Myths about healthy nutrition

A lot of articles are written on the topic of correct nutrition. However, not all of them have a scientific basis. There are a number of myths about healthy nutrition. Let’s try to understand them.

Separate nutrition
There is an opinion that separate nutrition is very healthy and it helps to reduce weight. However, the human body produces an entire set of enzymes in different parts of the digestive system, which contribute to the simultaneous digestion of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
Research was conducted, in which one group of people was just on a hypocaloric diet, and in the other they also had separate nutrition. In both groups, the weight loss was the same. So you can eat separately if you like it that way, but if you just eat less the effect will be the same.

During the meal you should not get distracted.
It is often said that if you watch TV or read during mealtimes, the food is assimilated worse and this can lead to the development of gastritis. This was proven wrong by French nutritionists, who found out that a person that watches TV chews the meal more carefully, he does not hurry and this contributes to smaller milling of the meal, its better impregnation with digestive juices and to gastrointestinal digestion.

However, other studies have shown that a person watching TV can get carried away and eat more because the attention is diverted from the process of eating food, and we do not notice how much we have already eaten and we want more. The brain hardly receives any messages about the saturation of the stomach, and the person continues to eat, even without feeling hungry. And it turns into a very bad habit, a kind of psychological dependence: “turn on the TV - have something to eat.” Thus, the daily calorie intake increases by more than 30%.

The solution is to take a limited amount of food to the TV. Besides, if a habit to eat in front of the TV is extraordinarily strong, you should try to at least choose foods with fewer calories. For example, the usual chips, nuts and crackers should better be replaced with fruits and berries. For example, a pomegranate does not only satisfy hunger, but also occupies hands - it takes time and skill to peel the fruit. And instead of sugary soft drinks it is much more useful to drink herbal tea (better calming) or clean water.

Less fat – better physique
Indeed, limiting the fat intake is the fastest way to lose weight. But you should not completely exclude fats from your diet. Without them, the metabolism cannot function normally and fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) cannot be assimilated, which will lead to irreversible consequences for health.
It makes no difference what kind of bread to eat, the chemical composition of wheat and rye flour is approximately the same.

Specialists in nutrition are unanimous: rye bread is more valuable than wheat bread. They do not differ greatly in the chemical composition, but proteins in rye bread are richer with essential amino acid - lysine - and therefore are considered more valuable. Rye bread contains a bit more manganese, zinc, copper, iron, vitamins B1, B2, B6, PP and unsaturated fatty acids. Rye bread has fewer calories than white bread: it contains less starch and more fiber and pentosans, thus strengthens the peristalsis of intestines, and contributes to the removal of carcinogens and other harmful products of metabolism from the body. If for some health-related reasons black bread is contraindicated, it is advisable to buy such type of wheat bread that contains flax seeds, sunflower seeds, millet, oats, buckwheat, onion, carrot, pumpkin, pepper and other additives – they have many proteins, fiber, iron and vitamins, contain acids, which lower the level of cholesterol in blood.

One should drink 2 liters of fluid per day, it helps to get rid of the slag
By slag we mean the products of metabolism, and the amount of them being removed from the body is approximately the same, only the density of urine will change. It is noticed that those who drink more, rarely suffer from constipation and kidney stones. Therefore, drinking liquids is mandatory. Proper drinking regime is the basis of a healthy lifestyle. But the fluid should be ingested evenly. This means that it is more useful to drink one glass of pure water every hour, than to drink half a liter at once.

Eating an apple can kill the appetite
It was proven that on the contrary - apples and other fruits increase the appetite. To reduce the feeling of hunger it is better to drink a cup of green tea without sugar. It is better to use crisps or corn flakes for snacks.

Sweets and fruits are better as dessert
In a full stomach, the food that contains carbohydrates can cause fermentation, formation of gas, indigestion. So sweets are not always good at the end of the meal.

Excessive nutrition negatively affects the health
Lack or excess of nutrition has equally negative impact on human health. So if you want to lose or put on weight, consider the following recommendations:
* To reduce weight, drink a glass of juice or hot water before eating
* To increase weight, drink the liquid after the meal
* If you are trying to maintain your weight at a certain level, the liquid should be combined with the process of taking food.

It is better not have dinner at all
Let’s agree that it is more difficult to inhibit the appetite in the evening than in the morning. Because it is in human nature to eat in the evening!
Refusal from dinner is painful and, ultimately, meaningless. It is better to build your diet so that the comfort is preserved and the weight does not increase.

For that you can use the following tips:
* Before leaving work have a snack: some tea, low-fat cottage cheese, a slice of bran bun. This will help to “reset” excessive appetite.
* Try to walk some part of the way to your home or just have a breath of fresh air for some time. This will help you to remove the excess stress and calm down.
* While heating the dinner, drink a glass of warm water. This will reduce the “hungry” gastric secretion.

And remember - good nutrition is the basis of health. One who loves himself will always eat properly.