Important Food Facts Your Nutritionist Wishes You Knew

We all know that a healthy diet is key to improve health and fitness, but it is all too easy to get lost in the latest healthy fads and food trends. Rather than listening to everything that food bloggers and Instagrammers are saying on the Internet, you should only heed the advice from professional nutritionists and dieticians.

After all, they have studied food and its effects on the body for a long time so you can be sure that they know a thing or two about what we need to eat to stay at the top of our game! To help you get the most of your diet, I’ve spoken to some of my nutritionist friends to find out what kind of advice they can give. Here are some important facts that they wish we all knew about food!

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Diet Foods Are Not Your Friend

When people are trying to lose weight, they often substitute full-fat foods for diet versions. For instance, they might start to drink Diet Coke instead of regular Coca-Cola. They could also swap the full-fat mayonnaise in their fridge for a lighter version. Even though this seems like a very sensible thing to do, it could actually be very counterproductive. That’s because these diet versions of our favourite foods aren’t always what they seem. Instead of putting fat or sugar in diet foods, producers add lots of sweeteners so that they retain their flavour. And these sweeteners can often be worse for us than fat and sugar combined!

Superfoods Aren’t Actually That Super

Over the past few years, one of the biggest fads in the food scene has been superfoods. You will have no doubt heard all about them! Lots of food bloggers claim that these wonder foods contain high levels of antioxidants and essential nutrients, which can have marvelous effects on the body. Some people even claim that superfoods can help to control symptoms of certain health conditions and illnesses. However, many nutritionists claim that there is no real science to back this up, and the whole fad has been one big marketing campaign to help health food stores sell overpriced super foods.

Fruit Juice Isn’t As Healthy As It Seems

Lots of people think that fruit juice is a key component of a healthy breakfast. It’s true that it has some redeeming factors, because they are often fortified with lots of vitamins and minerals. However, the juices are often also high in sugar. If you do want to start your day with a healthy juice, the best thing you can do is juice your own. That way, you know exactly what is going into your drinks.

Oils Are Important

You should be careful to include oils made from nuts and seeds in your diet. Sure, they are incredibly healthy, but can become carcinogenic if you heat them too high during cooking. One of the best oils you can cook with are coconut oil and rapeseed oil. These are safe at high temperatures and also have great health properties!