Common Diet Myths Debunked

Being ‘healthy’ is about so much more than counting calories or working up a sweat. Our health is more important than ever these days, not just for us but our family as well. While there will always be that new and popular fad diet that comes out, making a positive lifestyle change will help ensure that you are investing in your health long term. In doing research on health and wellness you may find a number of mixed advice and have trouble sorting fact from fiction. Here are the most important things I have to explain to my clients.

NOT ALL SUGAR IS BAD SUGAR 

Keto has become an extremely popular diet in the past few years, and before that Atkins diet was just as popular. This has given sugar a bad rep over the years. However, not all sugar is bad for you. There are different types of sugars– glucose, fructose, and lactose just to name a few, that are each processed in the body via different organs. They will each have their own glycemic index level, which will determine how high and fast it raises your blood sugar levels. That all might seem confusing but the only thing you need to focus on is processed sugars vs. natural sugars. Natural sugars will move through in your body slower, which is good for a number of reasons! When you consume processed sugars, you will get a much higher and faster insulin spike, which is associated with a number of health issues. Processed sugars are things like white and brown sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Natural sugars are found in fruits and are not added by humans. Not only do fruits contain natural sugars, but they are also packed with vitamins and nutrients as well. Fruits are something that should be a part of your diet daily! 

FAT IS NOT A BAD THING EITHER

For every person that will tell you sugar and carbs are bad, there is another who will tell you fats are bad. The same goes for fats that go for sugars. Not all fats are bad, the processed ones are! Fat is never something that you should cut out of your diet. They are extremely important for brain health and proper hormone function. Personally when making any diet plan for my clients, I make sure to include at the very least 30-50 grams of fat per day. Examples of good fats are salmon, avocado, macadamia nuts, a high quality olive oil, and even eggs. Examples of bad fats are bacon, cheeseburgers, french fries, and pizza. 

SO HOW DO I KNOW WHAT’S GOOD AND WHAT’S NOT?

When trying to differentiate between good and bad fats and sugars, this is the easiest way to put it– fresh fat and sugar ingredients are typically good while fat and sugar meals are not. Try to steer away from things with ingredient lists and make things yourself! By making your own meals you will be able to better retain the important nutrients and vitamins that our foods contain. A good rule of thumb is to stick to the outside of the grocery store and avoid the aisles. 

Health is not as complicated as people make it out to be! Some people preach eating breakfast, while others swear by fasting. My dad will tell you how important it is not to eat before bed, but the person who can only workout late at night will tell you how important their post workout meal is. Everyone’s body and lifestyle is different, and the best approach to health you can take is the one that works best for you. 

If you’re looking to get some good fats, sugars, vitamins and nutrients into your diet, check out this Sweet Citrusy Salmon recipe here!

Hands down my favorite way to make salmon! This is a recipe that my dad taught me years ago and I have perfected it since. It’s super easy to make and doesn’t require much work.

Thank you to Leslie, be sure to check out Leslie’s Instagram – @heyleslievance