Susan B. Dopart, MS, RD, CDE: 5 Myths About ... - ProperParent

Wh?n ?t comes to nutrition, sometimes ?t?s hard to t?ll th? fact fr?m th? fiction. C?rt??n foods g?t a reputation ?? ?b?d f?r ???,? whereas others g?t promoted ?? ?natural? ?r ?g??d f?r ???? wh?n th?? ?r? really n?t.

Sometimes myths ?b??t foods ?r? based ?n urban legends th?t ???t g?t perpetuated f?r years until w? actually believe th?? ?r? research-based. Oth?r myths ?r? based ?n ?ld research th?t w?? n?t done ?n a scientific manner. Whatever th? reason, here ?r? ??m? claims around a few ????l?r foods th?t need to b? debunked.

1. Cheese ?? b?d f?r ???

I hear th?? one ???r? day ?f th? week. Th? ?n?w?r lies ?n th? type ?f cheese ??? eat. Th?r? ?? packaged, processed cheese ?nd th?n th?r? ?? artisan/European ?nd grass-fed cheese. Th? European/grass-fed cheese ?? higher ?n omega-3 fats (anti-inflammatory) fats th?t ?r? g??d f?r ???. Cheese ?? ?l?? a g??d source ?f protein ?nd calcium. Eating cheese fr?m cows th?t h??? b??n fed growth hormones ?nd antibiotics, ?nd th?t contains multiple ingredients, fits th? myth ?nd ?h??ld b? avoided. Y?? ??n find imported European cheese ?n th? deli section ?f ???r grocery store.

2. Eggs m?k? ???r cholesterol g? up

It?s beyond ?nt?r??t?ng to m? th?t many people w?ll avoid ?n egg yolk b?t w?ll eat several packaged cookies during th? day! Long-term studies found n? relationship between egg consumption ?nd heart disease. Studies d? consistently link heart disease w?th a higher intake ?f trans f?t, wh??h ?? used ?n packaged foods to increase shelf life. H?w???r, th? f?t ?n eggs ?? mostly polyunsaturated ?nd monounsaturated, ?nd th? yolk ?? ?n ????ll?nt source ?f th? antioxidant lutein, wh??h ??n lower ??rt??n inflammatory responses ?n th? body. Eggs easily fit ?nt? a healthy lifestyle, ?? ?n??? ?n omelet f?r breakfast ?nd see h?w satisfied ??? ?r? th? rest ?f th? day.

3. Drinking juice ?? healthy ?nd a g??d way to g?t ???r fruit

Many people l??? th??r morning juice! B?t experts ??? drinking juice ?? equal to th? same amount ?f sugar ?? drinking a glass ?f soda. Dr. Charles Billington, a researcher ?n obesity ?t th? University ?f Minnesota, states th?t juice ?? ?pretty much th? same ?? sugar water.? Th?nk ?f ?ll th? oranges ?r apples ??? w??ld h??? to squeeze to obtain a cup ?f juice. Y?? ?r? drinking ?ll th? sugar fr?m th? juice, minus th? fiber th?t helps stabilize ???r blood sugar wh?n eating th? fruit. Skip th? juice ?nd eat a few pieces ?f fruit per day to improve ???r health.

4. Avoid avocados ??n?? th?? h??? t?? much f?t

Avocados d? contain f?t, b?t ?t ?? th? healthy monounsaturated kind, wh??h d??? ?m?z?ng things ?n ???r body. Th?? ?? a food ??? want to include ?? ??rt ?f ???r daily diet. Eating avocados ??n h?l? w?th increasing th? HDL (th? h???? kind ?f cholesterol), wh??h ??? want higher ??n?? ?t helps w?th lowering heart disease b? getting rid ?f b?d cholesterol. Al??, having healthy fats ?n ???r diet assists ???r health ?n multiple ways, including helping ???r skin ?nd hair stay healthy ?nd vibrant, providing adequate lubrication f?r th? gut to h?l? w?th normal digestion ?nd absorption, ?nd assisting w?th m?k?ng hormones essential to th? manufacture ?f sex hormones.

5. Agave ?? a natural sweetener

Agave, wh??h comes fr?m th? cactus ?nd h?? b??n used to m?k? tequila, hit th? market a few years ago. Y?? ??n find agave ?? a sweetener ?n m??t products found ?n health food stores? b?t ?? ?t really a health product?

Using high-fructose corn syrup ?? a cheap way to sweeten foods. It w?? developed to h?l? food companies ??t costs. Whereas real sugar ?? 50 percent glucose ?nd 50 percent fructose, high-fructose corn syrup ?? approximately 45 percent glucose ?nd 55 fructose, ?nd n?t th? natural kind l?k? ?n fruit. W?th agave, th? percentages ?r? altered more significantly ? th? syrup ?? 85-90 percent fructose ?nd 10-15 percent glucose. Wh?n ??? consume a large percentage ?f th?? type ?f fructose, ?t gets processed directly b? ???r liver, wh??h n?t ?nl? increases ???r triglyceride levels, b?t causes fatty liver, increased hunger levels ?nd a plethora ?f ?th?r health issues ??? w??ld r?th?r avoid. Th? agave plant goes through heavy processing ?n order to concentrate ?t ?nt? a sweet syrup. R?th?r th?n being natural, ?? w??ve b??n led to believe, ?t ?? actually a processed food, ?ft?n w?th few quality controls.

A? w?th everything diet-related, moderation ?? key, b?t don?t b? afraid to add European-style cheese, eggs ?nd avocado to ???r shopping list. Drop th? juice, add ??m? fruit instead, ?nd ??? honey instead ?f agave to sweeten ???r morning beverage. Th? result? A d?l??????, satisfying breakfast ?nd a healthier ???!

Susan ?? th? author ?f ?A Recipe f?r Life b? th? Doctor?s Dietitian.? H?r n?w book ?Healthy Y??, Healthy Baby: A mother?s guide to gestational diabetes? w?ll b? out ?n June 2012. F?r more information, visit susandopart.com.

F?r more b? Susan B. Dopart, M.S., R.D., C.D.E., click here.

F?r more b? Susan B. Dopart, M.S., R.D., C.D.E. ?n HuffPost, click here.

F?r more ?n diet ?nd nutrition, click here.

Flickr photo b? Ella es Tanya

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