With so much information being tossed about in the media, how is a person supposed to discover the truth about such an important factor in our health, – nutrition. One day the media tells you that butter is bad, the next day they say, oh we made a mistake, its margarine that is bad. There is so much misinformation is spread around, most of it from the mainstream media. You would think these publication and organizations would know better , or at least could do their research a little better, but apparently, there is no money in common sense or in the public’s general welfare.

This is a list of the top 13 myths and outright lies mainstream media is feeding you.

1. Start you day with a glass of orange juice

This is a tradition that you see on the breakfast tables across America. Actually, this is one of the worst ways to start your day. Orange juice is high in sugar and commercial orange juice adds even more sugar to the mix.

2. Saturated fat cause heart disease

The truth is, saturated fats from animal and vegetable sources provide the building blocks for cell membranes, hormones, and other substances without which your body cannot function normally. Dietary fats are also needed for the conversion of carotene to vitamin A, for absorption of minerals, and many other processes.

3. Eating fat makes you fat

This myth has probably done more harm than any other health recommendation. Why is it that since Americans started to follow the low fat craze, they have become fatter than ever before? Eating a low fat diet also causes you to eat more of the unhealthy trans-ftas.  Trans-fats increase your risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. The primary cause of weight gain is eating too much sugar, and grains, not too much fat.

4. It’s all about calorie control

This is simply not true. 200 calories from a candy bar and 200 calories from a steak will not cause the same weight gain. It’s the source of the calories, not the calories themselves. Carbohydrates and sugar are what causes weight gain.  All calories are not created equal. If you want to lose weight, aim for a low carb diet.

5. Whole wheat is good for you

Well, that used to be true, but wheat has gone through so many genetic changes since the 1950’s, that this is no longer true. Wheat use to be natural and healthy but no longer and whole wheat might be worse.  Wheat has been linked to increasing blood sugar more than table sugar. In the book “Wheat Belly”, Doctor William Davies claims that when his patients removed wheat from their diets, they had a much lower blood sugar level and they lost between 20 and 40 pounds.

6. Grains should make up a large portion of your diet

If you look at the US Department of Agriculture, grains are at the bottom of their famous food pyramid, which means they should be consumed in more quantities than meat or fruits and vegetables. This is a huge lie. Grains do not have as many nutrients as fruits and vegetables and some grains, such as wheat, actually lead to more health problems, more than what is widely known.

7. Too much protein causes long term health problems

Studies show that eating at least 30 grams of protein for breakfast can actually promote weight loss, but for some reason high protein diets have gotten the thumbs down. Myths such as kidney disease and osteoporosis have been associated with a high protein diet even though many studies have proved otherwise. High blood pressure, kidney disease, and diabetes are the result of excess carbohydrate consumption, and obesity, not a high protein diet.

8. Vegetable oil is healthy

Not all fats are equal!  Some fats can cause health problems. All vegetable oils contain high levels of Omega–6  fatty acids. An excess of Omega- 6 fatty acids cause health problems, such as heart disease and in increase in various cancers, especially skin cancer. You need a good balance of both Omega 3 and Omega 6. It’s also good to note that vegetable oils cannot be extracted naturally like butter is, vegetable oils must be chemically removed from their source, then they are changed to be more acceptable to consumers. They are frequently deodorized and colored to look appealing. Try to get plenty of Omega 3 every day. You can do this in the form of supplements and grass fed meats, also fatty fish such as salmon and mackerel are a very good source of Omega 3.

9. Egg yolks are not healthy

Eggs are probably the best, not to mention the most inexpensive, source of protein but the yolk of the egg has a bad rep as the part that causes excess cholesterol. It’s the yolk of the egg that has the most nutrition! Egg yolk contains B vitamins, vitamin A, choline, folate, and is rich in both antioxidants and minerals. Eggs that come from free range chickens also have Omega 3 fatty acids. Eggs do not cause high cholesterol. You are missing out on so much good nutrition when you throw out the egg yolk!

10. Sodium is the main cause of heart disease

Sodium is an essential nutrient that the body must have to carry out its daily functions. Without sodium, your body could not survive. Now in the short term, it’s true, sodium does mildly elevate blood pressure but there are no known studies that show that reducing sodium intake reduces the chance of heart attacks.

