8 myths about nutrition to dispel. The rules you thought were right but they aren't
When it comes to diets, we often inevitably come across clichés and urban legends passed off as absolute truths that do not always correspond to healthy behavioral rules to follow for our physical well-being. For this reason we decided to ask an expert, nutritionist and personal trainer Valérie Orsoni, managing director of LeBootCamp, what are the most common preconceptions about nutrition to clarify and avoid making mistakes that could cost us dearly.
Here are the 8 most common myths about nutrition and suggestions that can help us improve our approach to food and regulate the diet that we are used to normally follow in our daily life.
Myth # 1: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day
How many times have we heard this maxim? But does breakfast really play such a huge role in weight loss? Valérie replies no. Here is what he reveals to us about it: "Recent studies have shown that if you force yourself to eat during breakfast, the effect is not so good, because you still gain weight. In fact, if you are not hungry, you do not have to force yourself. We are not machines and we are different from each other. It is therefore necessary to find what works for each of us. And it is not true that the body must necessarily ingest something every morning to stay in shape ".
Myth # 2: Avoid large meals after 8pm
We often hear from experts and nutritionists that it would be good to avoid overeating in the evening and in particular, to eat meals beyond a certain time, because this would make digestion more difficult and promote weight gain. But is it really so? Valérie Orsoni, on the other hand, tells us that the time at which the meal is eaten is not so decisive, but rather the quantity and quality of the food we choose to eat: "We are still often told that dinner should be eaten as soon as possible because it makes you fat, but this is false. A calorie is a calorie, whatever time it is ingested. If you eat less at night, you lose weight simply by reducing it. the caloric intake. But if you introduce the same amount of calories at 10am and 7pm for example, you don't gain weight. "
Myth # 3: A fizzy drink? Better light, if really necessary!
Many people think that drinking a light carbonated drink is a better solution for maintaining the figure and one's weight. But according to our expert, there is nothing more wrong than this cliché. Here's what Valérie explains about it: "These light sodas have no advantage. Not only are they full of sodium, but soda has also been shown to promote weight gain. The bottom line is that if you drink a diet drink, you will eat 20-25% more during the next meal, because this type of drink causes an increase in "appetite".
Myth # 4: Skipping meals helps you lose weight
This is one of the most common misconceptions about nutrition. Skipping a meal does not bring any kind of benefit, but only discomfort to the body and appetite. Here's what our expert tells us about it: "If you start skipping meals, your body will get used to the feeling of hunger and will begin to steal the energy and calories it needs to function properly, but causing a change in your metabolism and a lower expenditure of it that has only one and only result: the "yo-yo effect".
Myth # 5: Eat more than 5 small meals a day
It is often said that the ideal would be to eat little and several times a day, even reaching five or more meals that are not too consistent. But is this really a correct rule? Valérie believes that this is not the case. Here is what she explains to us at regard: Would "the ideal" be to eat every four hours? This only applies if you have low blood sugar, as happens to diabetics for example, but there is no regulation on the matter. The choice is to eat when you are really hungry. Don't think that it is always necessary to eat at least five times a day. The "body needs time to pause digestion".
Myth # 6: Caffeine helps you lose weight
Coffee can have various benefits for our body, but weight loss is absolutely not part of these. Here is what our expert tells us about it: "It is enough to drink a cup of coffee a day, due to the considerable content of antioxidants it contains, for example, but this type of drink has no benefit on weight loss, on the contrary, excessive consumption of coffee only leads to an acceleration of the frequency. cardiac resulting in increased blood pressure ".
Myth # 7: Counting calories is the best way to lose weight
It is certainly good to keep the number of calories ingested under control and thus avoid going beyond the recommended daily dose, but when this becomes an obsession, it only produces the opposite effect. Here's what Valérie tells us about it: "Having an obsessive approach to" daily calorie intake does not help keep us fit. First of all, you need to eat healthily and not just worry about calories ".
Myth # 8: High-protein diets are the best!
People often embark on high-protein diets, thinking it is crucial for weight loss. But these high-protein diets are not that good for our body health. Here is what the expert tells us about it: "Yes, it is possible to lose weight, but it regains it very quickly. Furthermore, the breathing becomes more labored, the energy is exhausted and it can often happen that there is an repercussion on the mood".
