5 FOOD LIES
“Sickness is the vengeance of nature for the violation of her laws.” -Charles Simmons
On my website I say, “Society has given us a wealth of knowledge on health, weight & fitness while obscuring the answers we are looking for.” Here is a sample of the misconceptions that make me craziest. 
Lie # 1 If you are trying to lose weight you should not eat (pick one or more) bananas, avocadoes, carrots (yes, carrots!), too many almonds, egg yolks . . .
These are all fabulous foods whether you are trying to lose weight or not. Let’s be logical. No one got fat eating those things. People get fat by eating ice cream, cup cakes, donuts and bagels so why take it out on the poor banana? Doesn’t it make more sense to quit eating the things that made us fat?
Lie #2 Fat makes you fat.
It sounds logical but fats are an essential part of your diet. Fat-soluble vitamins, such as Vitamin A, could not be absorbed without some fat in the diet. Fat also supplies the body with energy. It contains more energy than any other nutrient (9 calories per gram). It also cushions organs, builds cell membranes and may actually lower the risk for some diseases, including some cancers and heart disease. Best of all it makes you feel satiated so you eat less. BUT not all fats are equal. There is saturated, poly unsaturated, trans fats and on and on. It is a lot to remember so keep it simple with these little rules. 1. Never, ever, eat a hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fat. Margarine, shortening and maybe your peanut butter. You will have to actually read the ingredients to be sure because labeling rules are tricky. 2. Keep animal fats at a minimum. 3. Plant based fats are fine.
Lie # 3 Soy milk is a health food.
Haven’t you wondered how they milk a soy bean? Whole beans are okay and occasionally tofu but soy contains isoflavones, which your body converts to phytoestrogens, a chemical that is similar in composition to estrogen. It is complicated by the fact that soy is in a lot of processed foods (like meal replacement bars) and it is usually concentrated. It is also one of the big three genetically modified crops (GMO) if that concerns you. Men should absolutely not drink soy milk and I wish women wouldn’t.
Lie # 4 Organic means healthy.
No! No! No! Simple sugar can be organic and it is definitely bad for you. Organic is a good thing but doesn’t make an unhealthy food healthy.
Lie # 5 Artificial sweeteners are better than sugar.
Where does aspartame come from? Splenda? Only your chemist knows. Losing weight is not just about calories. Let me repeat that. Losing weight is not just about calories. Artificial sweeteners can cause metabolic syndrome (a lower metabolism) and keeps your body craving simple carbs. If you drink diet soda your chances of being obese goes up 40%.
That will do it for now . . . until I remember something else that makes me crazy.
Photo Credit: Fovea Centralis
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I thought that Soy was supposed to be good for you. Rodney has been drinking soy for awhile now and with his health problems your post concerns me. Is Almond milk a better choice? And why are you more concerned about men drinking Soy more than women?
Men really should not consume soy except maybe the beans or a little tofu. It can cause masses to form in their breasts. I had someone in the gym whose husband was drinking shakes for dinner with soy. I told her about this and he was already having this issue. He quit and it went away. Whey is a good choice but make sure it is just whey – no additives. Almond milk is okay but you still have to consider that it is pretty processed. How do you get milk out of an almond? What is the purpose of Rodney drinking the whey? That would determine what he might replace it with.
Rodney was just thinking that the soy was better for him than his 2% milk (he is not a fan of 1% or skim) He has been drinking it for a couple of years now but just after Thanksgiving he had a kidney removed due to cancer and we are both trying to get more serious about our health.
With Rodney having had cancer you need to get real serious. The milk is better and skim isn’t a good idea because you need fat to absorb nutrients. I would highly recommend hormone free milk and eggs. Hormone free meat would be good too but I know it is harder to find and expensive. Read labels. If you can’t pronounce it or you need a chemist to tell you what it is, or it says artifical, don’t put it in your mouth. If God made it then eat it but if it was made in a lab, skip it. Once you start educating yourself you will be appalled at what is in our food.