11. Artificial sweeteners are safe sugar replacements

Most people use artificial sweeteners to either lose weight or because they are diabetic and must avoid sugar. The main problem in all this is that there are numerous studies that show people who consume artificial sweeteners on a regular basis, such as in sodas, or coffee sweeteners, actually gain weight. Not to mention that the toxic chemical compounds found in most sugar substitues can be worse than sugar for diabetics. Artificial sweeteners  make the body crave even more sweets and inhibit your body’s ability to monitor its daily calorie consumption. There is mounting evidence that the chemicals that make up these sweeteners, especially aspartame, are deadly toxic to the body.

12. Soy is healthy

The overuse of the word “healthy” is a perfect example of marketing at its finest. Just look at the recent data, there are thousands of studies showing that unfermented soy cause malnutrition, interferes with the immune system, hormonal imbalances, breast cancer and heart disease to name a few. Many Americans are unaware of the fact that 90 per cent of soy crops have been genetically modified, the health risk of which are considerable.  Unfermented soy is high in phytates, which can block your body from absorbing nutrients.  Remember that all soy is not created equal. Organic soy and properly fermented soy does have great health benefits.

13. Milk, it does your body good

This is another good marketing ploy. Too many people erroneously believe that pastureized milk and milk products are healthy for the body.. The FDA and health organizations refuse to look at the real dangers of growth hormones and antibiotics found in milk. Even organic milk, once pasteurized, changes its physical structure in such a way that it causes allergies and immune problems. Drink raw milk, it’s loaded with beneficial bacteria, vitamins and enzymes, not to mention, is one of the best sources of calcium you can find.

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11 Comments

1. 

   Becky Lopez

   Jun 3, 2014 at 7:51 pm

   I don’t believe this. A glass of freshly squeezed orange juice never hurt anyone.
   • 

     uncleanatol

     Apr 17, 2015 at 9:08 pm

     If you’re diabetic it can hurt. I made sure every day when I came to check on my mother that I’d squeeze enough oranges so that she always had at least 8 ounces in the frig, in a sealed container. My mother was a brittle diabetic and If she had a 4-oz. glass of orange juice when her blood sugar was okay it would elevate it to a rather dangerous level if she didn’t take exchange precautions. However, it could also help. When she went into hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) orange juice brought her blood sugar up within 15 minutes after she drank 4 ounces.
2. 

   Paul

   Jul 17, 2014 at 2:31 pm

   If it is really freshly squeezed orange juice – it is really juice, but store bought, commercailly prepared orange juice is not “freshly squeezed orange juice” and is a mix of many different things, not all of them good for us or even foods.
3. 

   Joann Hollie

   Aug 25, 2014 at 8:53 pm

   What the Hamas is going on these days?
4. 

   Kat

   Sep 19, 2014 at 11:18 pm

   The “food pyramid” pictured here is the one from 1992. It’s been updated since then. Nice try.
   • 

     uncleanatol

     Apr 17, 2015 at 9:14 pm

     I really didn’t pay much attention to it but after reading your post I went back to it. You’re both wrong and right! There are many different food pyramids and the “official” one for 2015 shows the the grains on the bottom as well. So take your choice!

     http://search.aol.com/aol/image?q=2015+food+pyramid%3F
5. 

   synchroman

   Oct 31, 2014 at 5:20 am

   Organic Whole Wheat probably not cause the same issues as GMO wheat. Organic grown wheat has not gone the same genetic changes as Monsanto products. Monsanto and the Koch Brothers are criminals as they have created and sold to the world unhealthy and disease creating foods to humans.
6. 

   disqus_boGdks7VAu

   Mar 23, 2015 at 3:34 am

   Is it even realistic to eat a truly healthy diet in todays society?
   What’s healthy one day becomes unhealthy the next.
   How can we tell just what the trurth is?
7. 

   uncleanatol

   Apr 17, 2015 at 9:00 pm

   I haven’t been able to get raw milk any more because my state just made it illegal for me to buy a cow share no matter where the cow is located and I can only get it directly from the farmers in my state if they’re willing to sell it – so far none have, they’re afraid. My partner can no longer drink milk. He’s lactose intolerant and pasteurized milk destroyes the enzymes that enable human beings to digest lactose.
8. 

   contra

   Aug 3, 2017 at 10:52 pm

   the food pyramid is a big lie! AGREE! nice info! Godbless!
9. 

   Linux Pauling

   Apr 12, 2018 at 6:06 pm

   To tell the truth and actually fix your problem(s) would be really bad for business. The medical/pharmaceutical ‘industry’ spends a butt-load of money to have ‘media’ push this crap. Money well spent….for them.