Hi Gang
Mark here from Alltone Fitness & Personal Training Studio
This week I came across a great article from Men's Health magazine about nutrition myths and though I just had to share it with you. If often frustrates me how I keep hearing - don't eat carbs at night, do chilies raise your metabolism and assist with burning calories and so on. So when I came across this article I just had to share with you. Enjoy!
Please note: The below content has been re posted form a article published by Mens Health magazine
NUTRITION MYTHS BUSTED
Do chillies help you lose weight? Can you exercise less if you're thin?
Sports nutritionist Shane Bilsborough puts some common health claims through
the lie detector.
Carbohydrates
turn to fat when eaten after 6pm.
FALSE
Fact is, the human body doesn't store or use foods according to the time of day; in the case of carbohydrates, they're converted to glucose and stored as glycogen in muscle and liver cells of the body. Still, it's a good idea to eat less food after 6pm, especially if you've spent the day sitting at a desk. And if you're having 'carbs' at night, remember that overflowing bowls of pasta aren't part of a balanced diet, since it's traditionally eaten with a good-sized salad and a serve of meat. Rice, too, is traditionally eaten in small bowls, with large amounts of vegetables.
FALSE
Fact is, the human body doesn't store or use foods according to the time of day; in the case of carbohydrates, they're converted to glucose and stored as glycogen in muscle and liver cells of the body. Still, it's a good idea to eat less food after 6pm, especially if you've spent the day sitting at a desk. And if you're having 'carbs' at night, remember that overflowing bowls of pasta aren't part of a balanced diet, since it's traditionally eaten with a good-sized salad and a serve of meat. Rice, too, is traditionally eaten in small bowls, with large amounts of vegetables.
Dark
chocolate is good for your heart.
TRUE
In reviewing all published studies, dark chocolate is shown to reduce the risk of heart disease by a whopping 21 per cent. Why? Dark chocolate is rich in cocoa, which contains powerful antioxidants called flavanoids that help protect the human body from damage by free radicals. As dark chocolate undergoes less processing than milk chocolate, its flavanoid content remains high; more than five times that of blueberries and seven times that of strawberries. Despite the benefits, eat it in moderation, as it's still high in both fat and sugar.
TRUE
In reviewing all published studies, dark chocolate is shown to reduce the risk of heart disease by a whopping 21 per cent. Why? Dark chocolate is rich in cocoa, which contains powerful antioxidants called flavanoids that help protect the human body from damage by free radicals. As dark chocolate undergoes less processing than milk chocolate, its flavanoid content remains high; more than five times that of blueberries and seven times that of strawberries. Despite the benefits, eat it in moderation, as it's still high in both fat and sugar.
Eating
too much sugar causes Type-2 diabetes.
FALSE
People often confuse the 'high blood sugar' seen in Type-2 diabetes with high amounts of sugar in the blood after wolfing down chocolate or confectionary. It's not the same thing. It's believed Type-2 diabetes is caused by a number of lifestyle factors: inactivity, large portion sizes of food, and genetics. Sure, if your diet consists of truckloads of chocolate, confectionary, ice cream, and soft drinks, this will lead to weight gain in the medium-term and then, yes, diabetes. But eating a piece of chocolate cake will not. In fact, diabetics can moderate amounts of sugar as part of a healthy, balanced diet.
FALSE
People often confuse the 'high blood sugar' seen in Type-2 diabetes with high amounts of sugar in the blood after wolfing down chocolate or confectionary. It's not the same thing. It's believed Type-2 diabetes is caused by a number of lifestyle factors: inactivity, large portion sizes of food, and genetics. Sure, if your diet consists of truckloads of chocolate, confectionary, ice cream, and soft drinks, this will lead to weight gain in the medium-term and then, yes, diabetes. But eating a piece of chocolate cake will not. In fact, diabetics can moderate amounts of sugar as part of a healthy, balanced diet.
Thin
people don't need to exercise as much because they have fast metabolisms.
FALSE
If you're lean and think you're exempted from the need to stay active, think again. The World Health Organisation recently coined the term 'Sedentary Death Syndrome' to describe a disease born purely out of inactivity, reckoned to account for more than two million deaths each year worldwide. Regardless of your body shape, physical activity switches on vital genes that then signal various cells of the body to protect the body. Sitting down all day renders these genes inactive. Being thin provides a false sense of security, as studies have shown cholesterol, blood glucose (a marker of diabetes), and blood pressure are similar in obese and lean men who are inactive.
FALSE
If you're lean and think you're exempted from the need to stay active, think again. The World Health Organisation recently coined the term 'Sedentary Death Syndrome' to describe a disease born purely out of inactivity, reckoned to account for more than two million deaths each year worldwide. Regardless of your body shape, physical activity switches on vital genes that then signal various cells of the body to protect the body. Sitting down all day renders these genes inactive. Being thin provides a false sense of security, as studies have shown cholesterol, blood glucose (a marker of diabetes), and blood pressure are similar in obese and lean men who are inactive.
Eating
hot chillies or spicy food can help shed kilos.
FALSE
Spicy food such as chillies or even a hot curry (containing chillies) may cause sweating, abdominal pain and diarrhoea, while suppressing appetite. The culprit is capsaicin, an ingredient shown to increase body temperature, stimulate the release of fat from fat cells (lipolysis), increase oxygen consumption and even reduce kilojoule consumption over dinner by up to 840kJ. But the impracticality of incorporating red hot chillies into a few meals a day far outweighs any potential benefits, and long-term studies show no real changes in body weight
FALSE
Spicy food such as chillies or even a hot curry (containing chillies) may cause sweating, abdominal pain and diarrhoea, while suppressing appetite. The culprit is capsaicin, an ingredient shown to increase body temperature, stimulate the release of fat from fat cells (lipolysis), increase oxygen consumption and even reduce kilojoule consumption over dinner by up to 840kJ. But the impracticality of incorporating red hot chillies into a few meals a day far outweighs any potential benefits, and long-term studies show no real changes in body weight
Wine
is good for your health.
TRUE
The good news is that wine is good for health. In fact, it's been shown that drinking 150mls of wine regularly (this doesn't mean regularly during a day) can reduce heart disease by a massive 32 per cent. It seems that the antioxidant content of wine is the health-giving ingredient. Of course, if a glass is beneficial it doesn't mean that drinking a bottle will provide additional benefits; moderation is the key.
TRUE
The good news is that wine is good for health. In fact, it's been shown that drinking 150mls of wine regularly (this doesn't mean regularly during a day) can reduce heart disease by a massive 32 per cent. It seems that the antioxidant content of wine is the health-giving ingredient. Of course, if a glass is beneficial it doesn't mean that drinking a bottle will provide additional benefits; moderation is the key.
Oysters are an aphrodisiac.
FALSE
While Casanova was reported to have 50 oysters for breakfast, the question
remains: was he supercharging his sex drive, or giving himself a severe case of
the trots? While some put oysters' exalted status among aphrodisiacs down to
their high levels of zinc - an ingredient for sperm - scientists found that
rats produced more testosterone when they were injected with the
oyster-specific amino acids D-aspartic acid and N-methyl-D-aspartate. So which
is it? In the final analysis, while the amino acids are supposed to release
nitric oxide from blood vessels, causing the vessels to dilate (you see where
this is going), there is much more evidence that you can get the same result
from a good workout.
So there you go, we can now put some of those old myths to rest. If you have any further questions regarding nutrition please free free to contact me at... info@alltonefitness.com.au
Have a great week
Yours in health & fitness
Mark
