KITLIVING
olive oil; and to not eat these fats in the
presence of too many starchy carbs.
Myth 2. Drink milk for strong bones…
Whilst it's true that dairy products are high
in calcium, so too are many other foods;
Dark leafy green vegetables - such as
kale - have comparable calcium levels
while sesame seeds contain more than
eight times the calcium of cow's milk,
and both these sources are also richer in
Magnesium and Vitamin K which are also
needed for strong bones.
Myth 3. Eggs are bad cholesterol…
Although egg yolks are high in dietary
cholesterol, they are chock full of important
nutrients and the advice to restrict their
consumption has now been eliminated
because they don't actually raise your
blood cholesterol much. Cholesterol is
one of the most important biochemicals in
the body and only a small amount comes
from our diet - most of the cholesterol we
need is made by our liver and consuming
eggs has actually been shown to improve
HDL (good) cholesterol.
Myth 4. Red meat is bad for you…
Meat has been getting a lot of bad press
lately. Putting the environmental argument
aside, the World Health Organisation
have labelled red meat as a 'probable'
carcinogen to humans. They use the
word 'probable' because the studies
don't separate all the other factors that
can be involved in cancer development,
like a lack of fruit, vegetables and fibre
intake as well as exercise and smoking
and alcohol consumption. The main
issue is with cured, smoked and
processed meats, which can contain
chemical compounds (nitrosamines and
polyaromatic hydrocarbons) that have
been found to damage DNA that could
potentially initiate the cancer process. So
if eating less red meat is on your agenda,
for whatever reason, start by cutting back
on the cured, smoked and processed
forms and when you do eat meat, stack
your plate high with vegetables and don't
worry too much.
Myth 5. Salt is bad for you…
Sodium is an essential mineral that we
cannot survive without. Studies have
shown that consuming too much is linked
to high blood pressure. The real issue
though is the source of salt in our diets.
Many processed foods are very high in
salt and so people who consume too
much salt are typically guilty of consuming
too many processed foods, which are
generally unhealthy and lack nutrients.
If we base our diet mostly around
unprocessed foods we don't have to
worry about salt.
continued over
Better nutrition can lead to an
improved feeling of overall wellbeing.