Dietitian busts 7 common diet and wellness myths
- Written by The Ideas Suite
With the endless amount of health and wellness information available these days, do we know fact from fiction – or are we following fads blindly? From avoiding fatty foods to low-carb diets being key to weight loss, a leading dietitian breaks through some common false beliefs by explaining the truth behind healthy eating.
Teri Lichtenstein is Consulting Dietitian at Entity Health (entity-health.com), a line of Australian-made natural health supplements designed to treat specific health and skin conditions at a cellular level.
Teri says: “Countless diet and wellness myths are circulating these days, particularly with people going to ‘Doctor Google’ for health advice. A quick internet search of common health queries can lead down a rabbit hole of dos and don’ts about what to eat, what to avoid, and how to exercise. However, following uninformed or misguided health regimes and dieting fads can deprive the body of essential energy sources and vitamins, which could lead to nutrient deficiencies.”
“As a dietitian, I’ve heard plenty of diet myths over the years that people follow in an attempt to fix various health woes. If you don’t feel 100 per cent or you have specific health goals you want to achieve, it’s best to speak to a healthcare professional. If you are deficient in particular nutrients or have underlying conditions to address, you could also consider incorporating into your diet a daily supplement that specifically addresses these concerns.”
Teri reveals 7 common health myths – and sets the record straight:
- Food cravings indicate your body is lacking in nutrients. It is highly unlikely your cravings are a sign of nutritional deficiencies. Most people tend to crave sugar, salt and fats rather than fresh fruits and vegetables. For example, if a chocolate craving was an indication of lacking magnesium, your body would more likely crave foods higher in magnesium such as spinach, nuts or beans. The reasons behind cravings are complex and can be caused by a combination of factors – emotional, psychological, social and hormonal.
- Chocolate will make your skin break out. While chocolate is often laden with sugar and saturated fat, there is little evidence to support the idea that it directly causes acne. However, the high glycemic load (the quantity of carbohydrates consumed as well as the rate of carbohydrate absorption) of chocolate can lead to higher serum glucose levels and insulin levels, which are known to be a potential cause for acne. Research has found that a low glycemic load diet with minimal sugar, white rice and white bread reduces acne by decreasing the inflammation and size of the oil-producing sebaceous glands in the skin.[1] For those wanting to address skin-related issues, you could consider taking a skin supplement that contains the master antioxidant glutathione, which can help to reduce blemishes and provide a more even skin tone.
- Reduced carbs lead to weight loss. Dropping a few kilograms on a low-carb diet may lead people to believe it is the cure for weight-gain woes. This type of diet likely comprises lower overall calories and less junk food, leading to the weight loss. Conversely, carbohydrates are a vital energy source that, when limited, can cause feelings of lethargy. Most adults should be aiming for six serves of cereals per day,[2] best found in wholegrain carbohydrate forms such as brown rice and wholegrain bread, which provide a slow release of sustained energy.
- Dried fruit is a good ‘skinny snack’. The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend two serves of fruit per day,[3] but what are the rules for dried fruit? Almost all of the water is sucked from fruit during the drying process, which concentrates the fruit’s natural sugar and calories a lot. This is why dried fruit should be enjoyed as a ‘sometimes snack’, as the high amounts of sugar and kilojoules can cause weight gain and even tooth decay if eaten too often.[4]
- Drinking coffee can help with weight loss. Coffee is a stimulant that increases our metabolic rate by boosting adrenaline, which can help burn more calories and break down fat. However, this is only a short-term effect. Drinking coffee every day isn’t a recommended or effective strategy for weight loss, as our tolerance to caffeine builds up over time. Over time, a large dose of caffeine would be needed to increase metabolic rate significantly and this can cause unpleasant symptoms such as interrupted sleep, sweating, increased heart rate and anxiety.
- The body doesn’t absorb nutrients via supplements. Eating a well-balanced diet is always the recommended way of getting all the nutrients we need. For those who eat a healthy diet and are still low in certain nutrients, supplements are a helpful way of giving our bodies a strategic boost of crucial nutrients when needed. For example, pregnant women may choose to incorporate more iron and vitamin D into their diet with a supplement, and are also recommended to incorporate a folic acid supplement.[5] In fact, the body actually absorbs folate easier when it is in the form of a supplement rather than through food.[6]
- Supplements only address nutritional deficiencies. If you think supplements do work, but only if they are to provide vitamins and minerals and nothing else, think again. There are many supplements on the market that can support the body in more ways than just filling nutrient gaps. For example, glutathione is an antioxidant that helps to regulate oxidative stress, which can promote youthful skin and reduce blemishes. Another powerhouse ingredient – nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide – is a chemical compound that helps turn nutrients into energy and repairs DNA damage from ageing.
About Entity Health
Entity Health is a line of Australian-made nutraceuticals developed to improve specific health and skin conditions at a cellular level. Its supplements – containing natural ingredients and scientifically formulated under current Good Manufacturing Practices – help to manage chronic and lifestyle-based conditions, delay the onset of age-related conditions and diseases, and improve wellbeing. Since it was launched in 2017 by its Singaporean publicly listed parent company, iX Biopharma, Entity Health sells 12 nutraceutical products across 5 countries. Entity Health products are designed, developed and manufactured in Australia. For more information, visit entity-health.com.
[1] Diet and Dermatology, US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4106357/
[2] Better Health Channel, Government of Victoria, 2019 https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/HealthyLiving/weight-loss-and-carbohydrates?viewAsPdf=true
[3] Eat for Health, Australian Government Department of Health, https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/food-essentials/how-much-do-we-need-each-day/recommended-number-serves-adults
[4] Eat for Health, Australia Government Department of Health, https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/food-essentials/five-food-groups/fruit
[5] Health Direct Australia, Australian Government Department of Health https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/vitamins-and-minerals
[6] Better Health Channel, Government of Victoria https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/vitamin-and-mineral-supplements
Scott Morrison
