What Nutrition Advice Can You Give When You Are Not A Registered Dietitian

How many times have you lot read that you lot demand to swallow clean, start juicing or simply eat foods that have a specific number of ingredients? The advice may be compelling, and even sound science-y, just in the age of Google and information overload, y'all have to be careful about who you lot're turning to for advice.

That'southward why, to separate nutrient facts from fiction, I turned to the real nutrition pros— my fellow registered dietitians (RDs). RDs have undergraduate degrees (and often graduate degrees, as well) from accredited programs, complete at least 1,200 hours of supervised practice, laissez passer a registration exam and see continuing education requirements in order to maintain their professional status. Let'due south just say they know a matter or 2. Hither are their top food misconceptions they'd prefer y'all'd forget.

MYTH: In that location ARE NO BAD FOODS

FACT: Let's set the record straight. A soda is not of equal nutritional value equally a piece of salmon. Lauren Slayton, MS RD, founder of Foodtrainers likens the perpetuation of this food fairy tale to handing out trophies to everyone on the soccer field. In a child's protective bubble, it'southward considered hard to procedure the truth that some kids are better soccer players (or baseball players or gymnasts) than others. Merely the reality is, as we've just seen with the Winter Olympics, in that location are merely a few spots on the podium — for the winners.

As adults, we should be able to handle the truth that not every food is a winner. "We can't compare a KitKat to spinach," says Slayton. "Some foods are better than others and some foods are bad for y'all. Does this hateful we demand to live exclusively on 'practiced' foods? No." But, she says, we must take that just like street drugs are bad for united states and we should limit contact with toxic people in our lives, some foods are too unhealthy.

"In this historic period of nutrition defoliation, let'south be clear in the communication we dole out. Information technology'due south okay to say some items in the market are unhealthy or treats or bad. Don't worry. The KitKat won't be insulted," she adds.

MYTH: USE UNREFINED SUGAR IN Identify OF ORDINARY SUGAR

FACT: "Sugar is carbohydrate!" says Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RDN, writer of "The Protein-Packed Breakfast Gild." It doesn't matter what you lot call it. Honey, agave, maple syrup, coconut sugar, cane juice, fruit juice concentrate and more are all code words for sugar. "Y'all may benefit from scant amounts of a few extra vitamins or minerals in sure sweeteners, but make no error, they're all added sugars and all contribute to the recommended daily limit on added sugars in the diet." The American Heart Association suggests a cap of 24 grams per mean solar day (6 teaspoons) for women and 36 grams (9 teaspoons) for men. Instead of getting minuscule amounts of nutrients from maple syrup, stick with the targets for added saccharide from any source and meet your nutritional needs from healthful whole foods.

MYTH: FRUIT HAS TOO MUCH Sugar

FACT: Of all the food lore circulating, few make dietitians equally crazy as this 1. "It'south amazing how many people think fruit should exist avoided," says New York City-based dietitian, Natalie Rizzo, MS, RD.

She breaks it down this fashion: "Our brain needs natural sugars in the grade of glucose to office properly. Our muscles need those same natural sugars to perform do." True, you should keep tabs on saccharide added to processed foods, only the sugar in fruit is different. "It'due south paired with and then many other benign vitamins, minerals and nutrients," she says. "Bananas have tons of potassium, cerise grapes take antioxidants, and pineapple is loaded with vitamin C. In that location is no reason a healthy person should avoid fruit," explains Rizzo.

MYTH: JUICING IS A GREAT Way TO LOSE WEIGHT

FACT: Juicing to lose weight is a terrible thought. "This is not a good road to lasting weight loss," explains Amy Gorin, MS, RDN, owner of Amy Gorin Nutrition in the New York City area.

At that place are and so many reasons Gorin advises confronting juicing. "For one, drinking only juice would leave you short of the calories your torso needs to optimally office. You'd also be getting mostly carbohydrates and would be defective the poly peptide and good for you fats your torso needs daily. Poly peptide and good for you fats help to go along yous full, so you lot'd as well likely exist very hungry on this diet!.

Information technology may not be every bit sexy equally juicing, if you actually want to lose weight, Gorin recommends filling up on healthful foods instead. "Eat a balanced diet of fruit and vegetables, lean protein such as tofu or salmon, whole grains (oatmeal or quinoa are great picks), and healthy fats such every bit avocado and olive oil." She besides suggests cutting calories by limiting the foods that don't need to be in your diet, such as alcohol.

