Nutrition Myths Debunked

Get to Know the author

1 www.BodyByRoddy.fit
 Nutrition Myths Debunked

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 ......................................................................................................7

Introduction ...........................................................................................7
Who Is This Book For? ...........................................................................7
Areas This Book Will Cover ................................................................... 8

Chapter 2 .................................................................................................... 9

Universal Food Myths ............................................................................ 9

Myth: Eating less causes fat loss. ..................................................... 9
Myth: Dairies give you fat. ............................................................. 10
Healthy Lifestyle and Listening to the Body ......................................... 11

Chapter 3 ................................................................................................... 12

Mainstream Nutrition Lies ................................................................... 12

Breakfast Myths .................................................................................... 12
Myth: Breakfast is the healthiest and most important meal. ........... 12
Myth: We need breakfast first thing in the morning. ...................... 12
Myth: If you grab a bite before work, you will feel less
hungry and eat less later. ....................................................... 14
Whole Grains ........................................................................................ 14
Myth: Whole grains are good for everyone. ..................................... 14
Eggs, Saturated Fat, and Cardiac Health .............................................. 14
Myth: Eggs are bad for your heart. .................................................. 14
Myth: Saturated fat can cause heart disease.................................... 15
GMO Misinformation ........................................................................... 16

2 www.BodyByRoddy.fit
 Nutrition Myths Debunked

Myth: GMO foods are safer than conventional foods. ..................... 16

Are Nutrition Labels Accurate? ............................................................ 16
Myth: Nutrition labels are always very reliable. .............................. 16

Chapter 4 ................................................................................................... 17

Weight Loss Rumors and Facts ............................................................ 17

Reducing Body Fat ................................................................................ 17
Myth: Fats make you fat. ................................................................. 17
Calorie Consumption ............................................................................ 18
Myth: All calories are equal. ........................................................... 18
Myth: Everyone responds to calories equally. ................................. 19
Weight Loss Diets and Pills ................................................................. 20
Myth: Weight loss diets work faster. .............................................. 20
Myth: Weight-losing pills will do all the work. ............................... 20
Obesity Myths ....................................................................................... 21
Myth: Thin people are healthier than the obese. ............................. 21
Myth: Obesity is a psychological issue rather than a biological problem.
.................................................................................................. 22

Chapter 5 .................................................................................................. 23

Facts Checking the Myths About Hydration ........................................ 23

How Camels Survive Extreme Exhaustion ........................................... 23
Myth: Camels survive long periods of dehydration
by storing water in their humps. .................................................... 23
The Cooling Mechanism and Dehydration .......................................... 24
Myth: Sweating is bodys way of regulating water balance ............. 24
Myth: Thirst is an indication of dehydration .................................. 24
Misbeliefs About Hydration................................................................. 25
Myth: There is no limit to the amount of water you can drink. ...... 25
Myth: Drink water right before you exercise. ................................. 26

3 www.BodyByRoddy.fit
 Nutrition Myths Debunked

Chapter 6 ...................................................................................................27

The Truth About Vitamin Supplements ................................................27

If Vitamins Are Safe ..............................................................................27
Myth: All vitamin supplements are safe. ........................................ 27
Myth: If I take vitamins, I dont have to be worried about diet. ..... 28
Myth: Vitamin supplements work better if taken on an empty stomach.
.................................................................................................. 28

Chapter 7 .................................................................................................. 29

Conclusion ........................................................................................... 29

4 www.BodyByRoddy.fit
 Get to know the author

There is one thing that every individual in this world wants but as much as they
want it, they do not want to work for it one bit and only think about how precious it
was when they lose it, that one very important thing is your health. We tend to take
it for granted when we have it, most of us do not work to keep our health up to the
mark. There is this misconception amongst a lot of people across the globe that
going to the gym and working out has little but no effect on a person's health, these
perceptions are very wrong and misleading. There are uncountable number of
benefits that one gains from working out on daily basis. It is not only about your
physical appearance that changes but it also has an impact on your brain, your mood
and for that matter everything. Then there are people who presume that working out
is only for the people who need to lose weight. Yes, it is true that one should work
out to lose weight as obesity can lead to a variety of highly dangerous diseases,

5 www.BodyByRoddy.fit
 Nutrition Myths Debunked

however it doesn't mean that people who aren't fat do not need working out.
Working out freshens up your mood, increases your strength, you get a confidence
boost, you fall ill less and so many other benefits which if you think hard are all very
beneficial in your daily life. I am here at your disposal to help anyone of you out
there and provide you with anything that you might need.

