Calgary nutrition experts uncover what’s fact versus fiction
Is your daily egg for breakfast going to cause heart problems? Is eating meals late at night going to cause you to gain weight?
These questions can be a cause for concern and confusion for many health-conscious individuals, according to three Calgary nutrition experts.
“I think the reason that these ideas become myths is that there is some truth to them,” says Samantha Jobin, Peak Health nutritionist.
While the cholesterol in eggs can contribute to cholesterol in our system, Tsui says it is more the saturated and trans fat in our diet we get from other processed foods than the cholesterol found in eggs that does more damage.
Photo courtesy of pietroizzo/flickr.com
“At the end of the day, calories are calories, it doesn’t matter when you eat them,” says Jobin, who clarifies whether or not late night eating will make you gain weight.
Jobin says that it is more about what people eat late at night, than the act of eating that could be causing people to gain weight.
Since people are more likely to reach for salty, sugary snacks at night, she recommends eating more fibrous foods like popcorn or drinking tea to fill your stomach instead.
Jobin, along with registered dieticians Vinncci Tsui and Lori Petryk, tackle eight common nutrition myths in our interactive investigation.
In the case of eggs creating cholesterol problems, Tsui says that people often think that eggs are high in cholesterol and that when they consume them they contribute to clogging your arteries, which in turn is bad for your heart.
While the cholesterol in eggs can contribute to cholesterol in our system, Tsui says it is more the saturated and trans fat in our diet we get from other processed foods than the cholesterol found in eggs that does more damage.
Website looking at common nutrition myths.
Photo courtesy of Caitlin Cajdostik
For Tsui, a graduate of McGill University, explaining the truth behind common health ‘myths’ is important so that people can make smart food choices.
“In doing nutrition, I grew to have a greater appreciation of good food and good nutrition and how that’s all connected,” she says.
Videos, excerpts and fast facts can be found here: http://bit.ly/XPyFTa.