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7 Diet Myths Debunked

Shape — Thu, 05 May 2011 04:45:49 PDT

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar. Wondering if all those weight-loss tips are true? Here are seven common diet myths debunked!

Some "diet facts" are repeated so often that women can be pretty convinced that they know everything there is to know about fat, carbs and hunger. But when you peel back the platitudes and look at the research, the truth about eating healthy food-and what fills you up and what trims you down can surprise you. Find out the real truth about these common diet myths.

The Lowdown on Detox Products

FitSugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 11:00:00 PST

Stepping on the heels of yesterday's news that Gwyneth Paltrow is, yet again, doing a New Year's detox, there's a report claiming that products promoted as detoxifying agents lack meaningful evidence. The Oxford English Dictionary defines detox as the removal of toxic substances or qualities, yet none of the 15 products tested by members of the Voice of Young Science network met the requirements of that definition.

The group investigated various products with detox labels, like bottled water, shampoo, detox patches, and vitamins, and challenged the detox claims made by the companies behind these products. According to BBC News, the scientists said, "In the majority of cases, producers and retailers were forced to admit that they had simply renamed processes like cleaning or brushing, as detox."

The researchers identified detox products as a waste of money and said, "Anyone worried about the aftereffects of Christmas overindulgence would get the same benefits from eating healthily and getting plenty of sleep." My thoughts, exactly.

Source

Can You Debunk Diet Myths?

FitSugar — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 09:00:00 PDT

Losing weight is hard, but finding misinformation about dieting is frighteningly easy. Although I spend a lot of time debunking diet myths on FitSugar, I also never cease to get questions from readers wondering about the latest facts and fads. Can your separate truth from fiction? Take my true or false quiz to find out.

Source

Take the Quiz

Reality Check: What's the Deal With Fergie's Vinegar Shots?

FitSugar — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 03:30:00 PDT

In a recent Glamour interview, Fergie Ferg revealed that one of her diet tricks is shots of organic apple cider, unfiltered. She said:

"Two tablespoons. For some reason I've noticed a difference on my stomach. I just trusted [my trainer] on this one. I'm sharing. I'm all about sharing secrets."

Does anyone else smell a magic bullet? Now, I have read that drinking apple cider vinegar (ACV) can help with many ailments, but never weight loss, so I decided to do a little investigation. To see what I found out just

Basically what I found out is that there is very little evidence in the ACV for weight loss category, with little scientific backing whatsoever. WebMD does speculate that white vinegar (and perhaps other types) might help people feel full, but this was the results of a test on only 12 people. Remembering a quote I love from Dr. Andrew Weil about ACV, I decided to see what his expert opinion is on the whole matter. He said:

"There is absolutely no scientific evidence showing that apple cider vinegar can aid in weight loss or that it contains any magic ingredients that help you to shed pounds. Back in the 1970s when this diet took its place among the many weight loss fads and scams, proponents claimed that somehow a combination of apple cider, kelp, vitamin B-6, and lecithin fooled the body's metabolism into burning fat faster than it would normally.

These days the claims are far less elaborate - supposedly, all you need to do to lose weight is to take one, two, or three teaspoons of apple cider vinegar before every meal, starting with one teaspoon and then working up to two or three. I understand that taking more than three teaspoons isn't supposed to lead to better results. The only dieting advice you get with this 'diet' is to eat moderate portions at meals, avoid snacking, and wait for the apple cider vinegar to reduce your hunger and food cravings."

So there you have it. If you're looking to lose weight, I know it seems easy to say, "Fergie looks great and all she does is take two tablespoons of ACV," but I'm willing to bet my left arm that she works out and eats right and did not get that body from ACV. The formula for weight loss, once again, is healthy eating and daily exercise.

Source

Diet Myths: True or False

FitSugar — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 11:45:00 PDT

Nutritionist Joy Bauer is on a one woman mission to dispel many diet myths.

Answer the following statements as true or false.

Take the Quiz

Do You Avoid Eating Late at Night to Prevent Weight Gain?

Leta Shy — Mon, 21 May 2012 12:18:46 PDT

On one hand, knowing how to eat right can be simple - eat when you're hungry, and stick to nutritious foods that fill you up and keep you satisfied. But another component of playing the weight loss game is when you eat, and that's when things can get complicated.

While studies have proven that eating late at night doesn't automatically lead to your body storing more fat, a new study in mice has found a link between when you eat and weight gain. Researchers looked at two groups of mice, both of which were fed the same amount of a high-fat diet, and found that the mice who were only allowed to eat during an eight-hour period during the day ended up gaining less weight than the mice that were allowed to eat the same amount of food any time during the day and night.

Researchers believe that the difference in weight gain is due to the fact that the body's organs operate at peak efficiency at different times, so everything from your liver to your muscles may be burning more calories and working harder depending on the time of day or night. Frequent eating throughout the day and night, they say, may throw off your body's metabolic cycles, so you may be more successful with weight loss if you stop eating at a certain point during your day (even if you are eating the same amount of food).

This newest study is just one more piece of information in the late-night eating debate, but the theory hasn't been tested on humans yet. And it's important to note that this study doesn't prove the myth that you shouldn't eat past a certain time to avoid your food turning into fat - the study is just saying that restricting when you eat to a certain time period may help regulate your metabolic cycles. In any case, what's your take on the issue: do you avoid eating late at night to prevent gaining weight?