I am a professional in the field I work in and having been an obese individual myself
once, I fully understand the problems that are faced and the best of ways through
which obese people can become lean. Most of the people that are suffering from
obesity tend to have this idea in their heads that losing weight is a very difficult task
and so they drop the idea even before it builds up thinking that it is not for them.
However, what they do not know and what I can say from my very own experience is
that it is not at all difficult. The only thing that is required is dedication and keeping
the right set of mind for what you intend on doing

6 www.BodyByRoddy.fit
 Nutrition Myths Debunked

Chapter 1

Introduction

We are better informed than ever. But do we always bother to enquire whether
the information we use to improve our physiology is substantiated with facts? We all
know some general rules for healthy living. But there are many misconceptions and
confusions. There are countless myths. Some are age-old and universal, others have
been created and promoted for various purposes including for making money.
Nutrition myths are all pervading. We all believe in at least a few of them no matter
how educated we are. Myths are generated in many ways. Some of the myths have
been passed down from generation to generation. Sometimes celebrities, even
doctors and nutritionists, create myths. Food and supplement companies create
nutrition myths to promote their products, and because of their innovative
marketing techniques, we are likely to believe in more myths in the upcoming
future. But is it not important to learn whether those theories we believe about
nutrition are backed by science?
Our false beliefs can guide us to make wrong decisions on our food selections,
which may sometimes affect our health negatively, and even make us vulnerable to
fatal diseases.

Who Is This Book For?

This book is for anyone who is keen to gain a better insight into common
nutrition myths. If you are inquisitive about learning the truths behind these myths,
if you are interested in dislodging the mistaken beliefs about diet preferences, if you
are eager to replace your food prejudices with science facts, then this book is for
you. It is very gratifying to know about the nutrition myths and confront the
amazingly eye-opening facts about them. Not all myths are necessarily false. Some

7 www.BodyByRoddy.fit
 Nutrition Myths Debunked

of them are scientifically proven. Some are partially true and some of them are far
from the truth. This book has been designed for the general audience with a very
basic or no knowledge on nutrition.

Areas This Book Will Cover

This book is packed with information that will help us to distinguish the facts
from the myths. Top nutrition myths have been debunked using scientific theories
in a simplified manner that will also enable us to identify other myths, which are not
included in this book. Food keep us alive, and if the right food is taken in the right
quantity at the right time, the body will function magnificently, and we will remain
safeguarded from various diseases. It is paramount to have some degree of
understanding on nutrition, although there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it
comes to choosing the right food. There is no single way to eat and exercise that will
suit everyone. People are different, and everyone has unique body chemistry.
However, there are some common rules, which will work almost for everybody.
Nutrition myths from old to modern have been introduced in this book. Some
surprising facts behind our deep-rooted beliefs about foods have been revealed,
which will transform our views. Knowing the fact will help us to make right dietary
decisions and give up some terrible habits we think are healthy. The purpose of this
book is not just to dissect myths and prove them unscientific, nor to liberate us from
false beliefs and misconceptions about food habits. Its goal is to make us well
informed about safer and more appropriate diets so that we can stay fit by the right
food intake. We also need to be aware of the advertisements on fortified foods,
vitamins, and other supplements, and learn the facts behind their exaggerations and
false promises. Those areas have also been covered in this book.

8 www.BodyByRoddy.fit
 Nutrition Myths Debunked

Chapter 2

Universal Food Myths

Universal nutrition myths are those which are believed in every culture
throughout the globe. Most universal myths are age old. As the advent of
information technology revolutionized connectivity, any myth these days can go
universal within a short period of time. However, in this chapter we will discuss
some classical myths we have been believing for centuries. Those myths are neither
utterly false nor completely true. Here are some of them.

Myth: Eating lesscauses fat loss.

There are so many myths, which are universally believed as facts. The above is
one of them. But the truth is, if you reduce the consumption of your food, you wi ll
lose weight for sure, but not essentially losing your body fat. By limiting the intake
of your food, you will lose weight through muscle degeneration. You may have heard
that the body uses the fat deposit to produce energy during starvation. But that on ly
happens when the body has no choice. Our body yet losses some fat during fasting,
but the amount is too low to be taken into consideration.
But the question is, why the body uses the muscle rather than the extra fat
when we starve? Well during food deprivation, the body focuses on reducing the
consumption of calories. The best way to do it is by getting rid of tissues that
consume relatively more calories. So by reducing the muscle tissues, our system
copes with calorie deficiency. Besides, adopting starvation as only means to losing
fat has other downsides in the long run. As soon as you go back to your normal
eating habits, your system will perceive the normal eating as over-eating and deposit
new fats. Since you have deprived the system of foods for a certain period of time,
when you switch back to you regular consumption, your metabolic system will try to

9 www.BodyByRoddy.fit
 Nutrition Myths Debunked

rapidly gain the fat lost during starvation and deposit more fat to prepare your body
for the recurrence (perceived) of food deprivation. It is the bodys protective
mechanism, which eventually causes the super accumulation of fat.

Myth: Dairies give you fat.

