Ten Nutrition Fallacies

Last week I wrote about the top 10 fitness myths. Today I turn my attention to nutrition.  These top 10 myths de-mystified does not mean an endorsement, but a presentation of information. It’s up to you to make a choice, and possibly do a little research on your own.

There is an abundance of nutrition information available today. Some information is great, some a little misleading, and some information flat wrong and potentially harmful - the body doesn’t work that way.

Suppliers of nutrition information include non-profit organizations focused on health such as the American Heart Association and American Cancer Society, health-related government organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health, universities and research facilities, health related internet sites, and our neighbor/friend/mom/dad/sister/brother and everyone else!

Some organizations, people and sites provide well-researched informative facts on nutrition and health; some provide what works for them, what they believe, and/or what provides a source of income from selling products. 

If the "what works for me works for everyone mentality" worked, we would not have the obesity and diabetes issues that plague our country. A good source of information on nutrition and on health recognizes that we are all unique, one size doesn’t fit all; however, there are some recommendations that fit 99 percent of the population.

We all eat food, and many people feel as though this is enough to qualify them to be nutrition experts. If we take the same concept and apply it to our body, we all have bodies so we all must be experts on how the body works? We are then all qualified to be doctors or chiropractors, or physical therapists just because we have a body? Be critical on where your health and nutrition information comes from because some of the “facts” are in fact fallacies and can be harmful.

