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Liv + Sades

Nutrition Myths vs Facts



1. Are there "good" and "bad" foods?

Typically, “good” foods are considered to be something healthy, whereas “bad” foods refers to junk food or something unhealthy. We don’t like to view foods as being good and bad, because all foods have a place in a balanced diet. Instead, we believe “good” foods should be called “always” foods. An example would be apples. Apples can be considered “always” foods because you should always feel free to eat them. We could also relabel “bad” foods as “sometimes” foods. These are foods like cookies, cake, and ice cream. These foods can (and should) be enjoyed, but in moderation. The reason we want to change the terminology around food is because if you always eat “sometimes” foods, you don’t have as much room in your diet (and stomach) to eat the “always” foods that keep you healthy and well-nourished.


2. Hey Sades- should we have certain times in the day to eat and not eat?

We believe that you should eat when you are hungry. We often are rigid in our eating schedule by thinking that we only should consume three meals each day, at the same time everyday. Our body cues us to eat by releasing ghrelin, the hormone, that tells us we are hungry; when you feel this urge, listen to it! If you skip breakfast, you will likely just end up feeling hungrier later on in the evening. If we go extended times without eating, our body begins to break down our stored up carbs, fat and then protein, in that order. Our body stores energy to keep us going when we don’t have quick access to food so it’s important to fuel our body because we don’t want to get to the point of breaking down and using our protein (lean muscle) for fuel.


3. Protein consumption - balancing macros

As a society, we fear carbs, which we SHOULD NOT. In response to our fear of carbs, we increase our protein intake. It is much harder for our body to digest and absorb proteins than it is carbs.

You should aim to consume:

  • 50% of your calories from carbs (4 kcals/g)

  • 20-30% of your calories from protein (4 kcals/g)

  • 20-30% of your calories from fat (9 kcals/g)

Protein calculation (adults over 18)

0.8 x (your weight in kg) = g of protein/day

g of protein/day x 4 (calories in 1 gram protein) = kcals in protein

*protein requirements are higher for older adults


4. Coconut oil is good for you

We both love baking with coconut oil because of the texture and taste it gives baked goods. However, some people use coconut oil as their main fat/oil source, and it actually has more saturated fat than almost any other fat or oil. About 80% of the coconut oil is made up of saturated fat, while butter is made up of about 60% saturated fat. Saturated fat isn’t inherently bad, but you should try to focus on eating more monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, which can be found in other cooking oils such as olive oil, canola oil, and avocado oil.


5. Liv, tell me about the misconceptions around cholesterol!

One thing that most people don’t know about cholesterol is that our body is constantly producing it for essential body functions! The big takeaway is that our bodies produce much more cholesterol than how much we get from our diet. In order to lower your cholesterol, you have to think where you might be eating extra fat, specifically saturated fat. In addition to that, some people genetically have high cholesterol that will always be difficult to lower through any changes in diet or exercise. If you have high cholesterol- don’t try to decrease the amount of cholesterol you eat, but think instead about what in your diet is making your body produce more cholesterol than normal. Side note- cholesterol is ONLY naturally found in animal foods (meats, eggs, cheese, etc.)


6. Sades! Tell me about juice detoxes and cleanses, are they good?

Detoxes are not necessary for the body. Your body naturally detoxes, on its own, without the help of a juice cleanse. People often believe that juice cleanses are all the rage because you are getting all the vitamins and nutrients without the calories. Seems like the perfect way to detox and lose weight, right? WRONG! Your body needs calories to survive. Think of calories for your body like gas for a car. You need calories to keep moving. So although juice cleanses seem great because you are getting all the vitamins and nutrients, you are missing out on the calories, the carbs, fat, and proteins that your body and brain need to function. Stick to your regular diet. Add the juices into your day to increase vitamins and nutrients but DO NOT STOP EATING REGULAR FOOD.


7. Liv- tell me about vitamin C and colds, should I take vitamin C if I feel sick?

Vitamin C does not really help you once you are sick. If you start to feel a cold coming on, taking vitamin C may only slightly reduce your symptoms, but it would be such a small difference that you probably wouldn’t notice your cold being any milder than if you hadn’t taken vitamin C. More than vitamin C, adequate zinc in the diet is linked to shorter cold durations, which is typically found in classic protein foods. Think meat, shellfish, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Your best bet is to boost your immune system through consuming adequate vitamin C and zinc before you even get sick.


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