Diet Myths

Cutting out carbs, choosing light products, eating lots of fruit, having lots of small meals, doing endurance sport … maybe losing weight is on your list of New Year’s resolutions but you’re lost in the jungle of diet tips? No wonder! So that you don’t waste any more time with pointless advice, we put paid to 5 of the most stubborn diet myths.

Myth #1:

No breakfast, and don’t eat anything after 6 p.m.

There are as many recommendations as to when you should eat as there are fish in the sea. However, it’s not when we eat that determines the success of our diet, but how much energy we take in over the course of the day, and how much we expend again through movement. Lots of us deliberately skip breakfast thinking that we’re cutting calories. That may work – but it can also backfire. Without breakfast, there’s a bigger chance that during the day we’ll reach for high-calorie foods and/or will suffer from hunger cravings. Apart from that, having a meal in the morning regulates the appetite-stimulating hormone, ghrelin, and our metabolism is also most active in the morning.

But what about snacks between meals? Expert opinion differs here as well. The fact is that our blood sugar level rises after every meal, which causes the “fattening hormone” insulin to be released. So it may be helpful not to constantly eat snacks between meals. Ultimately, however, it’s your energy balance at the end of the day that’s going to determine whether you lose weight or not.

Now we come to the last meal of the day. Here it largely depends on how long you are still awake and active. When we sleep, our bodily functions slow down, so our metabolism and digestion work better if we eat our last meal two to three hours before going to bed.

And while we’re on the subject of time: RINGANA has the perfect solution for anybody who wants to lose weight in a healthy way, and still wants to maintain a balanced diet even when there’s not enough time to cook. COMPLETE d-eat is a balanced, low-calorie meal that is quick and easy to prepare and supplies the body with all the essential nutrients it needs.

Myth #2:

Carbohydrates make us fat

With the low-carb movement currently holding sway, lots of diets recommend reducing our intake of carbohydrates or cutting them out altogether. However, complex carbohydrates are just as essential to a balanced diet as proteins and fats. Naturally, there are some carbs which are better avoided. These are mainly the short-chain carbohydrates contained in white sugar, ready meals and products made from white flour. Too much of these can inhibit the breakdown of fat because of the high levels of insulin released, and they can contribute to long-term illnesses.

But back to the upside: wholegrain products in particular are rich in valuable minerals, trace elements and fibre. They promote our feeling of being full, support healthy digestion, and make our blood sugar rise more slowly – all good for shedding excess pounds. If you switch over to wholegrain products, you WILL NOT automatically lose weight. This too depends on your energy balance sheet at the end of the day.

Our tip: with carbs, keep an eye on quantity and which ones you consume. How they are prepared also plays a role. If you want to reach your target weight, it’s better to avoid calorie-rich sauces.

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Myth #3:

Fat is unhealthy

This isn’t a statement that we can just swallow either. Lots of people consume too little fat, particularly when they are on a diet. Yes, you heard correctly – too little! Once again, what matters are quantity and quality. Feel free to cut trans fats – which are in many industrial foods – out of your diet. On the other hand, the intake of essential fatty acids is vital for the body’s survival, because it can’t produce them itself. They support the immune system and many important bodily functions such as muscle regeneration, the production of hormones and cell renewal.

The best known fatty acids are Omega-3 and Omega-6 which are mostly to be found in nuts, seeds and avocados, although spinach and lentils are also good sources of essential fatty acids.

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Myth #4:

Light products are slimming

Naturally we love the idea of not having to give anything up, and choose the “light” version instead. Unfortunately, the reality is different. “Light” products don’t necessarily have fewer calories overall; usually they contain less fat or sugar than comparable products. However, these ingredients are normally replaced by chemical substances. In lemonades, for instance, the sugar content is often replaced with sweeteners. Although they have hardly any calories, they do drive up our blood sugar levels, and this can trigger hunger cravings.

Our tip: try natural sweeteners such as honey, agave syrup, dates or dried fruits – and don’t be misled by advertising when you go shopping. Check out a product’s nutritional values instead.

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Myth #5:

If you do sport, you can eat whatever you like

We’re familiar with this thinking: “Today I’ll do some sport, which means I can eat the odd burger and chips.” However, we still need to maintain a certain discipline even on days when we exercise and, once again, it’s the calorie deficit that counts. If you want to lose weight, you have to reduce your calorie consumption – and one thing we know is that sport burns off additional calories. However, if our diet is unbalanced and unhealthy, we still won’t lose weight even if we exercise regularly. But what do we need to bear in mind when it comes to sport? As with our diet, our sport programme should be varied and balanced. Switch between endurance and strength training to constantly challenge the organism. For the best results, combine endurance sports such as jogging, cycling or swimming with targeted strength training.

Our tip: to stay fit and health, you naturally need movement on a regular and ongoing basis. But you shouldn’t overdo it – breaks are important so that the body can regenerate for daily life and further training.

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And one last tip:

Always keep a cool head and a positive attitude, and forget about radical diets which usually have an undesirable yo-yo effect. Instead, aim for long-term, healthy weight reduction which you can support with a balanced diet, regular movement and natural supplements from RINGANA.