We’re Busting Some of the Biggest Myths About Nutrition!

What with the internet making immense and infinite volumes of information available for the general community, it comes as no surprise that many people are confused as a result of all this information. The internet is a host of almost any information you could dream of, and there is rarely a guarantee that what you are reading is truthful. When it comes to nutrition, people constantly sift through conflicting suggestions and are left at square one. Luckily, science is here to save the day! Let’s debunk some myths and work on finding the right nutritional path!

You can easily burn off junk food

So many people are of the belief that binging on junk food can be reversed by a hard workout. But actually, this is far from the truth. A workout will not burn off junk food no matter how strenuous or difficult your routine is. Junk food is labeled as such because of the synthetic ingredients, and the preservatives, chemicals, dyes, and flavorings are additives that may raise your risks of developing a variety of diseases. There is no way that a hard workout compensates for this. In fact, placing your body under extreme stress after depriving it of adequate nutrition (since you’ve just binged on junk) places you in a worse position than if you had just eaten junk and not exercised. Of course, that isn’t to say that’s what you should do. What you should do is to eat wholesome food and make healthy choices.

Protein is king

When you hop onto the fitness bandwagon, a few simple searches or questions around will lead you to this common piece of advice: load up on your protein. We all know that carbs are considered evil by most, and they’re having a hard time shaking off that label! However, in light of new and popular diets like the ketogenic diet, it must be said that it is possible to overeat any macronutrient, not just carbohydrates. Overconsumption of protein or fat is also harmful to your health. Your body only requires a specific amount of protein to perform its daily tasks. The rest of what you consume will be stored as fat. In fact, science proves that an excess of protein may even damage your kidneys!

A post-workout meal is a huge no-no

It is widely believed that eating a meal after your workout will simply erase all your efforts. It is simply not true. If you thought that all the calories in your post-workout meal were making their way to your fat cells, you are wrong! Actually, it is important to have a post-workout meal as your body requires the nutrition to recover from the toll of your workout on your entire body. A clean meal rich in nutrients is what you’re after to help your body obtain what it needs to repair and recover. Enjoy the richest nutritious food you can after your workout as long as you maintain your calorie limits and remember to spread out your meals over the day.

Fruit is Just As Bad As Sugar

So many clean-eaters have read about fruit being a source of sugar and spiking blood sugar levels, and so, they are afraid to have those few portions of fruit a day to avoid gaining weight. It is actually not necessary to give fruit the boot in your efforts to lose weight. Fruits are not only nutritious but may also help you lose more weight by satiating your sweet tooth with a whole lot less sugar than other foods you may indulge in. Also, the pectin and fiber in fruits are highly satiating and great for your digestive system, keeping you fuller for longer periods of time and helping your bowels out!

Don’t just accept whatever you read – you need to do the extra research behind each claim and figure out whether what you have read is true or not. Often, a little common sense and some Google searches can take you to your answer. Gone are the days when you have to take someone’s word for it! Always look at the science behind things. Understanding how your body works is a great starting point to properly understanding nutrition, and if you truly care about providing your body with the nutrition it needs, you will have to get cracking with the basics!