Do You Make These Mistakes With Your Diet?
Do you ever feel like there is too much to worry about when eating healthy?
Are you the person that gets so stressed out about health that you go on a binge?
Here are 10 things we mistakenly worry about when trying to eat healthy.
You Worry About...
- Macronutrient Ratios:
What percentage carbs, fats and proteins should I be eating? This is one of those factors that many people stress about and that many books harp on. The problem is, we eat food - not macronutrients. It is difficult to calculate this in the first place.In the second place, you can eat healthfully eating a varying spectrum of ratios. It also depends on how many calories you are eating. As an example, 30% protein may be too little for someone who eats only 1000 calories but would be too much for someone eating 5000 calories.
- Taking a Multivitamin:
The multivitamin issue is perplexing. What should be a safe way to fill in nutritional gaps is now being questioned in light of recent studies. For example, those who took a multi more than 7 times a week were almost twice as likely to die of prostate cancer as those who didn't take a multi.Multivitamins are not miracle pills that they are promoted as, taking a good quality multi every day or every second day is still alright - just don't overdo it on the folic acid.
- Drinking Coffee:
The ultra-clean living condemn coffee for its lack of nutrients, its negative impact on calcium absorption, its assault on the adrenal glands and its dehydration superpowers. To this point, most of the research has exonerated coffee for most of its charges.Moderate amounts (barring 7 packets of sugar) seem to have health benefits.
- 8 Glasses of water:
This one was covered in detail in a previous post. The truth is, most people probably should drink more water.There is no evidence, however that we need the dogmatically-engrained 8 glasses. Drink more if you are exercising more and even more when in heat (ahem - hot weather, that is).
- Bicep Curls:
Visit any gym and you'll inevitably see "bicep guy". You know the one - the guy who dedicates 2 days a week to just bicep training. Barbells, dumbbells, cables, close grip, wide grip, hammer curls.If your biceps are bigger than your quads, something is wrong. If you are training for a body building competition, by all means, work those guns. If not, do something more compound that works other muscles as well.
- Fat count:
I'm not sure if anyone is still worried about this or not, but if you are - don't.Look for trans fat and too much omega-6 fats, but don't stress too much about fat grams.
- Net Carbs:
Again, not sure if anyone still busts out their scientific calculator when reading carb ingredients, but again - don't sweat it.Make healthy, fiber-rich and nutrient-dense carb choices and burn 'em or wear 'em.
- Eating After 6pm:
Pssst... your body doesn't tell time!Okay, there is good reason not to pound home 1000 calories before you hit the pillow, but "rules" about not eating after an arbitrary time are baseless. If you are ravenous before bed - eat. Just eat something higher in protein.
A nighttime workout also negates this rule - just be smart about it.
- Eating Organic:
Admittedly, eating organic is probably optimal.The idea of having no pesticides in your produce is more enticing than having very few pesticides in your produce.
If you're going to worry about something, however, worry about getting enough veggies and fruits first. Worry about whether it is organic, local, etc after. You can also go in between and choose organic on the most heavily sprayed crops.
- Artificial Sweeteners:
If you have the occasional pinch of splenda or have a periodic sugar-free mint - you probably won't keel over.Rather than Geiger-counting your way through ingredient lists, just bear in mind that artificial sweetener-containing foods aren't usually healthy to begin with - regardless of how they are sweetened.
On the other side of the coin - artificial sweeteners won't likely help you lose weight.
Read More
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40 Comments
Add Your Comment
Created / Updated: November 14, 2011
Good list most of which is common sense based which is the basis for a lot of things in life.
ReplyI'm most relieved that I don't have to work my spaghetti noodle arms into bulging biceps. Thanks for the reminder that we worry about more than we should.
ReplyI don't think he meant that you should not work out your biceps. I think he meant that you should work them out with compound exercises such as pull-ups, chin-ups, pull-downs, and the wide variety of rows.
Nice list. I especially agree with 3, 8 and 9. Coffee has many beneficial antioxidants. You should never go more than 12 hours without eating, that includes time spent sleeping.
I'm not sure if you meant for the disclaimer to be funny, but I found it hilarious.
ReplyI really like the comment on the organics. While it is always nice to have the organic version, the first priority should be to consistently get the required servings for fruits and vegetables every day whether they are organic or not.
ReplySame here. Would love to be able to eat organic, but too pricey for the amount of fruit I eat each week.
ReplyI disagree for the most part.
ReplyExample: The "German society for nutrition" ("Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung", DGE) recently published some recommendations concerning fat and carbs. These recommendations are based on large studies, and you get a survey why any special recommendation is made and how probable it is.
So: Less than 60 gr fat per day, about 230 gr (women) resp. 300 gr (men) carbs per day, however mostly not from mono- or disaccharides.
The DGE knows this "Atkins" stuff, and so do I. It is by no means generally considered that this kind of weight loss / life time nutrition is healthy.
A side note: My personal experiences are in line with these recommendations.
Brilliant post. Thanks for simplifying everything!
ReplyNice piece of information Mike.
I agree with you that - these little but important things lessen our health and nutrition worries.
Thanks for sharing.
ReplyAbout number 8, when you say a nightime workout negates this rule, do you mean that you CAN eat at night if you workout, or you shouldn't eat at night if you work out? For some reason, I'm always hungry later in the evening, regardless of what I eat. Do you think I should be trying to get my exercise at night then?
Good list though, I agree that simplification is always good in life. KISS!
ReplyHi Benjamin,
I was saying you CAN eat after a workout. I advise eating at night if you are hungry. Just make good choices and eat enough to take the edge off. Post workout nutrition is too important to ignore - even if it is at night. You need the protein/glycogen replenishment post workout - regardless of when you exercise.
ReplyGood list! Luckily, I don't worry about any of these things anyway, lol. I did used to worry a lot about whether or not I was getting enough protein in my diet, but when I counted it all up, I was actually doing fine with it.
I usually don't worry about the artificial sweeteners too much because I don't eat a ton of them, but lately I actually have had to look out for one: Lactitol. It's a sugar alcohol that they use in the brand of sugar-free popsicles I used to buy for my husband. The thing is, he eats like 6 or so popsicles at a time and when that happened last time, he got the worst stomachache from the lactitol. So now I buy him sugar free popsicles with no lactitol.
ReplyYou mean we don't have to be perfect in our diets in order to have the perfect body???
Great list! I often need to be reminded to "not sweat the small stuff".
Thanks!
ReplyI thought that was a really good article. There is so much speculation over a heap of different weight loss issues and you have disected it brilliantly.
ReplyThis is a good list. I think one theme from a few of these ideas is not to overdo it. Moderation is key when do just about anything, especially when it comes to diet, nutrition, and exercise. Many things are only healthy if done in the correct amounts. We tend to think that if some is good, more is better, and many times this is not the case.
ReplyWhat a relief!
ReplyThis IS a good list. My common sense does tell me all these things - for instance that a calories is a calories is a calorie whether you consume it at 7 am or 7 pm, and regardless of whether it is a carbobydrate calorie or a fat calorie, or that water in soup or tomato juice is still water and still provides hydration, or that putting a packet of splenda in the one cup of decaf coffee I have every couple of days won't lead me to an early grave... But the "collective wisdom" is sometimes so persistent and contrary to common sense that every once in a while I start to doubt myself! Thanks for the down to earth approach.
ReplyI second that.
ReplyThe organic question is a really fundamental one as there is little to no scientific evidence that organic food is nutritionally higher in value.
ReplyTake a look: http://www.foodeu.com/articles/Organic+Benefits+In+Doubt.aspx