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Mind & Body: Digest this

Myths and facts about food

You are the person who has to decide. Whether you’ll do it or toss it aside; you are the person who makes up your mind.—Edgar A. Guest

Life is a long line of choices. Myths abound, new facts emerge, new foods flood the market. Making sensible food choices should be based on scientific facts and reasoning!

Myth 1. Milk is a controversial food and should be avoided. Fact: From time immemorial, milk has been part of the daily diet of all age groups. Yet, milk consumption is constantly being debated. It is the most nutritionally complete food and contains essential nutrients such as calcium, vitamins A, D and B12, protein, potassium, riboflavin, niacin, phosphorus, magnesium and zinc. For the very young it helps bone growth; for all ages, it is beneficial for bone health. For pregnant and breastfeeding women it is a good source of nutrients; for the elderly who have a small appetites and eat little, it meets their nutritional needs.

Myth 2. Fats should be eliminated from the diet. Fact: Fat is the most misunderstood of all essential nutrients. They are needed by the body to build cells, manufacture hormones, provide energy, preserve body heat and protect the organs from damage. Vitamins A, D, E and K are dissolved in fat, and fat is needed for their absorption. Limit fat consumption but do not eliminate it from your diet.

Myth 3. The body needs more calories at the end of the day. Fact: The body needs less calories at dinner. You are physically active during the day, so the body requires more calories during the day than at night. At the end of the day, when the body is tired, it has little energy to digest the food. If you have to eat a late dinner, eat a small snack earlier so that you won’t be as hungry, during dinner time.

Myth 4: There is no difference between dried fruit or fresh fruit. Fact: Dried fruit and fresh fruit, each has its own pluses and minuses. When the water content of the fruit is taken out, both nutrients and calories are concentrated. For instance, a cup of grapes is 80 percent water with 104 calories, and a cup of raisins is 15 percent water with 434 calories; a cup of fresh apricots is 86 percent water with 74 calories, and a cup of dried fruit is 76 percent water with 212 calories. Fresh fruit abounds in vitamin C, a heat-sensitive vitamin, which is often reduced or lost in dried fruit during processing. Dried fruit such as currants, sultanas, raisins, dates and figs provide energy in the form of sugar and are a good source of fiber, vitamins and minerals and disease preventing phenols.

Easy to store and carry, dried fruit contain more calories, hence an advantage if you are hiking. If you are trying to lose weight, it is a disadvantage. Remember, a half cup of dried fruit counts as one cup of fresh.

Myth 5: Drink water only when you are thirsty Fact: Do not rely on thirst to drink water. Relying on thirst, as an indicator of how much fluid is lost is not an accurate method of determining how much water you need to consume. This is because it is difficult to gauge how much of water has been lost during the day or during exercise. Lack of water can cause dehydration, fatigue constipation and other disease conditions.

On an average you need 8 to 10 glasses of water everyday. If you workout regularly, maintaining hydration is crucial to exercise performance. Drink water before, during and after your workouts.

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