Diet Myths that won't go away

Myths and misinformation about diet, digestion and metabolism exist despite having little scientific evidence to support the claims. Here are five common myths with some straight answers about how your body works.

1. You shouldn’t eat carbohydrates at night

Carbohydrates are not more likely to turn into body fat when eaten at night. Although your metabolism slows in the evening when you sleep, your digestion doesn’t. It’s a matter of limiting total calories for the day that matters. Overeating at night is the real issue.

2. You need to snack regularly to boost your metabolism

Provided your total calorie count is the same, research shows that your metabolic rate will be the same, whether you eat three larger meals or six smaller meals a day. Snacking is a good idea if it helps you avoid
being overly hungry at meal times.

3. You can’t eat carbohydrate and protein at the same time

Your digestive system has enough specific enzymes to digest both carbohydrate and protein. If this claim was true, you wouldn’t be able to eat potatoes or bread, which contain both carbohydrate and protein. This type of diet also fails the practicality test.

4. Fasting cleanses your system

The opposite can be true. Going without food puts your body into starvation mode and produces chemicals called ketones that can place a burden on your kidneys and give you bad breath. The idea is to ‘dejunk’ your diet rather than go on a ‘detox’ diet.

5. Fat-Free foods are ‘Guilt-Free’

Snack bars, drinks or lollies that claim to be 99% Fat-Free often contain large amounts of sugar, which provide concentrated calories. These foods certainly aren’t ‘Guilt-Free’ as the marketing suggests, so you might want to return the product for a refund!