Any foods essentially produced from milk are called dairies. Most dairies come
from cows milk, and sometimes from goats milk and sheeps milk. The levels of
nutrition vary, depending on the source of dairies. But most dairies contain some
common nutrients like carbohydrates, fat, vitamin D,calcium, and other minerals
like iron and zinc. Milk is a balanced diet, which can provide good support t o meet
your daily nutrition needs. But this highly reliable source of nutrition is being
termed as a risk food that can give you fat and increase your blood cholesterol level.
There are so many negative rumors around milk. Is milk that bad? Actually its n ot.
Experts believe that the calcium found in milk can help you lose weight. Some
studies found that people lose more weight from drinking milk than from taking
calcium supplements or avoiding dairies. However, if the dairy contains too much
saturated fat, it can ruin your diet. Saturated fats are not as healthy as unsaturated
fats. Our body uses unsaturated fats to generate energy for vital organs such as the
brain and heart. Unsaturated fats on the other hand, can create some health
problems like obesity, diabetes, and so on. Moreover, unsaturated fat is difficult to
get rid of. In order to avoid the risk of in-taking too much saturated fat from dairies,
you can limit the consumption of a few dairy products like full-fat ice cream, hard
cheeses (harder is fatter), homogenized milk, butter, and cream.

Healthy Lifestyle and Listening to the Body

If you maintain a healthy lifestyle you will be able maintain an ideal body
weight. There are three key elements you have to focus on, to support a healthy
lifestyle.

10 www.BodyByRoddy.fit
 Nutrition Myths Debunked

1) Regular intake of balanced diets.

2) Consumption of fresh whole foods at the right amount.
3) Doing physical exercises throughout our life.
There are thousands of combinations of balanced diets and whole foods, and
there are numerous ways to move the body, which can pay huge benefits.
However, the most important factor for maintaining a perfect body is to listen
to the mind of the body. Our body has its own mind. When the body needs food, we
feel hungry; when it needs water, we feel thirsty. The body even directs us to choose
the right food, signals us to quit consumption when we reach our limits, and
prompts us to avoid certain foods it perceives as harmful. The body is an intelligent
machine. The more connected we are with the body, the lesser the chance we have of
falling ill.
A few decades ago an experiment was performed on lab animals. They were
provided with foods, same in taste, but different in nutrition and calories.
Researchers were staggered to find that, in almost 90% of the cases, lab creatures
like mice, and Guinea pigs chose the dish containing the optimal combination.
There is a vast neural network in our gastro intestinal system called, enteric
network, which has almost as many nerve connections as we have in our brain. Our
gut is almost an autonomous organ that remains functional even after brain damage.
Thats why it is often termed as a second brain. But scientists have found that even a
single cell without any nerve connection finds the right nutrition. You may know
that dogs sometimes eat grass as a cure for stomach upset. It is the instinct of the
body that provides the direction to all living organisms.
However, the mind of a human body is very complex and prone to get tricked.
Your body may crave junk foods and fizzy drinks, but those are not healthy cravings.
Thats why mindful observation is required. By mindfully focusing on the roots of
cravings we can have an understanding on whether the cravings are beneficial or
damaging to our health.

11 www.BodyByRoddy.fit
 Nutrition Myths Debunked

Chapter 3

Mainstream Nutrition Lies

We humans have an enormous volume of food choices. There are many

interrelated factors, which influence our food selection. Among the many factors
that affect our choice of diets, the most prominent is the perception of the sensory
properties of food such as smell, taste, and appearance. Because of the perceptual
differences, not everyone likes the same food. However, there are countless
combinations of healthy balanced diets. So what should an ideal diet be like? Well
the ideal diet should contain a good volume of complex carbohydrates, a moderate
amount of protein, and a low quantity of fat in the long term. Now let us discuss
some common misconceptions about nutrition.

Breakfast Myths

Myth: Breakfast is the healthiest and most important meal.

What is important here is not the meal, its the calories that matter. Some
studies suggested that having a regular breakfast is linked to a smaller waistline, but
those studies were observational. And, observational studies are not completely
reliable. Besides, there are contradictory theories such as, Our body remains in a
ketogenic state when we wake up. In the ketogenic state, the brain and some other
physiological functions use ketones produced from fatty tissues as a fuel instead of
carbohydrates. If we interrupt the condition with a sugar-loaded diet, we will gain
extra fat rather than losing it. Breakfast is not the most important meal of the day,
but we can make it the healthiest by adding a balanced combination of nutrients.
The ideal way to break a ketogenic state is by choosing a low-crab breakfast.

12 www.BodyByRoddy.fit
 Nutrition Myths Debunked

Myth: We need breakfast first thing in the morning.

Not necessarily. Should we skip breakfast then? The answer is, it depends. You
will eat when you are hungry. What is most important here is to listen to the bodys
signals. There are conflicting theories about whether skipping breakfast is
unhealthy. Some researchers argue that, as skipping breakfast is a form of
intermittent fasting, it can have a positive effect on autophagy, therefore on anti -
aging. But, we have arguments on both sides. According to the National Health
Service, regular intake of breakfast can help in reducing obesity, and preventing
heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
With careful observation we can decide what is good for us. If you feel better
with skipping breakfast, you can skip it. But most of us feel hungry in the morning.
Therefore, for most people, it is recommended to have breakfast. Besides there may
be still some debates whether skipping breakfast can have any adverse effect in the
long run. Regular intake of breakfast has no known negative effects.

