MYTH: Eating margarine is bad for you
health,food,diets,lifestyle
butter with butter knife
We all rejoiced when the news broke that butter was better for you than low-fat margarine due to all of the artery-clogging trans-fats contained within margarine. Thanks to a consumer backlash against these unhealthy spreads, today\'s reduced-fat spreads have been reformulated with healthy poly and mono-unsaturated fats, making them a healthier alternative to butter. Sorry about that.
MYTH: White meat is lower in fat than red meat
health,food,diets,lifestyle
fillet steak
We\'re always being told to swap red meat for white or, even better give up red meat entirely if we want to be slim. The fact is, it all depends on the quality of meat you choose. A lean sirloin steak has only 5g of fat per 100g while chicken thighs can have up to 9g per 100g making lean red meat the healthier choice. You shouldn\'t have to cut red meat out of your diet if you enjoy it, just choose leaner choices and trim as much fat off as possible.
MYTH: Blueberries are higher in antioxidants than other fruits
health,food,diets,lifestyle
woman holding blueberries
Blueberries were hailed as the new superfood recently thanks to the high levels of antioxidants they contain but that does not mean you should be throwing them down your neck and shunning every other fruit. While blueberries score high on the oxygen radical absorbance capacity scale, scientists have found other foods that score even higher, including dark chocolate. So the next time you\'re craving something sweet, have a couple of squares of chocolate containing a high percentage of cocoa and enjoy guilt-free!
MYTH: coffee is bad for you
health,food,diets,lifestyle
coffee
Forget that - time to start enjoying this morning reviver again! Lisa Miles, Nutrition Scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation, says: \'Moderate coffee intake (3-4 cups per day) is not a health hazard. However, the Food Standards Agency recommends that pregnant women limit their consumption of caffeine to a maximum of 300 mg per day, approximately 4 cups of instant coffee.\'
MYTH: avoid high-cholesterol eggs
health,food,diets,lifestyle
eggs
Although they contain cholesterol, it is now known that cholesterol from our diet has little influence on blood cholesterol concentrations in healthy people, says Lisa Miles. \'Eggs are a source of protein. They also provide vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, niacin, biotin and vitamin B12.\' Eggs for breakfast have also been shown to contribute to a lower calorie intake for the rest of the day!
MYTH: get your \'five-a-day\' from pre-packed salads
health,food,diets,lifestyle
salad
Don\'t be fooled by the advertising! It\'s much better to buy fresh and make your own, according to nutritional therapist Jane Frank. \'Pre-packaged salad is very expensive and has been cut up so the vitamin content is reduced or non-existent. It is washed in a chlorine solution and prepared in a way that means it doesn\'t appear to deteriorate even though it may be up to a month old.\'
MYTH: fat is bad for you
health,food,diets,lifestyle
fats
Rubbish - that\'s just referring to artery-hardening saturated fats! Your body needs \'good fats\' to stay healthy, and the British Dietetic Association says these include polyunsaturated fats from sunflower, soya, sesame and corn oils, monounsaturated fats such as olive and rapeseed oils and omega 3 fats (essential fatty acids which cannot be made in the body in sufficient amounts) from oily fish such as pilchards, sardines, salmon and mackerel.
MYTH: skipping breakfast will help keep you slim
health,food,diets,lifestyle
breakfast
If only that were true. Lisa Miles of the British Nutrition Foundation says that it could be the opposite. Research shows that those who do not eat breakfast tend to overcompensate and eat more later in the day, possibly making unhealthy choices. But only eat breakfast if you\'re hungry - pack something to take to work with you if you don\'t like eating as soon as you wake up.
MYTH: drink \'diet\' drinks to satisfy a sweet tooth
health,food,diets,lifestyle
diet drink
If your body really needs something sweet, why deny it by trying to fool it with a substitute? Liz Tucker, health and wellbeing consultant, says: \'\"Sugar substitutes are 1000 sweeter than sugar so they are going to make you crave far more of the stuff! You can lose sweet cravings but not if you eat or drink things with sugar substitutes in. It\'s much better to drink plenty of water and eat fresh fruit.\"
