Food and health myths

You may know some or many of these.  Some of them hang around because conventional thinking takes a long time to change.  Some of them are perpetuated by the companies that profit from them.

Number 6

Myth: If I have blood work and my doctor doesn’t call to tell me something is wrong or I get my results and they say everything is in the normal range, I am good.

Truth: The problem is in the wording “normal” and “good” don’t equate.  One third of “normal” American will develop type II diabetes, 20% will die of a heart attack, 800,000 a year will have a stroke, 13% will have dementia by age 70.  Don’t be normal, be optimal.

Number 5

Myth:  Alcohol is good for you.

Fact: The more we learn, the more we find out that the less alcohol we drink the better it is for our health.  Yes, red wine has polyphenols from grape skins, but so do grapes, blackberries, blueberries, flaxseeds, coffee and tea.

Number 4

Myth:  We should follow the USDA guidelines for food intake.

Fact: The USDA says that we should consume 10% of our calories from added sugar, as just one example.  This is way too high.  It should ideally be zero and saved for special occasions, but 10%?  The USDA lists their priorities on their website usda.gov.  They are racial justice, climate change, new market opportunities and food and nutrition insecurity.  The agency that gives us our nutrition guidelines should not be conflicted.  If they are looking out for farmers that includes sugar beet and corn farmers for high fructose corn syrup, they are not looking out for the health of Americans.

Number 3

Myth:  It is good to eat small frequent meals or smaller meals and snack throughout the day.

Fact: Your body needs times of no food.  It uses these shorter times during the day between meals and a longer time at night for cellular repair.  It is best to have four hours between last food of the day and sleep.  It is good for cellular repair and to reduce reflux.

Number 2

Myth: Using unrefined sugars such as honey, maple syrup or agave are a healthy option.

Fact: Honey and maple syrup may have a slightly lower glycemic index and a tiny amount of nutrients, but there is a minimal difference from refined table sugar.

Number 1

Myth: Calories in, minus calories out equal weight gained or lost.

Fact: Where do I start?  This is complete bupkes.  Please look at the posts from Sept. 28, 2023, Oct. 26, 2023 and Nov. 9, 2023 for more information, but let me say that anybody, especially a doctor that tells somebody to eat less and exercise more to lose weight is like telling someone with depression to cheer up or someone with an alcohol problem to drink less alcohol and thinking that will solve those problems.  It’s just ridiculous, but it happens all the time.

It is important to know that I am not telling anybody what they should or shouldn’t eat.  Eat or drink what you want but do it with intentionality and knowledge.