Top 15 Misconceptions about Dieting

Many people believe that the more fruit juice you drink, the better it is for your body because it provides a high dose of water and vitamins. However, this is a misconception. Drinking excessive fruit juice can lead to fiber loss and may cause certain cancers, such as colorectal cancer. Fruit juice can also increase the risk of diabetes if consumed in large amounts. Therefore, it's recommended to limit fruit juice intake to 3 glasses per day.

Eating fruit during or immediately after meals can stimulate the stomach, causing indigestion and bloating. Therefore, it's best to consume fruit as a snack during light breakfasts or in the afternoon.

The traditional three-meal-a-day regimen has been around for a long time, but it may not necessarily be the healthiest. The truth is, dividing your meals into smaller, more frequent servings can help you become leaner. Splitting into five small meals a day not only helps regulate weight effectively but also contributes to longevity and lowers blood pressure.

For some busy individuals with little time for extended breaks, breaking meals into several smaller ones throughout the day might be more suitable. For example, new mothers, breastfeeding mothers, those suffering from acid reflux, bloating, or irritable bowel syndrome may also find that they feel better when they eat smaller meals spaced about 3-4 hours apart. Similarly, elderly individuals often feel full quickly and only require small meals suitable for their age.

Many believe that dieting can be done with sushi, but in reality, the calorie content in this dish is quite high. The sodium content in sushi is also considerable.

A single serving of sushi typically contains over half of the daily recommended intake of salt. Not to mention, if you dip sushi in soy sauce, you're consuming an excessive amount of salt. This can lead to gastrointestinal ulcers, increased blood pressure, which is not good for health.

Many believe that using brown sugar is better, tastier. However, both white and brown sugars are not good for your health. The nutritional content between the two is basically the same, except brown sugar contains a higher amount of molasses. Consuming high amounts of sugar can lead to various health issues such as diabetes, weight gain, and skin problems.

While the two sugars are nearly equivalent in nutrition, there is a slight difference because brown sugar contains molasses, making it richer in three minerals: calcium, iron, and potassium compared to white sugar, although the difference is not significant.

Many believe that you must consume exactly 2 liters of water every day to maintain a healthy body and skin. In reality, you only need to drink water according to your body's needs. There's no need to worry excessively about dehydration because food also contains water. The body signals when it needs water. Consuming too much water in a day can lead to kidney issues.

Instead of worrying about whether you're drinking enough water, pay attention to the signs of dehydration. Feeling sluggish, frequently experiencing headaches, or having dark yellow urine are signs that you may be dehydrated.

Some types of meat contain rich iron content, which contributes to improving blood quality when consumed. However, iron is not the only nutrient beneficial for your blood, and meat is not the only food group containing iron.

If you don't enjoy eating meat, you can supplement blood-nourishing nutrients from plant-based foods (vegetables, fruits, seeds, etc.). For example, seaweed, just a tablespoon of seaweed can fulfill 100% of your daily iron needs, 80% of your vitamin B12 needs, both of which are good for your blood. Alternatively, you can also supplement with flaxseeds, chia seeds... as they are also rich in iron. They can provide 45% of your daily iron needs, 1 tablespoon of quinoa provides 15%, and pure cocoa provides 20% of your daily iron requirements.

In itself, a vegetarian diet is not a factor causing illness or threatening your health if you follow it correctly. According to statistics from the American Diabetes Association, if you are a fan of meat as well as foods rich in fat, protein, and cholesterol, you are at risk of diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis, kidney stones... However, if you follow a well-balanced vegetarian diet, you can reduce the risk of heart disease by 20%.

Some studies by experts in the UK and Germany indicate that vegetarians can reduce the risk of cancer by 40% compared to non-vegetarians. Especially for women, a vegetarian diet helps prevent breast cancer, ovarian cancer. If you are a vegetarian, make sure you get enough nutrients from green leafy vegetables, vegetables, fruits, various seeds, nuts, and a moderate amount of grains...

