When it comes to nutrition and diet, we expect a little bit of everything. It’s difficult to sort things out and really know what is true or not. Here's the truth about 10 diet myths.
Frozen fruits and vegetables contain fewer nutrients than fresh fruits and vegetables
MYTH.
Fresh fruits and vegetables retain all their nutritional properties. However, the further away they come from, the longer you take to consume them after picking, the more they will lose vitamins and minerals. Frozen products are no less nutritionally interesting. In fact, they are generally frozen immediately after harvest, to preserve as much as possible their nutritional properties but also the visual appearance. Of course, they lose a little. Favor fruits and vegetables but if you ever run out of time, always have frozen fruits and vegetables available.
Guava is the fruit richest in vitamin C
REALITY.
Despite what you may think, it is not the orange which is the fruit richest in vitamin C but the guava. There are 228 mg of vitamin C per 100 g of guava compared to 57 mg for orange. To get the most out of your fresh fruits and vegetables, it is best to eat them raw, as they retain all their vitamins.
To provide calcium, you should only drink milk
MYTH.
Even though milk is rich in calcium with 11 mg of calcium per 100 ml of half-skimmed milk, it is far from being the only source. Fruits and vegetables are also an interesting source of calcium; especially those of the cruciferous family, i.e. turnips, radishes, watercress, cabbages, etc. They contain on average 30 mg/100 gr. There are also mineral waters rich in calcium such as Courmayeur (576 mg/L), Hépart (549 mg/L), Contrex (468 mg/L), Badoit (153 mg/L) and Perrier (150 mg/L). ).
Spinach is very rich in iron
MYTH.
We all have images in our heads of Popeye who is strong because he consumes spinach which is rich in iron. However, it is far from being the richest vegetable in iron. Beans, lentils or oysters contain more.
Do you know ?
It is 2.7 mg of iron per 100 g of spinach and not 27 mg. It was a simple misplaced comma in the 19th century that gave birth to this false legend.
Vitamin C prevents you from sleeping
MYTH.
Essential for facing winter or for coping with fatigue, vitamin C strengthens your immune system and boosts your energy. This does not mean that it will prevent you from sleeping. It has no stimulating power, however, a good intake of vitamin C, in the long term, helps combat fatigue.
You must eliminate starchy foods to lose weight
MYTH.
It's important to set the record straight about carbohydrates: they don't make you fat! No food will make you gain weight if you consume it in reasonable quantities; just like a food will not miraculously make you lose weight. Weight gain depends largely on your total calorie consumption but also on the nutritional quality of your meals. Starchy foods (foods richest in carbohydrates) provide you with long-term energy and are particularly filling, such as pasta, potatoes, wholemeal bread, etc. Eating carbohydrates therefore allows you to be less hungry and ultimately, to eat less. Quite useful for not gaining weight, right?
Oil is fatter than butter
REALITY.
Made up of 100% lipids, oil is the most caloric fat. Conversely, butter is made up of 80% lipids. No need to completely replace the oil with butter. These two types of fats provide different and essential fatty acids to your body. It is advisable to vary your intake.
Skipping a meal makes you lose weight
MYTH.
Does skipping a meal to lose weight faster seem like a good idea? Think again ! Eating when you are hungry is one of the first rules to follow when dieting. Indeed, if you decide to skip a meal, there is a very good chance that you will give in to snacking urges later. This will lead to a calorie surplus at the end of the day, preventing you from reaching your weight goals.
White chocolate is much more caloric than dark chocolate
MYTH.
For all chocolate or milk lovers, this is good news! 100g of chocolate brings you between 500 and 600 calories, whether dark, white or milk. For example, 100 grams of dark chocolate with 40% cocoa provides you with 30 grams of fat and 55 grams of carbohydrates. While white chocolate provides 32g of lipids and 58g of carbohydrates. The differences are minimal.
Do you know ?
Dark chocolate: sugar + cocoa mass + cocoa butter. Milk chocolate: sugar + cocoa mass + cocoa butter + milk powder. White chocolate: sugar + cocoa butter + milk powder.
Fruit juices are as sweet as soda
REALITY.
On average, fruit juice provides you with 9 to 12 grams of sugar per 100 ml compared to 10 grams in a soda. Well-preserved fruit juice can provide you with fiber, vitamins and minerals unlike soda.
In summary.
It is important to always keep a critical opinion when it comes to nutrition and not believe everything you hear. Form your own opinion by taking an interest in the products you consume.
