INSPO Fitness Journal March 2018

10 FOOD
MYTHS
that change your life
BY STEPH CLAIRE SMITH AND LAURA HENSHAW,
FOUNDERS OF KICGIRLS.COM
Are you guilty of not eating
certain foods because you
were told they were bad for
you? Or convinced that
“fat-free” is healthy? You’re
not alone. We’re plating up
our top 10 food myths so you
can cook with confidence,
variety and flavour.
1. Fruit is sugary and you shouldn’t eat it.
Poor old fruit; it’s copped an unfair rep lately.
Fruit contains naturally occurring sugars
(not that sugars you find in chocolate bars)
and is high in water and fibre. We love fruit
and use it in our breakfast smoothies. Put
simply, eating fruit won’t make you fat.
2. Olive oil will clog your arteries.
Wrong! Olive oil consists of monounsaturated
and polyunsaturated fats which are the
good kinds of fat. Olive oil (which is part of
the Mediterranean diet) is loaded with antioxidants
and anti-inflammatories, and when
consumed properly, has no relationship to
weight gain or high cholesterol.
3. Eggs are bad for your heart.
Let’s crack this one. Egg paranoia is based on
the old assumption that eating the yolks will
raise blood cholesterol – not true. The cholesterol
in eggs has almost no effect on our
blood cholesterol levels. Cholesterol levels
are more influenced by saturated and trans
fat – not found in eggs.
4. Fat-free is healthy.
Be careful. “Fat-free” or “low fat” may not be
the smart option. Often these products are
loaded with sugars and chemicals to replace
the flavour. Also, when the fat is removed,
you’ll find you won’t feel full after eating, so
you could end up over-eating.
5. Eating fat will make you fat.
We can’t imagine our lives without avocado,
fish and nuts. Eating a diet with good fats
will fuel you with energy, help your body to
absorb fat-soluble vitamins, keep your brain
active and sharp, and will keep you fuller for
longer.
6. Fresh always beats frozen.
There’s nothing wrong with keeping some
frozen veg in the freezer – especially when
you need a quick dinner on the go. And
although fresh is genuinely better, if the veg
is flash frozen shortly after harvesting, they
typically contain the same amount of nutrients
as their fresh cousins.
7. Skipping breakfast will help you lose weight.
No, no, no! You need breakfast to kick start
your day with energy. Skipping breakfast will
make you starving by mid-morning so you’re
more likely to binge. If you’re not hungry
in the morning, try one of our smoothies.
They’re not only quick and easy to make,
they’re super delicious.
8. Gluten-free diets have fewer calories.
Some people think this is the secret to weight
loss. Unless you have a gluten intolerance,
there’s no need to cut it out. Some supermarket
foods labelled as “gluten free” are packed
with refined sugars and chemicals, which will
leave you feeling hungry and unsatisfied.
9. Always choose the salad when eating out.
Before careful. You may think you’re ordering
the healthy option, but your salad may be
worse than a bowl of hot chips. Fried croutons,
processed cheese and creamy dressings
may undo all your hard work at the gym.
10. Nuts are unhealthy.
Again, no! Nuts contain healthy fats (refer to
point 6) and help keep you full. They make a
great snack and are delicious in dressings in
smoothies. However, make sure you’re eating
raw or dry nuts only, not the salted variety.
For more information, visit kicgirls.com
22 INSPO – FITNESS JOURNAL MARCH 2018