Myth: If you grab a bite before work, you will feel less hungry and
eat less later.

The contrary is true for the people with a leaner body. Eating in the morning
wont help you eat less during lunch, or reduce your appetite. But it wont make you
overeat either. However, as eating triggers the release of dopamine which is a
reward hormone, young adults may experience reduced food cravings during the day
if they have a protein-rich breakfast. There can be hundreds of underlying causes of
overeating. People can overeat when they feel stressed, frustrated, or angry, or also
when they find a particular dish very tasty. However, compulsive overeating can be a
symptom of clinical conditions like the Binge Eating Disorder(BED).

13 www.BodyByRoddy.fit
 Nutrition Myths Debunked

Whole Grains

Myth: Whole grains are good for everyone.

Not for everyone! Some people have a very low tolerance to whole grains. Fiber
in the whole grain certainly adds a healthy bulk, but consumption of too much
insoluble fiber can cause diarrhea. People who are suffering from Irritable Bowel
Syndrome-D may find their condition aggravated after consuming whole grains.
Along with insoluble fiber, some grains like rye, wheat, and barley contain gluten.
Gluten can cause damage to the intestines of the IBS sufferers and deteriorates their
condition. Gluten can also trigger allergies. Subclinical gluten intolerance is not
uncommon, although the symptoms are not always visible. Grains can elevate your
insulin and Leptin levels which can increase the risk of chronic diseases. If you
already have a condition of deregulated insulin and leptin secretion, ingestion of
gluten can worsen it and increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.
However, whole grains are safe for most people.

Eggs, Saturated Fat, and Cardiac Health

Myth: Eggs are bad for your heart.

Because of the substantial quantity of cholesterol in the yolks, egg is

demonized as a food harmful for our cardiovascular health. We all know that high
blood cholesterol can cause clogged arteries and spike the risk of heart attack.
However, consuming an egg or two doesnt increase the blood cholesterol level. The
reason is, our body itself manufactures a certain amount of cholesterol for healthy
functioning and when the cholesterol is obtained through food consumption, the
body compensates for it by producing less cholesterol. However, it is advisable for

14 www.BodyByRoddy.fit
 Nutrition Myths Debunked

people who have a history of heart disease, diabetes, and are aged over 55 (women)
or 45 (men) to limit the intake of cholesterol.
The egg is a balanced food that contains high quality protein and all the nine
essential amino acids. It is a reliable source of choline, a micronutrient of the
vitamin B family that is essential for healthy brain development, liver function, and
cardiovascular functioning. The egg is rich in nutrition and houses many other
vitamins and minerals including vitamins A, B, D, and E, calcium, potassium,
magnesium, zinc, iodine, iron, selenium, and so forth. Therefore, by eliminating
eggs from your diet you are depriving your body from a wonderful food with an
excellent combination of necessary nutrients. According to Penny Kris-Etherton,
professor of nutrition at Penn State University, Eggs can fit in, as long as you make
room for them in the rest of what youre eating.

Myth: Saturated fat can cause heart disease

Saturated fat is being seen as a culprit that increases low-density lipoprotein or

LDL cholesterol in the blood. The elevated level of LDL cholesterol then causes
atherosclerosis and finally heart disease, and thats how the theory goes. But it is
rather a hypothesis than a theory. Surprisingly, this hypothesis has been considered
as one the principles of dietary recommendations since 1977. Some studies did find
a short-term increase in LDL cholesterol triggered by the intake of saturated fat, but
the effect was too weak to be taken into consideration. Saturated fat was never
proven as a dominant factor in LDL.
Saturated fat contributes to the building blocks for cell membranes, helps
create essential hormones, acts as a carrier of fat-soluble vitamins, absorbs
minerals, and also serves as a fuel of the heart.

15 www.BodyByRoddy.fit
 Nutrition Myths Debunked

GMO Misinformation

Myth: GMO foods are safer than conventional foods.

Above ninety percent of corn and soy produced in the US is genetically

engineered. Therefore virtually every processed food contains GE components
unless the label says 100% organic. One of the most dangerous aspects of GMOs is,
most of the genetically modified crops are engineered to be herbicide tolerant.
Herbicides are toxins that kill weeds. Because GM plants are designed to survive
recurrent application of herbicides, their immunity provokes the overuse of the
toxins. As a consequence, weeds evolve being herbicide-resistant causing the famer
to apply more powerful toxins like glyphosate in a greater quantity to kill the super
weeds. Compared to traditional crops, genetically engineered crops contain higher
residues of toxins which cant be washed off, as they are integrated into the cellular
level of the plants. The long-term side effects of those toxins are still unknown, but
they have the potential to create birth defects, sterility, organ damage, cancer, and
premature death. Furthermore, the process of combining the genes of completely
different species during genetic modification can unleash a host of unpredictable
adverse effects which can create new toxins, allergens, and carcinogens. However,
we still dont have enough data to declare GMOs to be unsafe; and we dont have any
strong reason either to think them safer than the traditionally grown foods.

