You can find anything on the Internet these days, like pictures of cats or double rainbows, but when it comes to your health, exercise and diet, the last place you should be getting your info is from Facebook or Instagram. Unfortunately most of those posts are simply opinions formulated with anecdotal information or someone trying to sell you something. I will try and clear up some of a few common myths, backed by evidence based research studies, from top professionals in the fields of science. So strap in, hold on, and let’s set some facts straight!
1) You should do fasted cardio to burn the most fat!
Unfortunately this statement is not backed by anything other than misinformation of how you use energy. You do not burn more body fat by not eating; actually research has found a 20% increase in total energy expenditure throughout the day if you eat something prior to working out. So by all means, go ahead and grab a light snack before you hit the trails.
2) Don’t eat after 8pm, or 7pm, or is it 5pm?
Another popular trend that is totally made up. More important than when is what and how much you eat! Whether you eat your whole day’s food in one meal (which is not recommended) or over a few meals per day, it makes almost no difference to your body weight, as long as you are staying within an appropriate caloric balance.
3) Certain foods have negative calories, like cucumber and popcorn.
While it does take calories for you to digest food they do not cancel out calories. About 10% of the calories found in food is used to help digestion. So in regards to that cucumber about 2 calories are used to digest the 25 total calories, leaving you with 23 net calories in that one serving of cucumber.
4) Don’t eat fruit as it can make you fat because it is high in sugar.
Have you ever met someone who said, “These bananas are making me fat”? Didn’t think so, while fruit does have sugar in it, fruits also provide essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber that combat various health conditions. Making sure you are “eating your fruit vs drinking it” is an important caveat, as the blood sugar rise and digestion rate is accelerated with juices. As long as you are getting your appropriate balance of fruits you won’t have to worry about those apples appearing on the love-handles.
Hope that clears up some of the confusion!
To learn more about the myths and facts about your diet and nutrition, schedule a free and friendly health assessment with one of our top certified health experts here! We’ll set you on the right path!
