Many of us quickly get caught up in everything on the web, and unfortunately many times assume that everything we read is true. That’s why it’s essential to do some research and question things prior to believing everything we read. The same can be said about food. For example, many people think eating fat (see our first myth below) is terrible for you, but it turns out having a diet that’s high in fat can help you lose weight! Eating healthy fats and cutting back on the carbs is discussed in more detail in the Body Reboot book. It’s easy to believe that having a diet that's high in fat is unhealthy and that we must stay away from eating high-fat foods such as eggs, nuts, and butter. However, it’s not fat that’s bad for you. It’s the sugar and processed foods that are leading to weight gain, diseases, and bad heart health. It’s in our power to make healthy decisions about our diet, and it all starts with learning about so-called facts that aren’t really “true” at all.

Stay Away From Fat

For a very long time, we have been fed a pack of lies about having fat in our diet. Mashed debunks that myth by discussing why fat is essential to a healthy diet and why we must avoid low-fat products. We couldn’t agree more!

Meander down the health food aisles of any grocery store in the '90s, and you'd be swallowed by a barrage of fat-free products. The roots of America's war on fat can actually be traced back to the '70s, when the government first began advising the nation to nix fat in order to stave off heart attacks and weight gain.

But our fat-free frenzy went into full swing during the 1990s, when the whole country seemed to be convinced that fat was evil and carbs were good. Seizing the opportunity, the food industry starting churning out everything from fat-free SnackWell's to low-fat YoCrunch vanilla yogurt. To make these low-fat evil concoctions without sacrificing taste, food manufacturers packed in sugar, salt, and refined grains.

But while the low-fat craze raged on, Americans were, curiously, growing fatter. Turns out, a low-fat diet brought about minimal benefits, and did little to minimize our risk of obesity, heart disease, and cancer.

In fact, we now know dietary fats are key to giving the body energy, supporting cell growth, absorbing important nutrients, and all kinds of good stuff.

What else have we learned since the sugary, refined carby days of the fat-free frenzy? In moderation, foods with “good” (aka monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) fats won't make you fat — on the contrary, such fats are essential to being healthy and feeling satiated.

Don’t Eat Very Many Eggs or Nuts

Reader’s Digest argues against the belief that people shouldn’t eat as many eggs because they can contribute to high cholesterol. Eggs are excellent to eat on a high fat, low carb diet. They have the right amount of healthy fats and other nutrients. Eggs happen to have a lot of nutrients our bodies need, which is what both Reader’s Digest and Eating Well reveal below.

Healthy eating: Eggs have gotten an unfounded bad rap; the latest research shows that they don’t actually contribute to high cholesterol. (Here’s why American refrigerate eggs and Europeans don’t.) In fact, eggs are an inexpensive source of many nutrients, including zinc and iron, antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, vitamin D, and the brain-boosting chemical choline. Keep cholesterol in check by monitoring saturated fat in your diet.

Eggs do contain a substantial amount of cholesterol in their yolks—about 211 milligrams (mg) per large egg. And yes, cholesterol is the fatty stuff in our blood that contributes to clogged arteries and heart attacks. But labeling eggs as “bad for your heart” is connecting the wrong dots, experts say. “Epidemiologic studies show that most healthy people can eat an egg a day without problems,” says Penny Kris-Etherton, Ph.D., R.D., distinguished professor of nutrition at Penn State University.

How? For most of us the cholesterol we eat—in eggs or any other food—doesn’t have a huge impact on raising our blood cholesterol; the body simply compensates by manufacturing less cholesterol itself. The chief heart-disease culprits are “saturated and trans fats, which have much greater impact on raising blood cholesterol,” notes Kris-Etherton. Seen through that lens, eggs look more benign: a large egg contains 2 grams of saturated fat (10 percent of the Daily Value) and no trans fats.

But before you celebrate with a three-egg omelet, consider the American Heart Association’s diet and lifestyle recommendations, which Kris-Etherton helped write: Limit your cholesterol intake to less than 300 mg daily—less than 200 mg if you have a history of heart problems or diabetes or are over 55 (women) or 45 (men). “If you do the math, that works out to less than an egg a day for this population—more like two eggs over the course of the week,” she notes. “Eggs can fit in, as long as you make room for them in the rest of what you’re eating.”

