Here is another good little article I have saved.
Columnists News
Food hits and myths Aug. 16, 2004
Provided by: Sun Media
It seems the more we know about nutrition, the more there is to be confused about. One day something is good for you and the next day it's bad. It's no wonder so many of my clients tell me they've stopped listening. Here are some popular food myths and realities.
MYTH: Everything you eat after 8 p.m. turns to fat.
FACT: Nothing magical happens to your body at eight in the evening. The kinds of foods you eat are the concern ... not the clock.
MYTH: When you eat less, your stomach will shrink.
FACT: Your stomach is able to expand to handle large amounts of food, but once the food leaves your stomach, it returns to its normal size. When you diet or eat less, your stomach just keeps this normal size.
MYTH: You shouldn't eat proteins and carbohydrates at the same meal.
FACT: Most foods are actually natural food combinations. Bread and pasta, for example, are a combination of protein, carbohydrates and a little fat, lentils are protein and carbohydrates and vegetables are mostly carbohydrates and some protein. Our body doesn't distinguish if food is eaten singly or in combination with others.
MYTH: Lecithin supplements will help lower cholesterol.
FACT: Lecithin is a type of fat produced by our bodies. It's also found abundantly in such foods as eggs, meat, soy beans, nuts and whole grains.
Lecithin is commonly used in the food industry as an emulsifier. This means it keeps the fat globules in suspension in products such as salad dressing. However, in the body, lecithin does not have the same effect and taking extra does not appear to offer benefits.
MYTH: Chocolate and fast foods can cause acne.
FACT: Most doctors agree that diet does not cause acne. In rare instances, sensitivity to a food may exacerbate existing acne, but it is unlikely that any food actually causes it.
MYTH: Raisins are a great snack for kids.
FACT: Raisins are healthy sources of iron and fibre but are not a "dentally sound" snack. Their stickiness makes them a poor between-meal snack for kids.
MYTH: Pasteurization destroys the nutrients in milk.
FACT: Drinking unpasteurized milk is actually dangerous. The process does destroy some of the Vitamin C but we easily get this vitamin in many other foods. The key nutrients like calcium and protein are still intact.
MYTH: Cottage cheese is an excellent source of calcium.
FACT: Cottage cheese is high in protein and may be low in fat. It's not the calcium source many of us assume it to be. One cup of cottage cheese contains 138 mg calcium while 11/2 ounces of hard cheese contains 325 mg.
MYTH: Sea salt is healthier than regular salt.
FACT: There are no documented health advantages to sea salt. It's an alternate salt with a slightly different taste from table salt but is still a major source of sodium and contains no other important nutrients.
MYTH: Eating grapefruit, vinegar or other acidic food will help you burn fat and lose weight.
FACT: There is no food or combination of foods that will alter your metabolism or help burn fat more quickly. If you lose weight when you eat these foods, it's probably because you are substituting it for another food that has more calories.
MYTH: Cold beer is a great fluid replacement on hot summer days.
FACT: Alcohol is a diuretic, which increases urine output and promotes dehydration.
MYTH: "Light" olive oil has fewer calories and fat than regular oil.
FACT: Light olive oil is light in colour and flavour, not in calories. All oils, light or regular, have about 14 grams of fat and 120 calories per tablespoon.
