Diet Myths, Busted

Words by Katherine C. Eustaquio
Published in Action & Fitness Magazine November 2009 issue

I was stunned to see an old classmate, who we used to tease “Rolly Polly Susie” because she was nearing obesity, with her brand new 26-inch waistline. When I asked how she managed to shed the unwanted fats in record time, her eyes lit up and she said, “I don’t eat. But when I feel like I’m about to vomit, I eat a cube of cheese.”

My mind raced back to that movie, The Devil Wears Prada, and its amazing effects on the female psyche. I looked from her semi-sullen face, to her waist, and to her Grande-sized Frappucino and said, “It was a pleasure knowing you Susie,” because the way I see it, her diet is fast becoming “die with a T.”

Susie’s penchant for starvation yielded the results she wanted—instant weight loss. However, the long-term effects of her drastic measures would greatly affect her health as her body is not getting the nutrients it needs to function properly. Starvation is not dieting. It’s suicide.

Weight loss has become a lucrative enterprise. And with the number of diet fads ranging from scientifically proven to just plain crazy, the first thing you should learn when losing weight is this: it doesn’t happen overnight. Depriving yourself of food could land you not the person of your dreams, but a possible doctor’s appointment.

So instead of trying every diet regimen, let us first determine the what’s hot and the what’s not in the diet world.

Myth #1: Stay away from French Fries. Potatoes are fattening.
Busted: Actually, it’s the amount of fat in French Fries that make you fat, not the potatoes. By themselves, potatoes and other starchy vegetables are excellent sources of vitamins C, potassium, fiber and iron. Health Canada and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said that high potassium and low –sodium foods like potatoes are good for the heart because they lower blood pressure and the decrease the risk of strokes. What makes them fattening is the way you eat them—deep fried, coated, or mashed with full cream milk, smeared with too much butter, and sprinkled with bacon bits and cheddar cheese.

Myth #2: Load up on water before mealtimes to suppress the appetite.
Busted: It isn’t a good idea to take too much water before meals as it may interfere with digestion. Elizabeth Somer, RD, author of 10 Habits That Mess Up a Woman's Diet, explains that when water binds with food, the digestion process becomes relatively slower.

Myth #3: Shrimps are bad because they are high in cholesterol.
Busted: Shrimps are jumping contradictions—they are high in cholesterol but low in saturated fat. Three ounces of shrimp cover over one-third of your daily cholesterol needs but they are also rich in Omega-3 fats that are good for the heart. An American study conducted by the researchers at the University of Southern California revealed that eating shellfish every week can effectively reduce the risk of heart attack by 59 %.

Myth #4: Diet and Sugar-Free beverages help you truly avoid sugar.
Busted: They are bogus in the sense that sugar comes with many names—dextrose, maltose, grape sugar, honey, lactose, etc—so just because they’re marked with “NO SUGAR”, it doesn’t mean you’re sugar-free.  Often, these diet treats can spark an enormous craving for the real thing and can lead to binge eating.

Myth #5: Eating more at night will make you fat.
Busted: The “After 6 Diet” claims that the body stores more fat at night because of its inactivity, ergo, you shouldn’t eat anything beyond 6 pm. And while most smart-ass people would attempt to load up on sinful treats before the said time, amazingly, this diet works for a lot of people. However, a study conducted at the Dunn Nutrition Centre in Cambridge revealed that it’s not the amount of food you eat at night that makes your body store fatter, but the total amount you consume in the span of 24 hours. Therefore, it’s the consistency that dictates the amount of fat your body stores.

Myth #6: Don’t eat nuts, they’ll make you fat.
Busted: Whoever started this myth is a nut. Nuts are high in protein, minerals, fiber, and non-clogging monounsaturated fats. In 1999, a study was published in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition in America that states diets rich in peanuts, peanut oil, peanut butter, and olive oil are healthier for the heart compared to low-fat diets. More and more studies have revealed that nuts aid not only in heart health but also in weight loss. Nevertheless, take note that eating nuts mean taking in more calories. A handful per serving is enough. Of course, all this is assuming that you’re not allergic to nuts in the first place.

Myth #7: Crash diets are short-term.
Busted: They do work and the results are, indeed, amazing. However, they are short-term. According to Claire MacEvilly, the nutritionist at the MRC Human Nutrition Research Centre in Cambridge, long term diets effectively burns fat while crash dieting eliminates the fats along with lean muscles and tissue. The sudden loss of lean muscles will make your basal metabolic rate (rate of daily calorie needs) drop, therefore, your body now needs fewer calories. When you resume your normal eating habits, the excess calories will make you gain more weight.

Now that we’ve shed light on some of the most common misconceptions about food and diet, here’s a summary of what we should stick to when it comes to weight loss:

Choose the right kind of food: Eating the right kinds of food is the best way to make any kind of diet work.  The best choices include vegetables, grilled fish, healthy oils, fruits, water, small servings of meat and poultry, and the occasional sinful treats. Avoid eating the bulk of it at night. A lot of studies have proven that eating fiber-rich food in the morning reduces your appetite as the day progresses.

Don’t forget to exercise: Going to the gym is absolutely optional. What’s important is that you keep moving. Walking is, still, the best and cheapest form of exercise that keeps you in shape without much conscious effort. Recreational sports like volleyball, tennis and bicycling also help in shedding those unwanted bulges. So instead of going psycho over calorie content, go sweat. You won’t wake up with a smaller waist if you don’t get up and move it.

Keep a positive outlook and be patient: Losing weight requires not only determination but also commitment. If you look more closely, it also takes faith and a truckload of patience. Don’t be disheartened if you don’t see the results you want a few days into the diet. Give it time. As we have mentioned earlier, long term diets are better compared to crash diets. Stay positive and unyielding. After all, it’s no pain, no gain.