dangerous diseases.

It should be noted that the consumption of certain foods can indeed significantly increase the level of this type of lipoprotein. However, not everything is so scary! It turns out that many vegetables (which, most likely, you eat without really thinking about their great mission!) Can significantly reduce the content of "bad" cholesterol. Among them – carrots, tomatoes, onions, garlic, eggplant and even potatoes. Actually, these are just the products that we usually use as a side dish for a meat dish.

This example is the best illustration of the benefits of a balanced and varied diet, which most nutritionists insist on.

Myth 2. Proper food contains a minimum of fat

Another of the myths associated with the use of fats – misconception about the undoubted advantage of low-fat food. However, fats are essential for the human body, they perform many vital functions:

provide us with energy. In the process of splitting one gram of fat, 9 calories are produced (at the same time, each gram of proteins and carbohydrates provides only 4 calories). The fat store provides us with the energy we need when all the carbohydrates are used up. But without such reserves, the body will begin to destroy itself, "burning" muscle tissue;
helps the absorption of many vitamins. Did you know that vitamins A, C, E and K are fat soluble. And this means that forcing yourself to eat a salad flavored with just a few drops of lemon juice, you deprive yourself of a significant part of the nutrients we need daily;
provide appetite control, which is essential if you are careful about your weight. Fats take a little longer to digest and cause a feeling of fullness;
participate in the transmission of nerve impulses;
used to synthesize certain hormones and transport nutrients across cell membranes.

So, we can't do without fats, the only question is what kind of fats we are talking about. These are, first of all, many types of vegetable oil (especially olive oil), fats contained in ocean fish, a variety of nuts and avocados. They belong to the polyunsaturated group and are considered the most useful and safe.

But among the really dangerous products, the use of which should be reduced to a minimum, we will include:

trans fats, known to the vast majority of people as margarine or cooking oil. An excess of this product in the diet leads to an increase in the level of "bad" cholesterol, which means it provokes the development of cardiovascular diseases, negatively affects the quality of sperm and blocks the synthesis of substances that neutralize the action of carcinogens. Unfortunately, trans fats are found in almost all types of ready-made baked goods and the vast majority of confectionery products;
Saturated fat found in full fat dairy and meat products. Excess saturated fat has a negative effect on the activity of "good" cholesterol and provokes the formation of cholesterol plaques.

Myth 3. To avoid gaining excess weight, you should limit your carbohydrate intake as much as possible

Perhaps, thanks to the Internet, we are now a little better oriented in matters of healthy eating. However, it is not uncommon to hear that someone has managed to get rid of extra pounds by refusing to eat cereals, bread and potatoes, not to mention sugar and confectionery, that is, from all sources of carbohydrates. Perhaps they really are not so necessary for modern man? But not everything is so simple. Carbohydrates in the body:

serve as a source of energy;
are involved in the functioning of the brain;
are the "building blocks" from which amino acids, enzymes, nucleic acids and immunoglobulins are formed;
can be processed into adipose tissue.

Of course, we have all heard something about "good" complex carbohydrates – polysaccharides, which make our food satisfying, stimulate digestion and do not pose a particular threat to the harmony of the figure. These are starch and cellulose, which are found in cereals (cereals and legumes) and root crops (potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes), vegetables and fruits.

About the simple carbohydrates contained in all, without exception, confectionery, most of us know only that they are absorbed quickly and can lead to unwanted body fat.

Do you know what is the main danger of sweets? When you eat simple carbohydrates, insulin is released, which works like a switch. At a certain level of this hormone, our body works in the “build” mode, but the splitting processes are blocked at this moment, and fat reserves are not split.

When the level of insulin gradually decreases, the body "reminds" that it is time to raise the level of this substance, which means that you need to urgently eat a candy or a cake!

However, fast carbohydrates are also needed, without them we feel tired, lethargic and sleepy.

How to avoid "addiction" to sweets? Include a variety of cereals, fruits and berries in your diet. Do not give up freshly squeezed juices, various smoothies. But try to avoid using sweets as a snack, then one cake or bar may be followed by another. If you are already hungry, eat a handful of any nuts: in this way, you will successfully cope with your appetite and will be able to endure until the "main" meal.

Myth 4. Snack and eat "after six"– harmful, this is a direct path to obesity

In the pursuit of harmony and beauty, we are capable of many sacrifices, and we know about the benefits of a strict diet, perhaps, since kindergarten. Of course, we will not argue with the need to eat on time, do not neglect breakfast, have a full lunch and dinner. At the same time, it is believed that snacking between meals is harmful, it disrupts the diet and leads to excess weight. In other words, "snacks" – for the weak in spirit. Which of these is true, and which – dangerous delusion?

First of all, let's decide what exactly we will consider a snack. If you eat as many as three times a day, and between breakfast and lunch you feel like something to drown out your awakened appetite, you simply need a "snack" or second breakfast. Let it be yogurt with cereals, some nuts, a slice of whole grain bread with cheese, a banana – any of these options will help to refrain from eating confectionery and hold out until lunch. Don't endure hunger – waiting for dinner, you run the risk of eating much more than your body needs. In addition, exposing yourself to "hungry torture", you force your body to accumulate reserves "for a rainy day." Five meals a day gives you a much better chance of maintaining an optimal body weight, and a "calmed down"

For the same reason, a modern resident of the metropolis should be more critical of the setting: do not eat after six in the evening. Of course, you don't have to eat at night. But at the same time, it will not be superfluous to remember what time the night begins for you personally. Even if you can afford to go to bed at 22:00, dinner at 19:00 will not harm your figure. If you refuse to go to bed before midnight, silent kefir, yogurt or a baked apple an hour before bedtime will help satisfy your hunger. Such a snack or late dinner will provide you with a more complete rest.

Myth 5. Juices are just as healthy as fresh fruits

The popularity of juices is so great that they are used as the basis for a diet designed to cleanse the body of accumulated toxins. Are juices really that good?

There is really nothing wrong with one or even two glasses of freshly squeezed juices. They contain many vitamins and minerals that are so beneficial to our body. However, even the freshest juices from the best fruits lack the fiber and many nutrients we need, and therefore cannot be considered the basis for a complete diet that promotes weight loss. An organism that survives such a diet will inevitably begin to accumulate excess reserves of subcutaneous fat.

As for the juice, which is packaged in a colorful package, you should be especially careful with such a product. Such juice, as a rule, is reconstituted from a concentrate, contains a huge amount of sugar and is supplemented with a cocktail of preservatives and other highly questionable ingredients. Even an ordinary homemade dried fruit compote will be healthier and safer for daily use.

To summarize: the essence of proper nutrition: is it known  us the whole truth

We have considered only a few fairly popular myths about healthy eating. In fact, mankind has come up with many quite popular and, at the same time, dangerous tricks, trying to achieve ideal forms and avoid excess weight. In this article, we have not even touched on many of the most pressing issues.

Is it possible to find a universal recipe that reflects the essence of proper nutrition? Is there any advice that every person can follow to achieve the best possible physical shape? Most likely, it consists in the fact that while maintaining common sense and a slightly critical attitude towards new-fangled theories, it is worth paying maximum attention to one's own needs. We change every day. We get sick and recover, spend more or less energy, how can our diet be the same from year to year? Eat tasty and varied, learn to enjoy moderate portions, diversify your menu with new interesting dishes, bake, steam and grill. And remember, even absolutely proper nutrition – one of the greatest daily pleasures available to us! And on estet-portal.com you will find a lot of useful information,