Five nutrition myths you need to know about in 2022

Our guest blogger nutritionist Alison Tehan brings you five nutrition myths you need to know about in 2020. Some of these you may already be aware of, but a couple of them may be new to you.

This myth never dies. Yes refined carbs – biscuits, cakes, pastries, white bread may lead to gut problems and weight gain if you eat them regularly and beyond your daily energy requirements. However eating carbs such as brown rice, oats, barley, spelt, fruit & veg (which are also carbs) are not only good for you but also important for your gut health. Our gut microbiota rely on carbs and fibre for their nourishment, so if you remove them our gut becomes unhappy and inflamed. When it comes to wholegrains its all about the portion size.

Eating the right kind of carbs can actually help you lose weight and help you maintain it.

Carbs come from vegetables, fruits, grains, beans, milk and yogurt. They provide energy for your body and brain, which helps keep you feeling full longer and can prevent overeating. Carbs also help your body convert food into fuel instead of storing it as fat.

But not all carbs are created equal. Some kinds of carbohydrates — like those found in processed foods — can increase your risk of heart disease and diabetes. The point is, carbs are not all bad. You just need to eat the right ones.

Some foods such as legumes contain lectins which are an indigestible protein. We don’t eat lectins in isolation or in large enough amounts for them to be a problem. Uncooked grains and legumes have high amounts, but as long as you’re cooking and preparing your food properly, they’re nothing to worry about. Legumes are also one of the healthiest foods you can include in your diet so don’t be afraid to include them.

The main reason people think lectins are bad for your gut is because they can aggravate inflammation — which is why many people with autoimmune disorders try eliminating them from their diet. But the truth is that some can actually improve gut health by strengthening the immune system and helping you digest food better.

Eggs are so nutritious and if you enjoy them you can eat them every day. An extensive review on the evidence recently stated that there is no limit of eggs for most people. The exception is for those with heart disease or Type 2 diabetes, who should limit intake to seven eggs per week.

If you want to eat healthy and lose weight, eggs are a great way to start your day. They are loaded with vitamins and minerals as well as protein, which helps keep you full longer and keeps your blood sugar levels stable.

Have you ever heard or read that you shouldn’t cook with olive oil as it’s smoking point is too low? In fact, you can use extra virgin olive oil when cooking, with extra virgin olive oil having a smoke point of 220c a temperature we rarely reach when cooking. The best thing about EVOO is that is it is full of antioxidants that reduce inflammation in our body, and this is a good thing.

Olive oil is a healthy fat and has many health benefits. It’s also great for cooking because it has a very high smoke point – meaning it can withstand heat without breaking down and causing harmful free radicals to form.

The smoke point of an oil refers to the temperature at which it begins to break down and become damaged. Oils with higher smoke points can withstand higher temperatures before they begin to smoke or burn, which means they are safe for use in sautéing and stir-frying.

You may have heard that olive oil should only be used cold or at room temperature, but this isn’t true either! You can safely cook with olive oil at medium-high heat (about 375°F) as long as you don’t let it get too hot.

This is controversial, a vegan diet is completely individual and usually made for ethical reason.. It all depends on what you are replacing the meat, dairy & eggs in your diet with. Some people eat an abundance of plant foods but for others it’s a lot of processed vegan foods that are not food, AKA fake meats. We all need more vegetables and less meat in our diet but we don’t have to put a label on it.

A balanced vegan diet can be hard to achieve for many people, especially if you're new to it or if you don't have a lot of time to cook or prepare meals from scratch each day (which will make it even harder). If you don't know what foods contain what nutrients, then it's easy to eat a lot more calories than you need without getting enough protein, fat or carbohydrates. There's also the problem that some foods are highly processed and packaged, which makes them less nutritious than they appear at first glance
So there you have it, five nutrition myths you need to know about in 2022!