Are Nutrition Labels Accurate?

Myth: Nutrition labels are always very reliable.

Nutrition labels are not always reliable or factual. Customers often stagger to
find the nutrition facts stated in the labels are not nearly as credible as they

16 www.BodyByRoddy.fit
 Nutrition Myths Debunked

perceive. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made nutrition labels
mandatory by enforcing the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA), 1990.
The law implies that the manufacturers and packagers are allowed up to a 20%
margin of error for the claimed nutrition and calorie information. Twenty percent is
a big margin, and the budget for spot-checking the stated value for packaged foods
and restaurant foods is fairly low. According to a report of the Journal of the
American Medical Association, on average, packaged foods and restaurant foods
contain between 8% and 18% more calories than the stated calorie counts.
Therefore, those labels are not very trustworthy. But they are not utterly useless
either! You can use the label as basic guide for nutrition information and allow the
natural calorie counter of your body to provide the rest of the guidance.

17 www.BodyByRoddy.fit
 Nutrition Myths Debunked

Chapter 4

Weight Loss Rumors and Facts

Obesity is a big motivator to look for advice and guidance to lose weight
effortlessly within the earliest time possible. There is a great deal of bad advice and
many false promises around to make our efforts paradoxical and deteriorate our
condition. Imagine the very advice you are following to get rid of extra weight may
actually be augmenting your body mass. In this chapter we will unravel the
mysteries surrounding some of the common myths about weight loss.

Reducing Body Fat

Myth: Fats make you fat.

If you eat fat, you will gather fat in your body simple! But studies suggest
otherwise. Consuming foods very high in fat and low in carbohydrates can cause
weight loss. But you may gain weight from foods packed with moderate fat and high
carbohydrates and also from the junk foods. So it appears that fat can help you lose
weight as well as gain it, which mainly depends on the proportion of fat to
carbohydrates that a food contains. But there is more to it.
The calorie density in fat is greater than that of carbohydrates and protein. One
gram of fat contains nine calories, whereas protein and carbohydrates contain four
calories per gram. So it sounds reasonable that, if we have a low-fat larger chunk of
food on regular basis, we will neither feel deprived nor gain extra weight. But unless
one is chronically obese, fat is more satisfying than carbohydrates and protein. This
is because when people eat fat-rich foods, their system tells them to stop sooner, so
they tend to consume less. Besides, fat triggers the release of appetite suppressing
hormones like Leptin, and hinders the release of appetite hormones like Ghrelin. Fat

18 www.BodyByRoddy.fit
 Nutrition Myths Debunked

also causes slow stomach emptying and makes us feel fuller for a longer period of
time. Fat is not that fattening after all! However when it comes to satiety, the
medium chain triglycerides found in dairies and coconuts work better than the fats
that come with meats. Our system has a highly sophisticated calorie calculator. But
it does not work properly when confronted with junk foods. That is why we often
gain weight by eating junk foods.

Calorie Consumption

Myth: All calories are equal.

A calorie is a unit of energy. All calories contain the same content of energy.
Therefore, it seems reasonable to think that eating 100 calories of chicken is same as
eating 100 calories of apple. Actually its not. Because calorie sources make a big
difference in how they affect us, and foods of different calorie sources have different
impacts on our bodyweight. Our system does not use the same metabolic pathways
to process various foods. Different foods move through different pathways and their
effects vary on our hunger drives, hormone secretions, and the regulation of
bodyweight. Our body stores and uses calories depending on the composition of
nutrients in each food. For example, corn and beans contain resistance starch, a
kind of carbohydrate, which is hard for the system to metabolize. Because of the
resistance starch, the body wont be able to absorb much glucose, which will be
deposited as fat if left unprocessed. But things are different for lean pro tein sources
like fish and chicken. Apart from promoting satiety, protein has a higher thermic
effect (Dietary Induced Thermogenesis, DIT), as compared to carbohydrates and fat.
During the digestion process, the system burns off a good portion of calories from
lean protein foods, and the post-meal calorie-burn rises up to 35%. Not all foods
having the same calorie count can make the same claim! A study was performed on

19 www.BodyByRoddy.fit
 Nutrition Myths Debunked

lab rats a few years ago, and the study outcome revealed that table sugar and honey
in is ocaloric quantity has a different impact on bodyweight. Rats fed with honey
gained less weight and fat than rats fed with sugar.

Myth: Everyone responds to calories equally.

