Diet myths busted

By: Erin O'Hearn

link to article

Meet Dr. Jeffrey Perkins -- internist and diet myth buster extraordinaire.

Myth #1
Eating celery is just as good as hopping on a treadmill. It burns calories because it takes more energy to chew the vegetable than you consume.

Dr. Perkins said, "There are no foods that really burn calories."

The good news is there are foods that accelerate weight loss, like almonds, but remember, everything in moderation.

Myth #2
High protein diets like the Atkins plan promote permanent weight loss and do not cause long term damage.

Dr. Perkins said, "There's probably little harm over a two-week period, but beyond that human beings need a balanced diet of protein, of healthy starches, of healthy fats to maintain good nutrition."

Dr. Perkins said staying on a high protein, low carbohydrate diet for more than two weeks can lead to osteoporosis.

Myth #3
Skipping breakfast will help you lose weight.

Dr. Perkins said this is one of the biggest strains you can put on your body.

He explained, "The worst thing you can do is miss that breakfast. Missing breakfast is not going to promote weight loss because ultimately you're going to eat food later in the day to make up for it."

Dr. Perkins said you're also more prone to eating foods higher in fat and sugar.

Myth #4
Fresh produce is healthier than frozen produce.

Dr. Perkins said, "Frozen produce is picked at these large plants, farm plants and so forth, and it's washed and flash frozen very quickly soon after picking, and likely has a greater retention of its nutrient content than produce that was picked 20 days ago, loaded on a truck. It may be hot weather and the produce is losing its vitamins."

Myth #5
If you eat late at night, expect to pack on the pounds come morning.

Dr. Perkins said, "Bottom line is, it's the amount of calories you eat over a 24 hour period indexed to the amount of calories you burn over a 24 hour period that determines whether you have gained or lost weight over that 24 hour period."

Dr. Perkins said ultimately, there are no real hidden secrets or quick fixes. Being healthy is a life-long commitment of balance and moderation.

Nutrition myth #1: Medical doctors are well educated in nutrition science and biochemistry.

lol Kristine



Oh no! I guess because of all the calcium in the cheese, broccoli, cream, & suppliments I consume, combine with the absence of cola I dont, I'm doomed to a life of osteoporosis.

Actually I think it's because we eat toxic levels of protein.

Dr. Perkins said, "There's probably little harm over a two-week period, but beyond that human beings need a balanced diet of protein, of healthy starches, of healthy fats to maintain good nutrition."

Dr. Perkins said staying on a high protein, low carbohydrate diet for more than two weeks can lead to osteoporosis.

Dr. Perkins needs to read up before he speaks. I learned a long time ago that just because someone has a "Dr" before his name that it doesn't make him infallialbe, or even very bright.

I once took an anatomy cuorse. Boring as all get out, but a lovely old teacher. I remember him saying that, if you want to know anything about your body and what it's doing, the last person you should ask is a physician. Ask a physiologist. In the end, all physicians learn is not to think through basic priciples of how things work, they just learn to recite "rules" their teachers have memorized.

I liked hearing that because it confirmed my own observation--and has done ever since--that physicians are not a very bright species and are often quite dangerous.

I just spayed my keyboard with diet-rite

Orang, Are you a licensed veterinarian?

Kay

Sadly, too true!

Tarheel,
Not a vet, but sometimes feel like a zookeeper.....

"I just spayed my keyboard with diet-rite"

Then how did you manage that, Orang?

Kay

The threat of osteoporosis comes from fear of an acidic body ph, not lack of calcium. Proteins and fats are extremely acidic foods, whereas most carbs are not. Ketones themselves are acidic. The excess acid errodes the calcium structures in the body like bones and teeth. This is where the semi-myth of protein "leeching" calcium from bones comes from. While it is totally untrue that protein leeches calcium from the bones, having an acidic body ph (contributed to in part by excess protein consumption) could in theory cause a weakening of bones.

Bottom line, living on atkins induction is not a good idea... I tend to agree. I don't think it will hurt to use it to lose weight, but to maintain weight you need more balance.

Oh and before someone posts a link to observations of caveman remains or hunter-gatherer cultures trying to disprove the "myth" that living on atkins induction is a bad idea, please note that modern european man has much finer, lighter, gracile bones than did the homonids who were the cavemen, or even modern humans who genetically decend from recently hunter-gatherer cultures. There is a reason for this.

Don't get me wrong I am as pro-controlled carb as anyone else here, but I don't think eating primarily protein and cheese is a good strategy for maintenence.

Kay - I'm not much of a typist either....

Gosh, guess we all know now why it's called "practicing" medicine. The problem lies in the fact that even after years of "practicing" many of these guys STILL can't get it right! Between that and the "opinion for hire" mentality of some of these medical people I guess those of us who are living this lifestyle need to be the lights of truth in this dark and dreary world.