5 Nutrition Myths You Won’t Believe Are NOT True!
Where are all my follow-all-the-healthy-rules ladies at?! Oh yeah, I’ve been there too! Cue: Orthorexia (an UNHEALTHY obsession with “healthy” eating).
Fact is…nothing is really inherently “healthy” or “unhealthy” for EVERYONE - our bio-individuality means that we each have a unique microbiome and thus some foods are great for us…and not so great for others.
Of course, are there GENERAL guidelines that we can use to inspire & consciously “test out” on ourselves, so to speak? Sure.
BUT: Sometimes even these overall “tips & tricks” turn out to be DEAD WRONG…like, on the whole. Wowzers, that can really erk you if you’ve been going out of your way to follow such a rule and then BOOM it’s busted.
I’ve recently compiled my most OMG moments & coming-to-truths a-ha’s as it relates to health & diet which will likely SHOCK you almost as much as they did me…you’re welcome in advance for the time/yuck this is going to save you:
1. Soy does NOT increase estrogen or is “bad”.
Studies have shown that phytoestrogens in soy do not increase the incidence of breast cancer (1). Quite the opposite. Soy phytoestrogens actually act as anti-estrogens in humans, interfering with the ability of estrogen to fuel certain cancers. And, as you may or may not know, genistein, which is a phytoestrogen found in soy, has antiangiogenic, cancer-starving effects (ibid).
2. MCT does NOT help you “burn fat” or has any direct effect on weight loss.
Look, MCT is proving to be a great cognitive aid in emerging studies - but taking exogenous ketones (i.e. putting MCT oil in your coffee first thing) actually reduces the body’s desire/ability to CREATE these ketones (which “burn fat”) internally. You burn fat when you don’t have any exogenous fat being consumed by the body…i.e. when you are hungry/empty and the body has to switch from burning carbs (sugar) to fat. Putting MORE FAT into this mix (even if it’s swanky organic MCT oil)...will not magically help you burn fat - it will simply halt this burning fat process…sorry, this is the truth.
You might feel “lighter” after your bulletproof coffee simply because the MCT oil can cause digestive flushing (i.e. you’ll “go”) - but you’re not magically getting skinnier…sorry again.
Note: This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have MCT oil - it’s just not a magic weight loss aid. Recent studies have shown that a ketogenic diet supplemented with MCT oil for 3 months significantly improved cognitive function in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease, which returned to baseline after patients resumed their normal diets (2)
3. The “healthiest” kinds of meat are the last ones you’ll think of.
There are two types of ham – Jamon Iberico de bellota from Spain and Italian prosciutto di Parma – that could be most beneficial for overall health (3).
Parma pigs are fed on the whey of parmesan cheese, which contains beneficial gut bacteria and chestnuts.
These healthy compounds then make their way into the fatty streaks in the meat.
Iberico pigs are fed acorns, which are rich in omega-3 and contain the same oleic acid that is contained in olive oil and is shown to help lower cholesterol.
Better still, both types of ham are air cured without artificial preservatives.
Yeah, move over chicken breast.
4. On a similar note to the above…pass the thighs!
Many people believe that the breast is the most nutritious part of chicken because white meat has less fat. However, the darker meat in chicken thighs and drumsticks offers unique health benefits such as high levels of vitamin K2, or menaquinone, a naturally occurring fat-soluble vitamin. (4).
5. Low-Carb Diets & All Those Other “BioHacks” Might NOT Work For Women…
In her book, The Spark Factor, Dr. Maloof shows, the intense, all-or-nothing approaches commonly used by biohackers to optimize health—including sustained fasting, ultra-low-carb diets, and intense training—can be harmful, especially for women, because they create excessive stress in an already-stressed body, which can make us tired, weak, and prone to illness (5). I highly recommend this read!
Want to learn my method for TRUE intuitive eating so you no longer need to be prisoner to ever-changing “nutrition science”? Download my FREE Calm Your Gut: An Intuitive Eating Express Guide.