Diet – Eating Myths, and how to avoid them.

With all the food choice available to us, how do you tell the “good from the bad”? Well, based on what the top US nutrition experts have to say, here’s a number of ways that we make bad food choices, and how we can make better ones.

“If you ‘feel’ hungry – you must be hungry” - Truth is, if you don’t know when you’re hungry, you won’t know when you’re full…and you won’t know when to stop. Too many times, we “guess” we’re hungry, and go from there. A better solution is to rate how hungry you think you are (try a scale of something like 1 to 10) – then, eat slowly and as you eat, think about how your hunger changes. If you use a 1 to 10 scale, try to stay between 4 and 7. You don’t want to be too hungry when you start, nor too full when you stop.

“Supersize Me – is a value!”- We always seem to look for a “value” when we’re eating out, and that creates the false impression that if we supersize a restaurant meal, that we’re saving money. Yet, in doing so, we’re loosing our health. A better way to look at meal size is by judging with your palm, not your pocketbook. A good rule of thumb for serving size is, if it fits into the palm of your hand – that the right size. Make sure that your serving has one protein, one starch, one veggie, and one fruit, based on the serving that fits in the palm of your hand.

“Fat is Bad” - We have a mentality that fat is bad, which isn’t true. What is more important, according to the American Heart Association, is telling the difference between saturated and trans fats (the bad fats), and eat the good, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. You can find these fats in fish, nuts, avocados, soybean and canola oils. If you track total calories, you don’t have to worry about how much fat you eat, just what kind of fat.

“If it’s liquid, it has no calories” – Most sugared drinks – including soda’s and juices -have a high concentration of high-fructose corn syrup as it’s sweetener. But, fructose contains no enzymes, vitamins or minerals and also interferes with the heart’s ability to use key minerals vital for a healthy heart. So, instead of sugared drinks, try drinking water or tea. Tea is calorie free, promotes heart health, strengthens bones & teeth, protects the skin – and may help you avoid several types of cancer!

“Frozen Entrees are healthy” – Many times, with our hectic schedules, it seems as though throwing a frozen entrée in the microwave seems the best way to take care of a meal. But, eating too many processed foods like the types you find in the frozen food isle of your nearby supermarket may leave you short on fiber and important antioxidants such as vitamin C. So, if you do find yourself in a situation where having a frozen meal is your only choice, compliment it with a green salad, a whole wheat roll, and some fruit for dessert.