Myth 1: Fat makes you fat

Have you ever heard or believed “Eating fat will make you fat”? This could not be further from the truth.  Eating good fats fuel your body with the energy, omega’s and brain food your body needs.  It may not lower Cholesterol, but the good kind.

The best sources of good fats are:

• Avocados
• Seeds: Flax, Sesame, Chia, Sunflower, Pumpkin
• Raw Nuts: Soaked Almonds, Cashews, Macadamias, Walnuts (not Peanuts)
• Oils: Extra Virgin Olive Oil (do not heat), Macadamia Oil, Sesame Oil, Coconut Oil (the best oil for heating as the structure is not changed)
• Oily Fish – rich in Omega 3’s

So, if fat doesn’t make you fat, what does?

SUGAR!  Sugar and Simple Carbohydrates are to blame for packing on the kilos.  Sugar gets stored in the liver and muscles, but only a certain amount can be stored in these locations.  Once there is no more space, the body starts producing fat cells to store the excess sugar.  The more sugar you eat, the more your insulin spikes and the quicker you need another fix to keep your energy up.  It is a drug.  Have you ever seen a kid on a sugar high?  It’s quite scary, almost like they just shnarffed a line of coke!  And how hungry do they get after eating sugar?  “Mom, I’m hungry” is all I hear all day long after my son has eaten sugar or simple carbs.  There are a whole myriad of other health issues that come along with eating sugar, but today we are talking FAT!

Here are a list of foods to avoid if you want to lose weight:

• Bread
• Pasta
• Potatoes (Sweet Potatoes are a better option)
• White Rice
• Cereals
• Pastries
• Desserts
• Sweets
• Fizzy Coldrinks

I am sure that most of you by now have heard of “Banting” and Professor Tim Noakes.   It is becoming quite a phenomenon lately and many people are adopting the principles because they are yielding results.  Now, you may be thinking….but if I don’t eat any carbs, where will I get my energy from?  Yes the body needs certain carbs to turn into Glucose for energy in the cells, but choosing the right carbs is so important.  The best sources of Complex (good) Carbs are:

• Legumes (Peas, Beans, Chickpeas, Lentils)
• Wholegrains (Quinoa, Brown Basmati, Brown Wild Rice, Quinoa, Millet, Buckwheat, Sorghum)
• Many fruits and veggies
• These carbs are best consumed during the day as sugars are harder to digest at night.

Myth 2: Low fat / Fat Free is better for my health and waist line

This is almost the same as Myth 1 but there are a few differences here.  When I was in my 20’s I honestly thought that choosing low-fat options would help keep the kilo’s off.  As I have gotten older and learnt a lot more about food, I have understood that we need to eat food as close to its original form as possible.   As soon as they take the ‘fat’ out of something, they replace it with something else, being chemicals.  Chemicals affect the hormones and functioning of the body and actually leads to weight gain.  At the end of the day whole foods are always best!

I am not a big fan of dairy as I do not believe that humans should not really consume the milk of an animal that was meant for that animal’s offspring, not as a staple anyway.  I do not believe it was meant for the human body to digest and that is why many people suffer from Lactose Intolerance.  With that being said, I do consume a bit of dairy here and there in the form of Feta Cheese.  If you are going to go for dairy products, aim for Full Cream and make sure it is as natural as possible, organic would be best.

Myth 3: Pasta is a healthy and good carbo loading option

I think it is safe to say that this myth was busted in number 1.  Refined Carbs are not the best source of energy.

Myth 4: Seeded Low GI bread is healthy for me

These days there is so much cr*p added to bread to make it last longer.  Where are the days of making bread like they did on the farm?  There is nothing wrong with eating it occasionally, but with a rise colon and stomach issues amongst the population these days, I would just eliminate it completely if you do struggle with Gluten.  Gluten is very abrasive on the digestive tract and can cause damage to it and even result in an Auto-Immune disease.  It affects some people quite badly when others have absolutely no issue with it at all.  The bottom line is that bread is a refined carb, so rather avoid where possible.

Myth 5: When blood sugar levels drop, you should consume sugar

I think this one was blown out of the water in number 1.  Protein is a good way to stabilise blood sugar, sugar will just make it 10 times worse.

Myth 6: If you want to put on weight, eating a burger and chips is a good solution

Again refer to Number 1.  It is never a good solution, there are healthier ways to gain weight.

Myth 7: Protein Bars are a good snack

Now the protein bars I am talking about here are the ones made by all the companies producing body building products.  Have you ever read the label of one of those bars?  Sh!t, sh!t and more sh!t!  I must be very honest, they even had me thinking they were healthy once upon a time!  The amount of sugar, glucose and preservatives go in there, you may as well just eat a bag of sweets.  A good alternative to these bars is a seed and nut bar or a raw fruit bar.  There are plenty of options these days at Dischem.

Myth 8: Milk/Dairy is the best source of Calcium

Some of this has been explained in Number 2.  We have been taught to believe that calcium in milk is the best source and will keep our children healthy.  False! All it does is give my child a snotty, runny nose that sometimes turns into a post nasal drip.  It also upsets his stomach if he has too much of it. There are so many other healthy sources of calcium:

White beans, Sardines, Salmon, Tofu, Oatmeal, Dried Figs, Blackstrap Molasses, Kale, Almonds, Sesame Seeds, Oranges, Freeze Dried Greens, Seaweed, Spirulina.

Myth 9: If I exercise myself into a standstill, I will lose weight

“Get fit in the gym, Lose weight in the kitchen.”

A lot of people think that they will lose weight if they carry on eating what they are eating and exercise 15 hours a day.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t happen that way.  Weight loss is 80% diet and 20% Exercise.  I believe that you cannot do one without the other.  If you want to be healthy, energised AND be happy with your weight, you need to eat a healthy, fibre rich diet as well as  exercise.

I am aware that many people do not like the gym and that is absolutely fine.  There are many activities that do not require you to step foot into a gym.  Go for a brisk Walk or Run, Cycle join a Pilates or Yoga studio, or be daring and try something like Pole Dancing or any type of Dancing.  Jump on a Rebounder.  Do anything! Movement is vital for cardio-vascular health and overall wellness.  Starting is the hardest part.  Just start and you will end up enjoying it and loving the free ‘high’ that you get after a great workout.

Mind | Body | Soul

Bronwyn