13 Health Gimmicks You Can Stop Wasting Money On

Business Insider — Tue, 01 May 2012 00:15:21 PDT

Consumers have a tendency of falling for the next big health gimmick. Save your money on health duds with these Business Insider tips.

No matter how many times we're told otherwise, Americans' obsession with get-healthy-quick schemes will likely never die. Too bad most of these fads aren't worth their weight in salt - or your hard-earned dollars. We've put together a list of some of the worst budget-sucking health trends that still persist today.

Coconut Water

Coconut water may be nature's version of Gatorade but some brands have already caught fire for over-hyping its nutrient content. Vita Coco agreed to settle a $10 million class action lawsuit over an independent study that showed the drinks didn't pack near as many electrolytes as advertisements implied. Some coconut waters are also loaded with added sugar, which will do nothing to help your waistline.

Alternative: Pick up your own young green coconuts on the cheap from an Asian produce market. Just crack them open with a cleaver and pop in a straw.

"All-Natural" Foods

30 percent of Americans bought more natural foods in 2011, according to a Rodale study. But what are we really paying more for? There's no clear cut regulation on what makes food "natural," which means just about any company can slap that label on its packages, add a fancy green theme and jack up the price.

Says Andrew Schrage of MoneyCrashers: "Before buying any food that is touted as being 'all natural,' take a look at the ingredient list before you check out. Keep in mind that butter and salt are indeed natural ingredients. So stocking up on natural foods may not achieve anything other than increasing your grocery bill."

Read on for more.

5 Diet and Fitness Myths That Pack on Pounds

Prevention — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 03:06:50 PDT

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

Don't let one of these rumors prevent you from reaching your weight loss goals.
By Diana Kelly, Prevention

Sorry, Journey, but it's finally time to stop believing . . . In weight loss myths at least. Believing popular misconceptions can keep you from taking the right course of action to reach your goals, says Julia Valentour, MS, program coordinator and media spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise. Blaming a plateau (or a gain) on any of these half-truths will keep you stuck in your rut and derail your motivation. Here, five of the most pervasive diet-related rumors and the real scoop on how to hit your goal weight for good.

1. "I exercise every day, so I can eat whatever I want."

The sad truth: Even if you work out religiously, going to yoga several times a week and sweating it out in Spinning, it's not a license to eat as much as you want and still expect to lose weight. This may seem obvious, but the desire to reward a workout well done is natural; after all, you endured those endless vinyasas - you deserve an extra slice of pizza (or three), right? Not if you're trying to lose weight.

"You can outeat your workout," says Valentour. Even though you burn calories and fat when you exercise, it's often not as much as you think - or what the readout on the treadmill tells you. Use Prevention's Daily Calorie Calculator tool to see how many calories you should eat each day.

Valentour recommends eating 250 fewer calories per day and aiming to burn an extra 250 calories a day; that creates enough of a calorie deficit to achieve an average weight loss of a pound a week.

6 Lamest excuses for not losing weight

2. "It's harder for women to lose weight than for men."

OK, this one has some basis. Biologically, men are built with more lean muscle mass (the compact, tight muscles that keep metabolism humming) than women are - meaning his metabolism is working at a 5 to 10 percent higher rate (even if he's the same height and weight as you) when you're lying on the couch together. Annoying, isn't it?

Another biological challenge women face is that we generally have more body fat than men do, and our bodies are more inclined to store it. On top of that, women lose about 1/2 pound of calorie-burning muscle mass a year during peri-menopause and sometimes a pound a year during menopause. With the deck stacked against you, why bother trying to fit back in your skinny jeans?

You can do something about these problems, but it's going to take some work - and sweat. Add strength training to your fitness routine at least twice a week to shed fat and build lean muscle mass that will fire up your resting metabolism.

Get more tips on how to lose weight like a guy

Prevention clears up three more myths after the break.

5 Crazy Fit Female Vegetarian and Vegan Athletes

Leta Shy — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 02:36:00 PDT

There's a myth that vegans don't get enough nutrients, but then there's athletes like ultramarathoner Brendan Brazier, whose book Thrive explains how a plant-based diet helps improve performance and recovery when training, and superstar sprinter Carl Lewis, who credits a vegan diet for helping him win all those Olympic gold medals. Brendan and Carl are not the only ones to tout a plant-based lifestyle - check out how it has helped these five vegan and vegetarian female athletes stay fast and fit.

Sources: Getty, ruthheidrich.com

Foodie Friday Link Time: Green Up Your Breakfast Sammie

Susi May — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 10:47:13 PDT

Green up your breakfast: kale and avocado morning sammie - Healthy Happy Life
More than a snack food, here are five ways to prepare edamame - Vegetarian Times
Food myths: don't be duped by diet half-truths - HuffPost Healthy Living
Broccoli and raisins together? You betcha - Eating Bird Food
Give your St. Patty's Day menu a healthy upgrade with these recipes - Shape
Healthify your Irish soda bread with two tweaks to the traditional recipe - Daily Spark
Munch on! Healthy snacks to satisfy common cravings - Real Simple