All human bodies house the same physiological machineries. Our bodies use
the same kinds of pathways to metabolize nutrients. Our systems use the same
hormones to perform the same metabolic tasks (i.e. sequestering glucose into cells
using insulin). But our capacities are different for utilizing those pathways. A
muscular body for instance, has a higher metabolic rate than a body with a high
volume of fat. A pound of fat tissue burns three times less calories than a pound of
muscle tissue. As males are more muscular than the females, their metabolic rate is
higher than that of women. Tall people with bigger body masses, require more
calories than shorter people, therefore their metabolic rate is also higher than the
shorter individuals.
Most overweight people are better at metabolizing lower-carb and higher-fat
foods. Those who are obese and insulin resistant can switch to low-carb and high-fat
diets to reduce food consumption. Here is an example of how carbs are processed in
two different bodies with equal height and weight, and different fat and muscle
proportions:
Imagine we have two persons; both are six feet tall and weighing two hundred
pounds. The first one is fit, with a higher muscular volume and eleven percent of fat -
mass. The second one is less active and sedentary with a lesser muscular volume and
a fat-mass of 30%. Now if they eat equal amounts of baked potato, will the
carbohydrates end up in the same way in both bodies?
Well in the case of the first person with greater muscular mass, carbs will be
stored as glycogen. However, as the second person has higher body-fat, his body
possesses lesser glycogen storage capacity. Therefore, his body is likely to convert

20 www.BodyByRoddy.fit
 Nutrition Myths Debunked

most of the carbs into fat, and ashis glycogen store is limited and gets filled up with
small input, unused glycogen in his body will convert into fat.
Nutritional needs also change with age. Muscle volume decreases with aging.
Older adults will burn fewer calories than younger ones. Apart from these factors,
lifestyle habits, and an under-active thyroid (hypothyroidism) can work as major
catalysts for different calorie responses.

Weight Loss Diets and Pills

Myth: Weight loss diets work faster.

Well the question is, will they work at all? The weight loss industry is booming.
It is better equipped than ever with innovative marketing techniques to make you
believe that sticking to weight-loss diets will make you thinner within a short period
of time. The fact is, you can manage to shed some weight while dieting; but in the
long run, you will regain the weight. If you can make healthy dietary choices, do
proper exercise and increase your activity, drink plenty of water, and sleep well, you
will lose weight as a natural side effect. It will happen gradually and there is no
quick fix. Starving yourself is not a solution, as we have discussed earlier.

Myth: Weight-losing pills will do all the work.

We all look for magic pills, those that will shrink the pounds away. That is
never true. Some weight-loss pills can be harmful, even fatal. Always consult your
GP before you try any such type of pill. A few studies have shown that the FDA -
approved pills, if combined with a healthy lifestyle can positively improve obesity.
In 2012, the FDA approved two weight-loss prescription drugs, and only people with
a BMI 30 and above and BMI 27 with obesity-related illness are entitled to use
those meds. However, medications alone cant make the excess weight disappear
overnight.

21 www.BodyByRoddy.fit
 Nutrition Myths Debunked

There are unlicensed, and un-prescribed weight-losing pills in the market that
can have detrimental effects on your health. Dont forget to consult your doctor if
you experience any negative emotional and psychological effects while on
medication. Some weight loss medications are habit-forming and have adverse
withdrawal symptoms. It is always a better choice not to take weight loss pills unless
it is your last resort.

Obesity Myths

Myth: Thin people are healthier than the obese.

This is another misconception. It is always better to be overweight and active

rather than underweight. It is true that obesity is linked with multiple chronic
diseases along with diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. But not all obesity is
harmful. There are tons of examples of people who are obese and metabolically
healthy, and examples of thin people suffering from various chronic diseases. A
team of researchers led by a French endocrinologist, Boris Hansel, used the data of
54,000 patients who were at risk of stroke and heart attack and receiving protective
medications like beta blockers. After analyzing the data, he found that in most cases,
patients who were mildly obese remained protected whether or not they were using
the medications. It seemed like their obesity was protecting them from heart
attacks. Another research performed by Mercedes Carnethon, a professor of
preventative medicine at the Northwestern University, found a higher motility rate
in diabetic patients who were thin as compared to those who were obese. She started
by separating the data of people who were diagnosed with diabetes and died within
two years, from the patients who were already ill with their disease undiagnosed.
She also analyzed the data of smoker and non-smoker diabetic patients. And after

22 www.BodyByRoddy.fit
 Nutrition Myths Debunked

slicing and dicing the data in various other ways, she came up with one outcome:
Mortality rate is higher among the diabetic patients who are thin.
Researchers also found that diabetic people with a normal BMI were twice
more likely to die during the research time as compared to their heavier peers. Of
course things are different for those who are severely obese. Fat distribution is an
important factor here. If fat is deposited in abnormal amounts in the abdominal
area, it can be associated with several diseases. But the subcutaneous fat that
develops under the skin is more of a cosmetic condition.

Myth: Obesity is a psychological issue rather than a biological

problem.

Wrong! Your willpower has a very little do with your natural body weight.
There could be hundreds of contributing factors; there are numerous genetic
variables behind excessive body-weight. People can gain weight as a result of various
medical conditions like hypothyroidism, Irritable Bowel Syndrome-C, polycystic
ovary syndrome, chronic depression, gestational diabetes, and so forth. Our system
uses various hormones and biological pathways to regulate bodyweight. Obese
people often have dysfunctions in those pathways.
Eating is a natural drive. People are different in physiology and biochemistry.
We are different in our hunger drive. This is an undeniable fact. However, that does
not mean that we should accept our genetic fate and refrain ourselves from using
our will power to alter the condition. Weight loss is not something impossible. But
for some people, it is really hard.