In the past decade, fats have always been considered the cause of many diseases. However, nowadays, nutrition experts have affirmed the opposite: The body cannot synthesize some essential vitamins if they are not dissolved in fat. The important thing to remember is not to completely eliminate fats from your diet.

Not all fats are harmful. Fats are an essential part of the diet, containing vitamins and nutrients to maintain health. The best way to harness the benefits of fats is to consume them in moderation. Olive oil contains beneficial fats and nutrients, but like many other oils, olive oil is high in calories and can lead to weight gain. Therefore, you should not use too much olive oil when cooking. However, fats are not something you can eat recklessly. According to Harju, you should only consume beneficial fats found in olive oil, fish, avocados, nuts...

The low-carb diet regime might be so widespread that we hardly need an introduction, right? However, experts assess that overdoing this diet may leave the body lacking in energy and essential vitamins.

Not all starches are created equal. Complex carbohydrates in whole grains or wheat contain high levels of nutrients and fiber. It's only simple starches like those found in white rice or white bread that lead to weight gain. Carbs are a vital source of fuel for the body to efficiently burn fat. Instead of eliminating carbs from your daily diet, opt for good carbs like whole grains, vegetables, legumes, brown rice, oats... and limit unhealthy carbs like processed foods, sweets, carbonated drinks...

We've always believed that late-night eating leads to weight gain, bloating, and indigestion. But this is a misconception. What you eat and how much you eat matter more than when you eat. It's best to stop eating about 3 hours before bedtime with a moderate meal. Going to bed with a full stomach may prevent the body from resting as it still has to process food, potentially leading to indigestion, bloating, and weight gain. Instead of setting a specific time of day to stop all eating activities, it's fine to eat a little less than usual.

However, eating too late isn't good for health and can rapidly lead to weight gain. Therefore, it's best to eat moderately and on time.

Detoxifying with fruit juice is believed to help the body eliminate residual 'toxins.' This method has been validated by many experts. It is effective, but experts also warn of its dangers, as it can... flush out essential nutrients and calories, causing the body to enter a 'starvation' state.

That's why you lose weight very quickly when detoxing, but your health also deteriorates significantly. Experts advise that you should trust in your body's natural detoxification mechanism. Eat nutrient-rich foods, be proactive in controlling your diet, and drink enough water.

A report from the British Nutrition Association states that nutrition from vegetables will help the body function more efficiently. Fruits often contain high levels of natural sugars, and consuming too much can increase blood sugar levels, leading to fatigue and irritability.

Nutritionists recommend the best daily intake to include 4 servings of vegetables + 1 serving of fruit.

In reality, many types of vegetables and fruits become more nutritious when cooked compared to raw consumption.

For instance, boiled carrots will have more carotenoids - a type of organic pigment with antioxidant properties, than raw carrots, or tomatoes will have more lycopene if processed. Hence, in dietary plans, it's essential to combine both raw and cooked vegetables and fruits.

It's common knowledge that consuming excessive fruits with sugar content can lead to weight gain. However, bananas are not the culprit for weight gain. If you combine bananas with high-fat foods like avocado or fatty foods, it may contribute to weight gain. But if you only eat bananas, you don't have to worry about this.

According to scientists, bananas are calorically dense fruits rich in fiber and natural sugars. Hence, on one hand, this fruit can help satisfy hunger and, on the other hand, provide your body with energy and nutrients. Bananas contain three types of natural sugars: sucrose, fructose, and glucose, combined with fiber, which makes them capable of providing immediate energy to the body.

Moreover, bananas are believed to aid in weight loss. When you eat bananas, the body's metabolism process accelerates, forming a protective layer in the intestine, which helps eliminate toxins from the body and promotes good digestion.

Having a protein-rich meal can be beneficial; however, protein intake should be moderate. Research has shown that we cannot consume more than 30 – 40g of protein in one meal.

Excessive protein will be broken down and used for energy or stored as fat. This means that eating too much without enough exercise will lead to the body storing protein as excess fat.

An ideal meal should provide the body with the necessary calories, with the total protein content only accounting for 30 – 35% so that individuals can absorb other nutrients like healthy fats, fiber, various vitamins, and minerals.