The IFIC Foundation Food and Health found that only 23% of obese Americans think they are obese.
1. All calories are the same.
Many people are still under the misunderstanding that all calories are created equal. The truth is that while calories matter, the kinds of calories we eat are just as important. That’s because different foods go through different metabolic pathways in the body and have varying effects on appetite, hormones, and health.
For example, calories from proteins can boost the metabolic rate and reduce appetite compared to the same amount of calories from fat and carbs. It can also increase your muscle mass, which burns calories around the clock. Calories from fructose can increase the appetite and are stored as fat at a much faster rate. Even though calories should not be ignored, saying that they are all that matters when it comes to weight could not be more incorrect.
2. Coffee is bad for you.
Coffee has caught a bad name in the past. Yes, coffee can slightly elevate blood pressure in the short term; however, long term research shows that coffee may in fact reduce your risk of some severe diseases.
Here are some quick facts about coffee drinkers:
They have a 67% lower risk of Type II diabetes.
They are much less likely to get Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
They have an 80% lower risk of liver diseases.
Caffeine even helps mobilize fat tissue, boosts your metabolism, and can increase exercise performance. The effects of caffeine on the brain have been demonstrated to improve mood, memory, reaction time, awareness, and overall brain function. Perhaps the most surprising coffee fact, it is packed full of antioxidants. Actually, it is the largest source of antioxidants in our diets today. It contains more than both fruits and vegetables combined!
It must be mentioned that if you start adding thick cream, sugar, caramel, chocolate, or whip cream to your coffee, then it’s no longer considered healthy.
3. Sugars are only unhealthy because of “empty calories.”
It is true that sugar contains a lot of calories without any vital nutrients; however, the destructive effects of too much sugar go way beyond “empty calories.”
It can have terribly negative effects on our metabolism which can lead to rapid weight gain and even metabolic disease. When we consume excess amounts of fructose, it gets processed into fat. Studies found that eating too much fructose over a two month period led to insulin resistance, raised blood sugar levels, raised triglyceride levels, and increased body fat percentage.
Fructose doesn’t satisfy hunger in the brain which causes us to eat more and gain fat. This only relates to fructose from added sugars, not the natural sugars that we find in fruits.
4. You should avoid saturated fats like the plague.
For years, people have thought that eating saturated fats would increase the risk of heart disease. For decades, the most popular diets have been founded on this theory. However, studies published in the past few decades prove that saturated fat is absolutely harmless.
A significant study that analyzed the data from a total of 21 other studies and 347,747 individuals found no link between saturated fat consumption and the risk of heart disease. While multiple studies have proven the same, the population still continues to demonize saturated fats. The battle against fat was based on an unproven theory that somehow became common knowledge.
The fact is that saturated fat raises the good HDL cholesterol and counteracts the bad LDL cholesterol. There is absolutely no reason to fear butter, meat, or coconut oil as all of these foods are perfectly healthy for you!
5. Eggs are bad for you.
Eggs are so extremely nutritious that they’re often called “nature’s multivitamin.” However, eggs have been criticized in the past because they contain a substantial amount of cholesterol, which was thought to increase the risk of heart disease.
But we now know the truth, despite being high in cholesterol, eggs don’t really increase the bad cholesterol in the blood. They actually raise the “good” cholesterol. New studies now prove that eggs are in no way associated with heart disease.
They’re full of protein, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that guard the eyes. They are also an outstanding source of Choline which is an important nutrient for the brain. Starting your morning off by eating egg has been shown to cause significant weight loss compared to bagels or carbohydrate rich foods. Try this Mediterranean Egg Recipe.
6. Low-carb diets are bad for you and are useless.
Opponents of low-carb diets claim they are not proven and dangerous because they are high typically high in fat. However in the last 10 years, more than 20 studies have examined the effects of low-carb diets on numerous facets of health.
These studies conclude:
Low-carb diets cause a substantial decrease in blood pressure.
Low-carb diets increase the good HDL cholesterol and lower triglycerides much more than low-fat diets.
Low-carb diets help those with type II diabetes by lowering blood sugar levels and decreasing the need for medication.
Low-carb diets are easier to stick to than most, because they don’t rely on calorie restriction.
Low-carb diets are the most effective way to lose weight and reverse metabolic disease.
Low-carb diets are just as healthy for active people who are trying to maintain weight.
Try this low carb Turkey Patty Recipe.
7. Eating fat makes you fat.
For years, fat had a bad reputation. People were told to avoid fat because eating fat would make you fat; however, it turns out that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, research consistently proves that diets that are high in fat lead to significantly more weight loss than diets that are low in fat.
Studies are finding that you NEED to eat fat to lose fat. Healthy fats may actually be the most important nutrient for losing weight. Eating monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat can actually help your body burn fat, since it burns fat as fuel instead of storing it like sugar. Eating a diet rich in healthy fats doesn’t only help with weight loss, it can increase the length of your workouts, provide energy, improve flexibility, and strengthen bones and joints.
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