23 www.BodyByRoddy.fit
 Nutrition Myths Debunked

Chapter 5

Facts Checking the Myths About Hydration

Like any matter on earth, the human body is built up with molecules. And,
water molecules are the most abundant molecules in our body. Water makes up
around 65-70% of our total body-mass. Water is a major role player of a host of
critical internal functions, including maintaining the body temperature,
transporting micronutrients like vitamins and minerals, transporting hormones and
other elements, lubricating muscles joints and intestines, releasing toxins and
wastes, and numerous other functions vital for our survival. We wont survive long
without water, and the urge for thirst is no less intense than the urge for hunger. For
ages, experts have been researching on the neurological mechanism of thirst. The
area of the brain that regulates thirst is the same area that regulates hunger and
sleep. That part of the brain is called hypothalamus. Hypothalamus is our bodys
primary thirst center. If our system lacks fluid in any way, it prompts the impulse of
thirst. Hypothalamus tirelessly monitors the fluid level in our body, and signals us
to drink water when necessary. Yet there are so many myths surrounding hydration.
There is also some confusion about what amount of water we should drink, when to
drink, when not to drink, if tap water is safe, if bottled water is better, if excessive
water consumption make us thinner, etcetera. In this chapter we will debunk some
of the water myths. Let us start with an old belief that survived for centuries.

How Camels Survive Extreme Exhaustion

Myth: Camels survive long periods of dehydration by storing water

in their humps.

24 www.BodyByRoddy.fit
 Nutrition Myths Debunked

It is an old myth. I am not sure if anyone in modern day believes this theory.
During the 1950s and 60s most people believed that. But what is the point of
bringing up an old myth that no longer exists? It is for familiarizing the readers with
our biological limitations. Back to the camel myth, camels dont store water in their
humps; water is stored in other areas of their body, such as body tissues and cells.
During the long exposure in the hot sun of the desert, blood becomes thick. But
camels dont get bothered, as they have oval shaped red cells in their blood adapted
to move blood through their vessels even when it gets more viscous from severe
dehydration.
Camels can endure extreme delusions caused by the huge storage of water in
the body fluids. But over-hydration can cause fatal changes in osmolality (the
concentration of dissolved molecules in human body fluids) causing cells to rupture
or become metabolically dysfunctional. Camels can store water in the system for
later use. But we cant, because our bodies are too sensitive to changes in osmotic
pressure.
But where does our body store water? Well, the human body stores water
mainly in three areas. The larger quantity is stored in intravascular space or the
space inside the vessels, which is between 40 and 45 quarts. Water is also stored
inside the cells or intracellular space, around 25 quarts, and within the interstitial
space or the space between cells, around 10-15 quarts.

The Cooling Mechanism and Dehydration

Myth: Sweating is bodys way of regulating water balance.

We dont sweat because the body needs to shed excess water through sweat
glands to maintain the fluid balance in the system. We sweat when the body needs
cooling and to maintain the correct body temperature. During strenuous work or in

25 www.BodyByRoddy.fit
 Nutrition Myths Debunked

the hot weather, the body needs to be protected from overheating, so it activates the
sweat glands. We also sweat when we experience fear, or go through hormonal
changes. Apart from maintaining the body temperature, sweating also removes
some toxins from the body.

Myth: Thirst is an indication of dehydration.

No, its not. It is the bodys way to inform you that you should drink some
water. It is not a danger alarm telling you if you dont drink immediately you will be
dehydrated. Just as hunger is not a sign of malnutrition, thirst is not a sign of
dehydration. Scientists claim that thirst is generated from even a trivial deficit of
water in the system. It could be a one percent decrease of your bodys overall water
storage. Although thirst is not a sign of dehydration, it is a healthy urge of our body
that we should respond to. We should drink when we are thirsty else we have to
experience a few discomforting symptoms such as headache, fatigue, dizziness, and
so forth. Ignoring thirst for a longer period of time can cause several health
problems.

Misbelieves About Hydration

Myth: There is no limit to the amount of water you can drink.

So, there is no such thing as drinking too much water? You have complete
liberty to drink as much water as you like, right? Wrong! Just as drinking too little
water over a long period of time can make kidneys dysfunctional, drinking too much
water can create a condition, although rare, called Hyponatremia. When the kidneys
cant flush out the spare water, the electrolytes, such as sodium in the blood, get
diluted. Sodium is crucial for regulating water in and around our cells. So with the

26 www.BodyByRoddy.fit
 Nutrition Myths Debunked

sodium diluted, the water regulation system gets dysfunctional causing the cells to
swell as a result of over-hydration. This swelling can bring symptoms like dizziness,
confusion, and muscle cramps, and in severe cases seizure, even death.
Hyponatremia is exceptionally rare among the common population, although
endurance athletes, such as marathon runners, are vulnerable to this condition since
they are always trying to stay hydrated. But dont refrain from drinking water during
exercise because you fear the possibility of becoming afflicted with hyponatremia. It
is rare, and it is not that easy to become over hydrated to the extent that you will
bring on that condition. Besides, people who maintain healthy diets rarely become
afflicted with this illness.

