Taking Vitamin C prevents colds. With all due respect to the late Linus Pauling and
his widely publicized theory on the relationship between vitamin C and the cold virus,
research on the subject has not found that taking vitamin C helps to ward off those
unwanted sniffles. On the other hand, studies have shown that vitamin C may (in some
instances) slightly shorten the duration of a cold.
Consuming more protein builds bigger muscles. Ingesting additional protein (in
whatever form – meat, pills, powder, etc) will not help most individuals develop larger
muscles. Your protein daily requirement is based on your body weight. Most individuals
meet their needs through food alone. If you eat more protein than what your body needs
on any given day, most of the excess will be converted to and stored as fat. As such,
exceeding the recommended daily allowance for protein can be, at best, a waste of time
and money.
2% milk is 98% fat free. Not surprisingly, food marketers – in an effort to encourage you
to buy their products – often engage in advertising that is misleading. For example, a
food label may proclaim that a particular foodstuff is fat free to a specific percentage. In
the case of 2% milk, the number refers to the relative weight of the fat in the product, a
factor that is inconsequential and misleading. In reality, what you really want to know
with regard to the fat content of milk is the percentage of fat calories in the milk itself.
A cup of 2% milk for example contains 35% fat calories (42.5 calories of the total 120
calories).
Eating low fat foods will not cause you to gain weight. Keep in mind that the labels “fat
free” and “low fat” do not mean no calories. For example, non fat and low fat foods
could easily be full of sugar and high calories. Controlling your body weight is a by
product of maintaining the appropriate balance between the number of calories you ingest
and the number of calories that your body uses. Excessive calorie intake, regardless of
whether it comes from “healthy” non fat or low fat foods, will promote weight gain.
If consuming some of a particular nutrient of food is considered healthy, eating more
of that foodstuff will provide even greater benefits. Your body needs a specific amount
of nutrients (carbs, fat, protein, vitamins, minerals and water) to function properly.
Exceeding that level will not give you an extra “boost”. In fact, ingesting too much of
some nutrients can be potentially harmful.
Antioxidants can help prevent types of cancer and heart disease. Eating foods that
are relatively rich in antioxidants (e.g., beta carotene and vitamin C and E) or taking
antioxidant supplements has not been found to prevent either cancer and heart disease
– despite numerous studies that have investigated the matter. To date, no conclusive
evidence exists that shows that antioxidants lower the risk of either medical condition.
Foodstuffs that are labeled “natural” or “herbal” are always good for you. Foods can
be “natural” or “herbal” and still have negative health consequences. Neither term is a synonym for harmless or non – addictive nor guarantees that a particular food contains the essential nutrients your body needs. In fact the opposite may true. Cocaine and nicotine,
for example, are also naturally occurring plant by-products.
Healthy eating represents the end of appetizing meals. Eating in a sensible healthy
manner does not have to be an exercise where you force yourself to consume poor-tasting
food at the expense of mouthwatering delectable alternatives. What it does involve,
however, is determining what foods are good for you and learning how to prepare them
to “delight” your taste buds. It also entails making good eating habits an integral part of
your daily living,
I likey. Go’head