It seems that not a day goes by without there being another article published about how obesity is on the rise across the UK. Times are definitely troubled but the fact is, we've been pushed towards a diet low in fat and high in carbs. How? By nutrition lies that are, quite literally, making us sick.
You've probably heard quite a few of them already but now I want to separate fact from fiction. One of the most common myths is that eggs are bad for your health. This is total rubbish! Even though they are high in cholesterol, eggs primarily raise the "good" cholesterol in your blood. They're also packed with protein, health fats, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
The Difference between Calories
You may also have heard the argument that 'a calorie is a calorie.' This one is certainly not true. It's not a case of 'calories in, calories out' because your nutrition is far more important than that. Calories matter. In order to have best health and gain the best results from our fitness, we need to carefully choose the type of foods that we eat and where we get our calories from. The best foods will boost our metabolic rate and increase muscle mass. We must also avoid ingesting calories from sources that stimulate the appetite.
You may have also been told to avoid saturated fat like the plague. In reality, studies have proven that saturated fats don't increase the risk of heart disease and boost your levels of good cholesterol. That other "enemy" - protein - has a positive, long-term impact on bone health and a protein-rich diet can have many important health benefits.
I'd also like to take the opportunity to dispel the 'coffee myth'. Coffee drinkers have a much lower risk of developing many serious diseases including Parkinson's Disease, liver disease and Type II diabetes. Coffee is also packed with antioxidants and boosts metabolism to increase your exercise performance.
I've got some more news that might surprise in that the low-fat, high-carb diet is not the healthiest of them all. This diet will not help you to lose weight or decrease the risk of heart disease and cancer. While it may be more effective for those of us who follow a healthy diet and exercise regularly, it can be harmful for people with metabolic syndrome, diabetes or those struggling with their weight.
Finally, we want to dispel that harmful myth that 'fat can make you fat.' This is far from the truth! Even though it would seem to be logical that a diet high in fat will make you fat, it's not nearly as straightforward as that. You will only gain fat if you are in a calorie surplus and higher fat can even facilitate better fat loss as long as you keep your carb consumption to a minimum. Fat is your body's primary energy source and even though it has more calories per gram than protein or carbohydrates, it is not the fat in your diet that is making you fat.
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