Myth: Drink water right before you exercise.

There is nothing wrong with drinking water right before exercise, although it
can affect your athletic performance. But if your purpose is to get instantly
hydrated, you are a little late. It takes some time for the body to absorb the water
youve just drunk. Most of the water gets absorbed in the intestines, not in the
stomach. If you want to stay hydrated during the physical exertion, drink water at
least half an hour prior to exercise.
Drink small amounts of water at 20 to 30 minute intervals during the workout.
Then when the exercise is over, measure your weight-loss and drink water equal to
1.5 times the amount of the weight-loss. That sounds a little tricky. Here is what you
have to do: Weigh yourself naked before and after the workout. Naked, because we
have to eliminate the error that incurs when you have half a pound of weight in your
sweat-drenched workout cloths. When you weigh yourself after the workout, you
would find some weight decrease, which is mainly because of the reduced water level
in the body. Now, if you find one pound of weight is missing, drink 1.5 pounds of
water (20 ounces). Serious athletes individualize hydration with careful trial and
error; they measure the water inputs and the urine outputs along with weight and
time periods.

27 www.BodyByRoddy.fit
 Nutrition Myths Debunked

Chapter 6

The Truth About Vitamin Supplements

There has been much of debate as to whether vitamin supplements truly work.
If you look at the promises offered by billion-dollar supplement industries, and
believe them completely, you are making room for believing infiction. Nutritionists
divide the nutrition into two groups. The first is macronutrient, which is a
combination of protein and carbohydrates; the second is micronutrient, which is a
combination of vitamins and minerals. Supplements do work; but they cant be
taken as a substitute for regular diets. In this chapter we learn about some common
myths about vitamin supplements.

Are vitamins Safe?

Myth: All vitamin supplements are safe.

We still dont have enough data to claim that vitamin supplements are perfectly
safe. Are the entire vitamin supplements available in the market safe? No, they
arent. Thats why it is advised to consult your doctor prior to taking vitamin pills.
Here are some facts about vitamin supplements that you should know:
There are rumors such as, Vitamin A in large doses can cure cancer. This is
utter nonsense. Vitamin A does not cure cancer, but if it is taken over a longer
period of time, it can create toxicity along with few other complications. There is
evidence that vitamin E can play a trivial role in preventing some cancers. But there
is also evidence which suggests that taking vitamin E supplements for a long period
of time can augment the risk of other types of cancers. None of those claims have
been conclusively proven. In addition, it has been found in some studies that
motility rates are higher among people taking vitamin E supplements in large doses.

28 www.BodyByRoddy.fit
 Nutrition Myths Debunked

In countries like Australia, vitamin deficiency is rare, but the overdosing of vitamin
supplements is not. Some research performed in Australia found links between
long-term vitamin intake and a few chronic diseases, including heart disease,
cancer, and so forth.

Myth: If I take vitamins, I dont have to be worried about diet.

Vitamin supplements work well if they are taken alongside of regular diets.
They are called supplements because they supplement a healthy lifestyle that is
comprised of balanced diets and physical exercise. Sometimes our body fails to
absorb adequate micronutrients from foods. Thats why we may require taking
vitamin supplements to fill the gap. It does not mean that we have to rely on
supplements more than regular diets. Many experts still believe that if you seek
longevity, stay away from supplements, and stick to balanced diets.

Myth: Vitamin supplements work better if taken on an empty

stomach.

Follow the instructions of your physician. Vitamin supplements normally work

better if taken with foods. Taking with meals promotes the dissolution and
absorption of the supplements. It also ensures timely intake. It is easy to remember
to take vitamin pills with a heavy meal (i.e. lunch), rather than at a random time,
which may cause skipping the dose.

29 www.BodyByRoddy.fit
 Nutrition Myths Debunked

Chapter 7

Conclusion

Myths will always be there, but the quest for the truth will never end. There are
countless nutrition myths among different cultures around the world. We just know
about a few, but we learnt one fundamental thing, and that is to doubt our long -
cherished prejudices. Doubt is a precious jewel. If you dont doubt, you may never
know the truth. We are living in an age where we cant be that naive to get easily
tricked by the advertisements of supplement and the pharmaceutical companies,
and start using slimming pills or unhealthy supplements. We also cant afford to
nurture all those old false beliefs about diets we have inherited from our ancestors.
Therefore, it is critical to enquire the facts rather than blindly following myths.
Giving you knowledge on all the nutrition myths is beyond the scope of this book,
and is not much important at this point. But what is most important is to convince
you that there is a great deal of misinformation out there about dieting. And, when
you become convinced, you will encourage yourself to seek additional information.
Making you inquisitive is the main purpose of this book.

30 www.BodyByRoddy.fit