“Carbs are bad for you.”
“Fats make me gain weight.”
“Sugar is all bad.”
When it comes to calories, diets, and nutrition, there is an immense amount of false information being shared on social media today that has led to a misunderstanding of what nutrition truly is and it has impacted many people’s relationships with food. I’m here to debunk some very common myths to help you see how easy nutrition can be and how living a healthy lifestyle is more attainable than imagined!
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“Carbs are bad for you.” I don’t know how many times I have heard this, but I cringe every single time that I do. Our bodies NEED carbohydrates to produce energy and efficiently metabolize chemicals. They are one of the three major macronutrients for a reason. There are good carbs and bad carbs, yes. Most processed foods have high amounts of carbs due to their high amounts of processed sugar. But, whole foods (which are not processed) or “from the earth foods” are made of carbs that our bodies can easily break down, store, and use for energy. So, not all carbs are bad. There are bad carbs, due to sugar, but our bodies actually need carbs to function on a daily basis.
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“Fats make me gain weight.” Just because they’re called “fats” doesn’t mean you’ll gain fat. Again, like carbohydrates, there are bad and good fats. Fats are essential to the bodies ability to support cell growth, produce important hormones, and protect organs. They’re a nutrient like carbs and proteins that have major functions in our body. The myth of “gaining weight” comes merely from the name of the macro: “fats.” Gaining weight is a combination of muscle growth, fat gain, nutrition, and more. Fat tissue in the body comes from nutrients and production in the body. Carbs and protein aid in weight gain just as much as fats do, they all just have their own functions. It’s important to recognize and understand that fats are needed for the body and that there is more to weight gain and loss than a simple kind of food!
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“Sugar is all bad.” Nope. It’s not. Period. Fruits are mainly carbohydrates. And those carbohydrates are simple sugars, naturally made. I have never heard someone genuinely tell me that fruits are bad for me, although they are made of mostly sugars. What is bad about sugars is the processed alternatives that are added to junk food to make it “taste good”. Those sugars are not naturally made and can have damaging effects on the body over time. We cannot completely avoid sugars as they are in so many whole foods, but remember that those sugars are all-natural and can be readily broken down by our bodies. But we get into a trap when we’re not cautious enough about differentiating between the good sugars and bad sugars!
Carbs are NOT bad for you, fats do NOT make you fat, and not ALL sugars are bad. There are goods and bads to each nutrient, but what is most important is having a good relationship with the food you eat. There is no need to see certain foods in a bad light when your diet and lifestyle can be shaped around the life that you want to live.