Remember Molly McButter, the fake butter of the 90’s?
I used to dump that stuff on everything.
It was “fat-free” and heaven forbid I ate real butter. It had fat!
These days, I know better.
The idea that fat makes you fat is just false.
Good fats, including organic pasture-raised butter, are light years better for my health and waistline than those partially hydrogenated sprinkles.
And I’m not just bashing ole’ Molly here.
Remember the Special K Diet?
Eat two square bowls of Special K cereal a day and you’ll be rocking a bikini.
How about Diet Coke being a weight loss alternative to Coke? (That one is such a fat lie, it just makes me sweat. Diet Coke increases your appetite exponentially more than Coke)
If you’ve fallen for one of these gimmicks, it’s not your fault.
Most of what stocks supermarket shelves are lab creations, craftily marketed to you by a multi-billion dollar food industry.
It’s caused a lot of confusion about fat, calories and exercise.
But no worries, I’ve got your back.
I’ve broken it down for you, so you can start being the healthiest person you know.
5 Biggest Healthy Eating Lies
Lie #1 “Eating “low-fat” or “fat-free” keeps the fat off”
Eating fat doesn’t make you fat. Healthy fats help you lose weight!
They help the body absorb vitamins, give you energy and make you feel more satisfied after a meal.
Food manufacturers make up for the lack of fat in products by using artificial sugars, iodized salt and cheap refined oils like soy and canola(Canola oil, which is so refined it’s practically not fit for human consumption, is a whole other health food lie).
The real culprit behind diabetes and obesity is eating too much sugar and refined carbs, which is pretty much all that is contained in low-fat and fat-free products.
Here are some great healthy fats you can start eating today: olive oil, extra virgin coconut oil, walnuts, sunflower seeds, avocados, ground flaxseed, sardines and wild salmon.
Lie #2 “Eat less calories, lose weight”
The idea that weight loss is simply calories in, calories out is a lie.
Your digestive system is not a math equation.
First, counting calories is useless if you’re not eating the right foods.
Take 100 calories of broccoli versus a 100 calorie bag of pretzels.
The broccoli delivers fiber, protein, antioxidants and will help you maintain a normal blood sugar level, so you won’t crash and crave sweets.
The bag of pretzels, however, has practically no nutrition, has inflammatory properties and will spike your blood sugar, leaving you sluggish and hungry.
Focusing on calories ignores whether you’re getting the right nutrition. Restricting calories is also not a long-term solution for weight loss, which if you’ve tried it you already know.
But worse, it destroys the joy of eating and teaches you to ignore your body’s natural ability to sense when you’re full.
Instead, start eating more leafy greens and plant-based foods. Eat less sugar and processed food. When you sit down, chew your food, put down your fork in between bites and breathe.
Lie #3 “Gluten-Free products are healthy”
If you go home and stock your pantry with gluten free pretzels, muffins and pancake mix, you won’t see any improvements in health.
The bulk of gluten free products on the market are pure junk.
Most of it is made with refined white rice (stripped of fiber), sugar, salt and about a billion additives.
Cutting out wheat and gluten can reduce the body’s inflammation, which in turn can help dramatically with weight loss and other health issues.
But if you’re replacing wheat with a sugar bomb, you’ll never experience the benefits of a gluten-free diet. Instead of relying on gluten-free products, stick with naturally gluten-free foods like brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, beans, fruits and vegetables.
Check out my blog or the Gluten Free Goddess for easy gluten free recipes.
Lie #4 “Replacing meals with green smoothies is healthy”
I love green smoothies. They’re delicious and it’s a fantastic way to put my veggie scraps to use. Hello broccoli stems in the kids’ chocolate shakes!
Some of you may have even seen me doing a green smoothie demonstration.
But while smoothies are great once in a while, blending all your meals is not great.
Humans were designed to chew their food. Chewing releases enzymes that prepare the body for digestion.
And you don’t want to mess with digestion.
Getting those bowels flowing is key to a healthy immune system.
Blending large batches of fruits and veggies can also be a lot of compact calories to drink in one sitting.
So enjoy an occasional green smoothie. Just make sure most of your food is going down the old fashioned way.
Side note: skip the bottled smoothies at the supermarket. Those are mostly sugary fruit juices.
Lie #5 “Exercise your way to weight lose”
Unfortunately, exercise can’t wipe away a bad diet.
To burn off one 20-ounce soda, you would have to walk four and a half miles and to burn off one supersized fast-food meal, you’d have to run four miles a day, every day for a week, according to author and physician Mark Hyman.
Don’t get me wrong, exercise is fantastic!
Walking 30 minutes a day helps you maintain a healthy blood sugar level, is a natural anti-depressant and extends your life.
But without changing what you're eating, exercise won’t help you lose much weight.
First, focus on eating more foods grown in nature. Then cut back on sugar and processed foods and you’ll start getting more results from your workout.