Do You Believe These Nutrition Myths?
By Sara Butler
If you feel as if you’re constantly being bombarded with new nutrition and health information, then that’s probably because you are. It seems as if everyone is an armchair nutritionist -- from your coworkers to your buddy at the gym. That is why there is so much unsubstantiated nutrition advice out there that people start to believe as fact after a while. It can be overwhelming to keep the truth separate from the lies, but it’s important for your continued health and wellness that you know nutrition myth from fact!
Myth No. 1: Late Night Eating is a No-No
This myth has been around forever! Many people try to avoid eating at night but sometimes due to schedules or other circumstances, it is difficult to avoid. If your body needs to eat, then you need to feed it, no matter the time.
Rather than avoiding late night eating at all costs, focus on choosing nutrient-dense options instead. It is true that eating a bunch of junk food late at night isn’t healthy -- but it’s not healthy no matter what time it is. If you need to eat in the evening or closer to bed, then choose a snack to help provide essential nutrients to your body. Think crackers and cheese or peanut butter and apples.
Myth No. 2: You Need Superfoods to Stay Healthy
You’ve probably heard that foods such as chia seeds and goji berries are insanely good for you -- so good for you that they’re super! The truth of the matter is that there are no standard criteria that make a food super, it’s often just hype and a trick of successful marketing.
You can get a lot of the same benefits that superfoods claim to provide from food choices that are much easier to find (and less expensive too!). Foods such as blueberries, salmon, oranges, and kale are great items to add to your diet to ensure you’re having balanced and complete meals.
Superfoods won’t hurt your health, they just may not be as great as some want you to believe.
Myth No. 3: Gluten-Free Foods are Healthier
If you’re not gluten-intolerant or sensitive, then you don’t need to eat gluten-free. The products made for those that need to go gluten-free aren’t any healthier than foods that do contain gluten. In some cases, the gluten-free foods can have more calories, sugar, and fat to make foods more palatable once the gluten is removed. The bottom line is that if you don’t have a medical reason to avoid gluten, there are no health benefits to doing so.
Identifying nutrition myths is the first step to staying educated about healthy eating to help you stay healthy and happy!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Las Vegas, Nev.