Some common food myths

As promised:

1) Fat is bad for you.

The body actually requires fats for many functions including metabolism, brain function, and hormone production. So why do fats have such a bad reputation? Well, aside from trans fats (which actually ARE bad for you and are banned by the US FDA), I'd wager that this reputation comes from the fact that they are higher in calories than carbs or protein.

Taking a step back, there are three major macronutrients that we consume: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Each are used for varying purposes, but carbs and protein both have 4 calories per gram whereas fats have 9 calories per gram. So if you were to eat a similar amount of protein and fats, you'd gain more weight from the fat. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it is something to keep in mind if you're trying to lose some weight.

2)  Eating too many eggs will give you high cholesterol.

The truth of this one is that it is unlikely to do so, but there are some individuals who may experience this. But for most people, it's not something you need to worry about. Nom away on those omelettes!

3) Eating small meals throughout the day will speed up your metabolism.

Simply put, it makes zero difference whether you eat 3 meals a day or 6 smaller ones (assuming the amount of food is the same overall).

4) Don't eat before bedtime - it'll make you fat!

This is a silly idea if you stop and think about it - just because you're asleep doesn't mean your body stops functioning. In fact, your body does a lot of recovery / repair work when you're asleep, making it an important part of getting in shape! Your muscles actually grow when they are repaired, not when you're lifting / exercising. So with this in mind, your metabolism doesn't just stop over night.

It's much more likely that weight gain due to late night snacking is because of the types of food we generally consume as snacks (chips, cookies, etc) and our habit of eating out of boredom/habit while watching tv, playing games, etc.

5) Only X amount of protein can be absorbed at once.

This is partially true. Yes, your body can only use a limited amount of protein at one time, but the rest of it doesn't just vanish into thin air. Instead, it is saved for later and then used. There's no need to try and eat 20-30 g of protein every 3 hours.

6) Make sure to consume protein within 30 minutes of working out!

Protein timing basically isn't worth worrying about for 98% of people. The other 2% aren't reading my blog trying to figure out how to get in shape. Basically as long as you're hitting your macros and getting enough protein overall, it doesn't matter when you get your protein. Indeed, the body shows increased protein synthesis for up to 24 hours post-workout.

For some reason I feel like there was another one that I had planned on adding, but I can't come up with it now. I'm sure I'll think of it while running tonight and then promptly forget by the time I get around to updating this post tomorrow. Either way, hope some of that was informative!