MYTHS and FACTS OF DIETING a common man needs to know.

Dietiting refers to restricting yourself to a small amount of food or following a special diet. It is a practice of eating food in a regulated way to decrease, increase or to prevent or treat diseases. There are various myths behind this.

Myth: carbohydrates are the main culprit for weight gain. If one can stop taking carbohydrates in their diet can reduce weight easily

Fact: the fact behind carbohydrate is there is a variety of carbohydrates available. Not all carbs are bad for health. Complex carbohydrates such as millet, brown rice, red rice, wheat, and broken wheat are good for your health and help to reduce weight. The bran present in whole grain gives satiety and makes you full for a long time. Restricting carbohydrates completely is not safe for anyone. Everyone needs carbohydrates, in the menu planning we should distribute the carbohydrates, protein, fat in a balanced way.

Myth: If the label says “no-fat” or “low-fat,” you can eat all you want and not gain weight

FACT: These low-fat or no-fat foods have added sugar, starch, or salt to make up for the reduction in fat and improve in taste. These foods often have higher calories than the regular version.

We should practice reading the nutrition label to see how many calories are present in a serving and calories present in,   also the ingredients present in it.

MYTH:  Skipping breakfast helps to reduce weight

FACT: Eating a healthy breakfast can help to manage hunger and restrict eating unhealthy snacks or binge eating.

MYTH: Fasting can help you lose weight quickly. Intermittent fasting has become a trend to reduce weight faster.

FACT: Fasting is unhealthy. Those who fast will feel hungry throughout the day and end with a large supper that replaces all of the calories they skipped earlier. Fasting causes more muscle loss than fat loss.

Plan the daily diet properly in a balanced way,reduce empty calories as much as possible, reducing refined grains and sugary drinks helps to reduce weight. Instead  of cutting meals entirely, it’s always better to follow a proper diet with the help of dietitian advice

By Ms Soumita Biswas, Chief Nutritionist,Aster RV Hospital