Ten Nutrition Fallacies

1. Ground poultry is healthier than ground beef. Many people choose ground turkey or chicken over beef because it’s “healthier” and lower in fat. Beef is a great source of protein, iron, zinc, B-12, and phosphorus. There are lean cuts of beef that contain 3 grams of fat per ounce. Poultry is also a good source of nutrients, but not a great source of those listed above, and can be lean, however “ground turkey” or “ground chicken” also grinds in the dark meat, skin, fat and usually has 4 - 5 grams of fat per ounce.  However, health experts recommend limiting beef, and pork, consumption to a few times each week as there tends to be higher risk of certain cancers when consumed in excess.
2. Artificial sweeteners cause cancer or obesity. Artificial sweeteners initially were introduced to aid people with diabetes. However, in our weight conscious ways, the sweeteners and products containing them multiplied over the years. During this same time, MANY groups have tried to prove the link between these products and ill health. Not one group has been successful. The few studies that have shown potentially harmful effects have not been able to be reproduced, even by the original investigators. My recommendation is to limit their use.  As for the notion that consuming these artificial sweeteners tricks the body and creates a desire for more sweet, that can happen; however, it’s usually a psychological desire, not a physiological one. Often people choose an artificially sweetened product instead of a product that they desire, therefore desire is still there unfulfilled. Or the rationalization that you “saved” calories and then people consume more calories of some other food or beverage.
3. Any one food is the healthiest. The “popular” food of the moment changes as often as the popular diet du jour. The nutrients in foods work together to provide the ideal combinations of nutrients, both known and yet to be discovered, for optimal absorption and use in the body. Sometimes a food or beverage, because of some nutrient, gets great press, however it is often a combination of nutrients found naturally in food, working in synergy that provide the desired results. There is a lot of synergy happening within our body that is amazing and there is not one food that can make it all happen! 
4. Juicing is always healthy. Juicing can be healthy, but it can also be very calorie dense and/or unhealthy. Fruits and vegetables are loaded with fiber, water and nutrients that positively affect every aspect of our health and quality of life! When people juice and “throw away” the pulp they are throwing out much of the benefit and leaving behind a lot of calories when they fill up their glass with liquid only. When people leave the pulp, or fiber, in their beverage and use a combination of vegetables and small amount of fruit, then juicing can be a delicious and convenient way to stock up on what makes your body run most efficiently.
5. Nuts are “bad” for you. Nuts have a reputation of being unhealthy. In the last 5 years there has been an abundance of research on the benefits of consuming 1 - 2 servings of nuts daily. Research is positive on consumption of almonds, pistachios, pecans, and walnuts on our heart health and on weight control. Nuts are rich in fiber, minerals, healthy fats, phosphorous, manganese, magnesium, copper and zinc. What is a serving? It’s a very small handful! And it can be helpful to get nuts in their shell – makes the eating go a little slower.
6. If a food is natural or organic, it’s healthier. What does natural mean? What about organic? There are many foods that are natural that most everyone agrees that aren’t healthy. Take cream for example. Or what are your thoughts on liver and organ meats? You get the idea. For healthy, think natural being more plant based, animals and seafood raised in a more natural environment consuming their native diet. Or even foods that don’t come in boxes! As for organic, organic also comes with many “issues” because in theory organic food should be healthier, but may not necessarily be more nutritious or more safe from a food bacteria standpoint. When you pay for organic, make sure it is truly organic which goes beyond just avoiding spraying of pesticides. Truly organic foods are grown without the use of pesticides and chemicals well down the line of growing including soil enhancers, natural fertilizers etc.
7. Protein is king. Protein is definitely important in our bodies, the base of many bodily functions, aids satiety and blood glucose control, however we only need a small amount. If we compare to a car, or a boat or any other machine, protein is the oil fuel in our body. A little goes a long way. A lot will clog up the hoses (arteries) and spill over (cause weight gain). Think about it. We’ve been focused on high protein, carbs are bad diets for the last  15 years. If they worked for weight loss, why are we in worse shape than we were? Protein does contribute to muscle building, however once you meet your needs, more doesn’t make bigger muscles! To meet the ideal balance of protein, carbs, and other nutrients for optimal fuel for sport or health, we only need 6- 8 ounces of protein foods, in an entire day! The rest of our protein needs are met by eating the ideal amount of vegetables, whole grains, and dairy.
8. White=bad. “Whole” grain is healthiest, however not all people like all whole grains. Think about it.  I prefer to go with a motto of beige is boring when it comes to your plate. Choose more whole grains than refined as they are far more nutritious and nourishing for your body. Whole grains have more natural flavor and textures which makes them exciting in our mouth! Often times it’s our brains, not our taste buds and tongue, that “don’t like” whole grains!  Other foods that are white or beige that are nutritious are potatoes (yes, potatoes without the hundreds of calories of toppings or cut and fried), bananas, cauliflower, dairy, onions, garlic, you get the idea!
9. Fruit should be avoided as it has so much sugar. Fruit is all carbohydrate, where vegetables are combination of carbohydrate and protein. The word carbohydrate literally means sugar. Healthy eating means choose more fruit. Fruit provides your body, your taste buds, and your brain with a sweet food that is rich in vitamins and minerals that help our skin and body look and feel younger, leads to health, and decreases cravings for high sugar and high fat snacks and desserts. Yes, a banana has more sugar than a small apple, but it is also 2 servings not one! People that choose fruit daily usually have weight management (control without “dieting”), health, and vitality. 
10. Nutrition comes in a bottle. I’ve never seen a pill or powder growing on a tree, plant, or on a root! Gardening 101 tells us that if the ground is lacking in nutrients, the plant doesn’t grow, right! Supplements are just that, designed to take up the slack from our choices, not to take the place of healthy food. Remember, we don’t know all of the components in our food yet and when research shows eating certain foods has health benefits, the benefits are from the food, not the one or two components that end up in a bottle. The only exception here is omega 3s or fish oil which is highly researched to be beneficial in supplement form, especially if you choose fish or other rich sources less than 3 times each week. Americans can benefit from a multi-vitamin, and omega 3’s. The benefit of multi-vitamins over a bunch of individual vitamins is the synergistic combinations and amounts of nutrients.  Americans spend billions of dollars each year on supplements that they don’t need, which means we have some very expensive sewage!

I would like to define some titles to provide a better understanding of how I became qualified to write on these topics. I am a registered dietitian and licensed dietitian in the State of Georgia, and I achieved a Master of Science in Sports Nutrition and Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics.

What’s the difference between a dietitian and a nutritionist you ask? A dietitian is also a nutritionist. A nutritionist may be an individual who earned a degree in nutrition- undergraduate/graduate/ or doctoral, but did not complete an internship or take and pass the national exam.

Unfortunately, in my opinion, a nutritionist can also be any one of you reading this blog. I am a certified fitness professional with the American College of Sports Medicine, and I took many exercise science/exercise physiology courses during my undergraduate and graduate studies. I achieved a certification that qualifies me to work with healthy individuals and people who have some health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity, arthritis, and similar.