Scoop Whoop says not to believe the news that you shouldn’t be eating too many nuts, either. Of course, eating nuts in moderation is essential, but so is receiving adequate nutrients. A lot of great nutrients come from eggs.

On the contrary, the intake of nuts can help you decrease cholesterol and also fight obesity. Not just this, a healthy inclusion of nuts in your diet can help in the prevention of several diseases.

Food Pyramid

When you think of the food pyramid probably the first thing that comes to mind is that it’s important to eat carbs and stay away from fat. However, it turns out that carbs are what is making many of us overweight and unhealthy. That’s why Mashed recommends eating healthy fats and fewer carbs. In other words, you should stop believing that the food pyramid is the be all and end all.

How much time did you spend learning about the food pyramid when you were a kid?

The U.S. government introduced the first Food Guide Pyramid in 1992. The iconic pyramid used illustrations to highlight nutritional advice, including suggestions for variety, moderation, and proportion.

But there was one major problem with the original Food Guide Pyramid: it was wrong. The guide placed fats at the very top and carbs at the base of the pyramid, promoting the kind of low-fat diet that can actually lead to weight gain and higher levels of cholesterol. The pyramid villainized all kinds of fats and neglected the benefits of the healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats found in olive oil, fish, and nuts.

The Food Guide Pyramid treated carbs with similar clumsiness, grouping all grains together without explaining the important difference between nutritious whole grains versus nutrient-lacking refined grains. The pyramid also placed healthy proteins like fish and beans in the same group as less healthy proteins like processed and red meats.

Since its initial introduction, government food guidelines have gone through numerous makeovers. Today, the USDA encourages the MyPlate model, which stresses the importance of fruits, veggies, and whole grains, while cautioning consumers against excessive sodium, sugar, and saturated fat consumption.

Diet Soda is a Healthy Alternative to Drinking Soda

People who are on a diet, such a low carb diet, often think because they’re cutting out sugar that it’s okay to substitute sugar with other alternatives such as drinking diet soda. However, Mashed discusses why drinking diet soda can spike your insulin, which means if you’re on the keto diet that it’s going to be that much harder saying no to sugar and heavy carb-laden foods.

Twenty-five years ago, soda consumption was on the rise. Per capita consumption of carbonated beverages in the U.S. peaked in 1998 at 53 gallons per capita.

Since then, there has been a plethora of research linking soda to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other health conditions. Now, the average American consumes less than 40 gallons per year.

It was in the past decade alone that public scrutiny turned to diet soda. Up until then, diet sodas were seen as harmless alternatives to their sugar-rich substitutes, or even healthy like drinking water. Nowadays, the verdict is still out on the healthiness of diet sodas, with recent research suggesting that artificial sweeteners may result in unwanted side effects.

A review of studies on diet soda warn that artificial sweeteners could thwart dietary goals by offsetting a spike in insulin and triggering cravings for sugar and calorie-laden foods. The same report links diet soda with diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

Over the last decade, studies have suggested that artificial sweeteners can alter the gut microbiome. This, in turn, can translate to a higher risk of diabetes and metabolic dysregulation. More research is needed to understand the true effects of diet soda. In the meantime, many experts recommend limiting or eliminating diet soda consumption whenever possible.

Consuming Desi Ghee Isn’t Good

Just like with eggs, not everything gives you cholesterol problems just because it has fat. The same is true about desi ghee. See why Scoop Whoop says that desi ghee is perfectly fine to implement in your diet.

In fact, the ingredient which Indian recipes swear by, is rich in components found in olive oil. It is healthier than sunflower and other vegetable oils. Then of course, moderation is the key to accommodating fattening agents in your diet.

Currently, we are giving away copies of the Body Reboot book! Cover the cost of shipping, and we’ll send you a FREE book. Stop believing in food myths and learn the best ways to improve your health. Beginning a diet that’ll improve your health in more ways than one is a great way to reach your weight loss goals. Check out this page to find out if there are any copies of our book left.

Sources: Mashed, Reader’s Digest, Huffington Post, Scoop Whoop, Eating Well