IMPORTANCE OF DIET AND NUTRITION MYTHS

In today's world, where many people are working towards their health and fitness goals. This means also a lot of nutrition myths and misconceptions are circulating, making it sometimes difficult to make the right choices.

The Importance of Nutrition

“You are what you eat”. Nutrition (what we eat) can fuel our bodies or make us sick. Therefore, we should put effort and pay attention to what, how much and when we eat.

What we eat should be a balanced diet, including, fiber, protein, healthy fats and carbs, ideally organic and unprocessed food, without additives like colorants, flavor enhancers and preservatives. Recent research show that the Mediterranean Diet is one of the most effective diets to prevent cardiovascular disease (heart attack and stroke).

How much we should eat depends on several factors: our weight and height and the level of daily activity/ exercise we do, if pregnant, or if we want to lose (fat) or gain weight (muscle mass). A Body composition Analysis (BCA) can help in calculating these needs and tracking the journey of changes.

When we eat is important because we all have a circadian rhythm, a body clock that coordinates and regulates the functioning of all organs. The digestive systems works best in the morning and early afternoon. Eating late heavy meals means food will most likely not be digested properly and will cause indigestion, gas and bloating, which can affect sleep and energy levels the next day. Some studies even show that participants eating the same number of calories per day gain weight if they do so in the evening compared to those that eat the same number of calories in the morning. Our preventive medicine specialist in Dubai is waiting for you, will give you a best service. If you want it, you must visit our Maison Sante.

Common Nutrition Myths

There are a lot of myths about nutrition that you've probably heard over the years. Here are a few of the most common ones:

1. You need to eat meat in order to be healthy.

It is absolute healthy to be on a plant-based diet, many people with diabetes and high cholesterol can even benefit from this type of diet. If on a plant-based diet you need to supplement B12, all other nutrients including protein can be obtained with this diet.

2. You need a low-fat diet to lose weight

Healthy fats are important in a balanced diet, they are a good source of energy, help to absorb fat soluble vitamins and help to fight inflammation. Olive Oil and Avocados are two good examples of healthy fats.

3. Carbs are bad

Carbs are necessary in every healthy and balanced diet, in fact fruits and vegetables contain carbs. Its important to differentiate which carbs should be part of the diet (depending on the daily needs) like Quinoa, potatoes and sweet potato, and Carbs that should be better avoided, like sugar, bread and pastry, white rice etc. as the lack fiber and nutrients.

4. Dairy is necessary for healthy bones and Calcium intake

This is definitely not true. Actually, many people have a lactose intolerance and get gas, bloating and diarrhea from dairy. Dairy also aggravates mucous production in the body, so it can aggravate symptoms of sinusitis and cough. You can get all the calcium you need from fruits and vegetables.

Conclusion

When in doubt about what nutrition is good for you it is recommended to consult with a nutritionist that has a holistic approach in order to get personalized advice. There is no “one fits all” type of advice when it comes to nutrition.

A Body composition Analysis (BCA) can be helpful to assess where you are and monitor progress when it comes to achieving a healthy weight. Visit wellness & health clinics in Dubai for the best advice on health.

If suffering digestive symptoms, often tests are necessary (stool tests and blood tests) to find out the root cause and make an individualized treatment plan depending on the results.