MYTH: Merely SHOP THE PERIMETER OF THE STORE

FACT: Believe it or not, this isn't the perfect recipe for your torso or your wallet. "It's true that the perimeter of the shop holds colorful produce (fruits and veggies that don't even require labels), meat and poultry, and the dairy, merely if you lot ignore the heart aisles, yous'll be missing out on valuable foods that are kind to your trunk and your upkeep," advises Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, author of "Read information technology Earlier You Eat It - Taking Yous from Label to Table."

When y'all steer towards the center, y'all'll discover institute foods like beans, whole grains and nuts. "These foods are succulent, healthy, affordable, versatile and easy to store," she says. Withal, you can't ignore the fine print known as the ingredient listing and Nutrition Facts Panel. "Flip packages over to read what you're really getting," says Taub-Dix.

MYTH: DON'T Eat EGG YOLKS

FACT: This myth persists for dieters trying to cut fatty and calories, simply co-ordinate to Angie Asche, MS, RD of Eleat Sports Nutrition, skipping the yolks is a big nutrition miss. "Egg yolks are rich in vitamins A and D, fatty acids, and antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, to name a few," she explains. Asche encourages eating the whole egg for the almost nutrition.

MYTH: DRINK 8 Spectacles OF H2o PER Mean solar day

FACT: Certainly, dietitians are proponents of proper hydration, both for working out and everyday life. Information technology'southward the standard advice that they take exception to. "Everyone varies in their historic period, size, gender, activity level and wellness status, so in that location isn't ane fluid recommendation to adapt anybody'south needs," explains Rizzo, who instead, offers the following tip for determining your fluid status. Check your urine output and color. "If at that place is a sizable amount and information technology's pale yellow in color, you lot're properly hydrated. If you just put out a pocket-sized amount of dark-colored urine (like apple tree cider vinegar), you're dehydrated," she explains. The goal: drink enough fluid until your urine is consistently pale yellow. That'southward when you know yous've met your individual fluid needs.

MYTH: Make full UP ON SUPERFOODS

FACT: "The term superfood is a buzzword that has no meaning in the scientific or medical community," co-ordinate to Mitchell Zandes, registered dietitian and diet blogger. How does a food go to superfood condition if in that location is no adequate definition? Though Zandes appreciates that superfoods are generally salubrious, thereby steering people towards nutritious fare, in that location's no need to make a distinction betwixt one healthful nutrient and another. Just because a banana may non show upwardly on a superfoods list doesn't mean you should avert bananas at all cost. Recognize that headlines are meant to grab your attention simply the reality is that even if it doesn't make it on a top ten listing, institute foods (those fruits and veggies, nuts and seeds, beans and whole grains that dietitians routinely recommend) will bring goodness to your plate and your body.

MYTH: GLUTEN Complimentary = HEALTHIER

FACT: "While information technology's important to avoid gluten if you accept a medical condition, like celiac affliction, being gluten-free doesn't automatically make a product better for y'all," according to Patricia Bannan, MS, RDN, writer of "Eat Right When Time is Tight." "Gluten-free products can vary greatly in the corporeality of sugar, fat, and other nutrients they incorporate," she explains.

When manufacturers remove gluten, they often brand upward for the departure in flavor and texture by adding more sugar, salt and refined starches, like potato and tapioca starch. To avoid getting duped by gluten free foods, check the ingredient list and Nutrition Facts label to ensure your gluten free pick is also a salubrious pick.

MYTH: YOU NEED TO Cutting CARBS TO LOSE WEIGHT

FACT: "A big misconception my clients have is thinking that completely eliminating bread, potatoes, pasta and rice will help with achieving a healthier weight, improving brain function, and a number of other things that don't have strong scientific bankroll," says plant-based dietitian Catherine Perez, MS, RD, LDN. "Carbs, in the form of whole grain or whole starch sources, are packed with B vitamins, folate and cobweb," she says, adding that cobweb helps fill y'all up and feel more than satisfied with meals. Both of these factors can assist you accomplish weight loss. Eating these foods can as well keep your digestive arrangement bustling and preclude constipation — an upshot that tin plague carb-avoiders.

No one nutrient tin can make you gain weight.

MYTH: PASTA MAKES Y'all Fatty

FACT: Simply in case you weren't convinced that carbs can exist okay, nutritionist Keri Gans, MS, RDN, author of The Pocket-size Change Diet, offers this reminder: "No one food can make you gain weight." Take note: It's all almost the portion and preparation. "A huge bowl of fettuccine alfredo is definitely going to exist high in calories. Prepared differently, you'll get a healthy repast. Ane of my favorites is a i-cup serving of pasta sautéed in olive oil with lots of veggies (spinach, broccoli and artichokes, being some of my go-tos), with grilled shrimp." Y'all don't need to alive without pasta, but find some other means to love it as Gans recommends.

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