The health and fitness industry is quite frankly full of crap. There are so many nonsense nutrition myths out there that are so engrained in our beliefs that most people don’t question them. I am here to bust through the bullshit.
You need to eat ridiculously high levels of protein to get results. I heard a girl say she eats 180g of protein a day, 30g of carbs and 30g of fat. PARDON!? This is happening all too often, people prioritising protein at the expense of other macronutrients. Newsflash, you need carbs and fats and you probably need no more than around 1.5g of protein per kilo of bodyweight.
Carbs are the devil. No, they’re not and no they don’t make you fat. They’re a valuable energy source which our body thrives on. How many top sporting athletes do you see on low carb diets? Next to none. As long as you don’t overindulge in carbohydrates at the expense of other macronutrients, they’re absolutely fine.
You need to cut out dairy and gluten to be healthy. No, you don’t. Gluten isn’t the spawn of satan and dairy is an amazing source of protein and calcium. You do not need to cut these foods out unless you are medically diagnosed with an allergy or intolerance; and in reality only a teeny tiny percentage of the population have these issues. On that note, do not self-diagnose as gluten intolerant or lactose intolerant. Go to a doctor.
You need to eat little and often to keep your metabolism up. No, you don’t. Yes digestion does increase your metabolic rate slightly. However this effect is negligible. What really matters is what actual food you eat across the whole day.
You need to eat protein within 30 minutes of a workout. Not necessarily. Your body doesn’t miraculously stop absorbing protein after half an hour. Just try and get a balanced meal in within a few hours if you can. Instead of focusing solely on this “anabolic window”, ensure you’re getting in enough protein throughout the day as a whole.
You can’t eat carbs after 6pm. Yes, you can. Especially if you’ve trained and need to refuel. They will be used to help you recover and repair. When the clock strikes 6pm your body doesn’t turn into a fat storing machine.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. For some people, yeah it is. For others, no it isn’t. If you’re not hungry first thing in the morning and don’t need to exert yourself, then there is no harm in having a light breakfast.
Fruit is the devil. Nope, it isn’t. It is packed full of valuable vitamins and nutrients. It is much better to eat an apple than to eat a snickers. The sugar won’t kill you.
Buying a snack bar which is “high protein” or “gluten free” means it’s healthy. Nope. It probably isn’t. These bars are often just as processed and full of crap as a typical chocolate bar.
Juice cleanses and detox teas work. No. They. Don’t. Your body can detox itself. Please don’t buy into this bullshit.
Let me know any nutrition myths you think need busting in the comments below and be sure to share this blog post if you agree with my points!
Zanna xx
