5 Big Diet Myths Busted
This time of year, many people try to overhaul their diet after the Christmas period. More often than not this leads to eating habits that are difficult to manage and unsustainable.
Today we’re busting 5 common myths that get spread when it comes to dieting…
You need to cut out Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are one of our 3 essential macronutrients so it is important that we don’t completely cut them out. Instead, try to look at decreasing the amount that you have a little bit at a time - particularly starchy carbs such as potatoes and pastas.
It’s also a good idea, rather than cutting them down or out, to swap your starchy carbs for wholegrains such as brown bread, brown rice and wholegrains.
2. You need to fast to lose weight
Fasting is more complicated than we realise and it can be very dangerous to suddenly stop eating for extended periods of time if you body is not used to it. Instead of fasting, try cutting your portion sizes down slightly over time to get your body used to a smaller intake of food.
If you are keen to try fasting, make sure you speak to a health professional first for advice on the safest ay to do this.
3. Skipping meals will help you to lose weight
This is a common myth that again can lead to a negative effect on the body. Rather than skipping meals, we should try to aim for regular, balanced meals throughout the day. Lowering your portion sizes will help aid weight loss as your total calorie intake will decrease.
Skipping meals can over lead to hunger pangs which in turn can lead to ‘binging’ as we try to satiate our appetite.
4. You need to cut out tea and coffee to be healthy
We all love a cuppa right? The good news is that you do not need to cut out tea and coffee, however, it is worth looking at how much you intake per day and seeing if you could cut down on caffeine slightly.
Tea and coffee both dehydrate us so it’s helpful to replace them with water where we can. We don’t need to cut them out completely but it’s a good idea to try and up your water intake.
5. Dry January is the best way to cut down on alcohol
Dry January definitely has it’s place and for some people it is a really effective way to cut down on alcohol after Christmas. However, it’s not for everyone and cutting out a food or drink completely can be unsustainable for many of us.
Instead of committing to dry January you may like to start by cutting out alcohol on week days and sticking to drinking at weekends, this isn’t as intense as taking the whole month off but will still encourage you to cut back.
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