11 Myths About Healthy Eating You Should Throw Out The Window

Nov 03, 2018 by apost team

People are always looking for ways to substitute their unhealthy habits with healthy ones. Even with the best intentions, many people end up making a transition to another habit that is just as unhealthy.

Here are 11 misguided rules of healthy eating you should forget about completely.

Soda lovers have surely heard people suggest swapping a Coke for apple juice. People automatically associate fruit with health. Unfortunately, apple juice isn't as innocent as it may appear at first. In fact, most apple juices have slightly higher concentrations of calories than coke. Instead of switching to another sugary drink, you should focus on consuming more water.

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Sometimes people become a little too picky when trying to improve their health. Even when eating healthy, there is still a debate over whether fresh or cooked vegetables are better. Many people wrongly assume that fresh vegetables contain more nutrients. Boiled carrots contain more carotenoids while steamed tomatoes contain more lycopene.

Carbohydrates are a focus for many people trying to eat healthier. Diets often try to restrict the intake of this macronutrient. For some unknown reason, many people assume that sushi is a good addition to any diet. In reality, sushi can contain more carbs than a burger. Even though burgers contain more calories, sushi still has a higher concentration of carbs.

Nutritionists advise people against substituting soy sauce for salt. Soy sauce is high in sodium and is more palatable than pure salt. This may encourage a higher intake of sodium without people even realizing. Experts suggest that people use salt on their food and simply limit their intake.

Sugar is often seen as the enemy of a healthy diet. This view makes sense considering how unhealthy sugar can make the human body. People often wrongly assume that honey makes a good alternative to sugar. In fact, honey contains more calories than sugar and contains a decent amount of sugar itself.

Fruit is one of the healthiest groups of food on which to focus. This leads many people to assume that dried fruit makes a great snack. Unfortunately, the process of drying dissolves 80% of a fruit's vitamins and antioxidants. This leaves dry fruit as a sugary snack. It is better to eat whole fruits as a snack in order to get those vitamins and antioxidants.

Popcorn has been a favorite American snack for decades. Many people have the wrong idea about this tasty treat. Despite claims that this snack is unhealthy, scientists have found that a cup of popcorn contains twice as many polyphenols (a type of antioxidant) than any vegetable or fruit. This snack is only unhealthy when covered in tubs of salt or butter.

There is a common misconception that cheese makes it harder for people to lose weight. People assume that the high-caloric density in cheese makes it an unhealthy option. In reality, cheese has more calcium than most other dairy products.

Furthermore, cheese is rich in linoleic acid which helps to inhibit the accumulation of fat. This will ultimately help individuals lose weight when consumed in the right amount.

While alcohol can certainly cause some health concerns, many people harbor too strong of an aversion to it. Many studies have shown how wine, especially red strains, can have positive health effects on an individual.

Red wine contains a lot of polyphenols that help to make blood vessels healthier. It is important to drink in moderation and to never exceed one glass per day.

Oils have become a new fad in healthy diets. Pumpkin oil, coconut oil, linen oil and many other kinds have been thought by many to improve a person's overall health. While these oils can add a lot of flavor, some of them also can add something more harmful. For example, linen oil becomes poisonous when heated to a certain temperature.

Many people take a hardline approach to weight loss. This leads some strict individuals to cut fat entirely out of their diets. Many people wrongly assume that fat-free products are healthier.

The problem is that many of these products are also stripped of their vitamins and minerals when the fat is extracted. Furthermore, the flavor that is removed with the fat has to be replaced with something palatable. This leads many fat-free products to become more sugary than before.

If you found this article helpful, show these 11 rules of healthy eating to friends and family who may be misguided when it comes to diets. What do you think about this list? Let us know in the comments!

Our content is created to the best of our knowledge, yet it is of general nature and cannot in any way substitute an individual consultation by your doctor. Your health is important to us!