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Apr 3, 2023
Nutrition facts and fads 2.0
Gabriella Florence | Sports Scientist
Few topics cause more confusion and controversy than healthy nutrition. The abundance of fad products and methods saturating our social media channels do little to help. Because of this, making informed decisions about maintaining a balanced and healthy diet can be tricky. Fortunately, we’re here to help with a little game of Nutrition fact or fad 2.0. If you haven’t already done so, head over to round 1 of Nutrition fact or fad: the calorie edition to debunk some calorie myths. Good luck!
1 - If I exercise, I can eat anything and not gain weight.
Answer: FAD
If only this were true! Although the benefits of exercise for physical and mental health and weight control are indisputable, exercise does not have the power to make up for an unhealthy diet. As they say, you cannot outrun a bad diet.
2 - Gluten-free foods are healthier.
Answer: FAD
While this may be true for individuals with Celiac Disease or gluten sensitivity, gluten-free foods are often not lower in calories, nor do they have more health-boosting ingredients than their gluten-containing counterparts. Unless you have a proven gluten intolerance, it may be tastier (and cheaper) to stop avoiding gluten.
3 - Sugar alternatives can assist with weight loss.
Answer: FACT
While 1 teaspoon of ordinary sugar contains up to 20 kcal, most sugar alternatives are non-caloric. You can lower your daily calorie intake by choosing to swap your sugar with a sweetener. Take note: most sugar alternatives are more than 200 times sweeter than sugar and may have a laxative effect - so it’s best to use these sparingly.
4 - I need to cut out carbs to lose weight.
Answer: FAD
Fortunately, this one’s a fad. Carbohydrates are not only important to provide your body with the energy needed to function every day, but may also boost athletic performance. To learn more about carbohydrates, read our dedicated article: Carbohydrates - the good, the bad and the ugly.
5 - Sugar can be addictive.
Answer: FACT
Scary, but true. According to research, consuming refined sugar products can produce similar effects on your brain and behaviour patterns to those of illicit drugs.
6 - Eating fats make you fat.
Answer: FAD
Contrary to popular belief, fats do not specifically make you fat. Although fats have a higher calorie content per 1 gram (9 kcal) compared with 1 g protein (4 kcal), or 1 g carbohydrate (4 kcal), ALL foods can cause weight gain over time if you’re in a calorie surplus. That said, some fats have no place in a healthy diet. Think trans fats — abundant in processed and fast foods.
Before you buy into any nutrition concepts, verify the information with scientific evidence or speak to your doctor or nutrition expert. Don’t worry, you can safely ignore the noise from self-proclaimed nutrition experts on your Instagram and Facebook social media feeds.
