With so many diets out there and so many pieces of advice for getting healthy and losing weight floating about, it can be extremely difficult to sort through the nonsense and find what is really going to make a difference in your life. Take a step toward the truth about being a healthier you by asking yourself if you believe any of the food myths below.

Do you believe these food myths?

pastaI must cut out all carbs to lose weight.

Low carbohydrate or no carbohydrate diets may seem to make sense at first. We’re warned all the time about the dangers of white bread, pasta, and other refined carbs, so why not cut out all carbs to lose some weight? Put simply, you don’t need to cut out carbs (although limiting your refined carb intake is a good idea) to lose weight. You just need to cut DOWN. Carbohydrates are a main fuel source for our bodies, and carbohydrate-rich foods such as beans, whole grains, and fruits and vegetables also contain other important components, such as vitamins and fiber. Instead of cutting out carbohydrates completely, try eating more “good carbs” and cutting down on refined sugars.

nightNight calories are worse than day calories.

Have you ever been told not to eat after a certain later hour like eight or nine because doing so will make you fat? When this piece of advice popularized, it created this idea that calories consumed at night were somehow more fattening than calories consumed during the day. In truth, the food you eat at night doesn’t affect your body any differently than it does during the day. The difference exists in the amount of activity and the number of calories. Typically, people are more active during the day than they are at night, so they aren’t burning as many calories once the sun goes down. People can also be prone to consuming more food at night than they do during the day due to snacking habits, etc. You don’t have to stop eating at night. Just pay attention to what it is and how much you’re consuming.

stomachacheI should fast periodically to cleanse my body.

With many of these diets come other fads, such as the habit of fasting in order to cleanse the body. It makes sense in theory; by not eating, I’m allowing my body the chance to clear itself of toxins without the added responsibility of digesting my food, right? Eh. Not really. There are already systems in place within your body that are designed for the very purpose of removing toxins. Your kidneys, liver, and spleen are all already working to clear your body of toxins, and not eating hasn’t shown to improve those processes. If you want to feel more cleansed, try a simple solution first, and up your water intake. Proper hydration is one of the best ways to support full body health.

Don’t let your weight loss efforts be dictated by fad diets that won’t actually help you. If you want food that is both good for you as well as delicious, why not hire a home chef? Chef Julie of Julie’s Homecooking Personal Chef Service specializes in food that is both yummy and healthy. Contact us today.