'Tis the season for ... all the diet marketing nonsense!
I love me a great festive theme, so let's debunk a bunch of health myths today, shall we??
Myth #1: Coffee works for breakfast.
Actually ... coffee on an empty stomach can raise cortisol levels, increase belly fat storage, lead to undereating during the daytime and overeating at nighttime or on weekends, lower metabolism and spike blood sugar.
Myth #2: You should keep cutting calories back (beyond a reasonable amount).
Actually ... this will lower metabolic rate, lead to muscle loss and increase risk of disease in the future.
Myth #3: You need to workout more, longer, harder.
Actually ... Exercise is great and I'm a big fan, but those who think they need to increase it endlessly until they "see results" tend to dial up inflammation and risk injury -- both of which can backfire.
Myth #4: Eat 6 mini meals a day for metabolism
Actually ... this doesn't improve metabolism and can hinder it because of the way insulin is kept elevated. This promotes more fat storage, not less.
Myth #5: You should weigh yourself daily.
Please don't! Unless you have NO emotional connection to the number at all (not happy when it's down, not upset when it's up). Otherwise, you'll be manufacturing extra frustration + defeat and we don't make the choices we want to from those emotional states.
Myth #6: Weight loss is good, weight gain is bad.
Actually ... it's much more important to think about the kind of weight you want to gain, lose and / or maintain. Most people want to either gain or maintain muscle and either lose or maintain fat. This requires a very specific way of doing things. Your garden variety diets, cleanses, bootcamps, etc. -- even if they take weight off -- likely won't be enough of the kind of weight you're looking to lose.
Myth #7: Save calories during the day so you can eat more when you go out to dinner or to that party.
Actually ... undereating during mealtimes can lower metabolic rate, have you losing precious muscle, and increase cravings, hunger and the feeling of being 'out of control' around food later.
Myth #8: The sun is bad for us.
Actually ... the sun is very healing! Too much of a good thing isn't a good thing, of course, so we don't want to burn. But we get red light and infrared light around sunrise + sunset. The sun helps us set our circadian rhythm, improves mood, energy, digestion, blood sugar management. And the blue light we get during the middle of the day is important for other things like hormones and vitamin D.
Myth #9: Carbs are bad.
Actually ... we all use carbs. We either eat too much and store them as fat after they spike our blood sugar and cause some damage, eat a moderate amount to match our needs, or eat too few and our body will make what we need then through a process called gluconeogenesis. Eating a moderate amount is helpful for fat loss goals, thyroid health, moods, sleep, energy and performance.
Myth #10: Walking is enough for exercise.
Actually... walking is GREAT for us and if that's all you can do right now, PLEASE do it! For those who are looking to improve their health or have body composition goals and are able to, I recommend keeping walking in for movement or even cardio if it's a fast enough pace to leave you slightly out of breath. But strength training is a separate category and we all benefit from ensuring that's included in our days and weeks, no matter your age or level (as long as its not contraindicated for YOU).
Myth #11: 2 eggs is a high-protein meal.
Actually ... 2 eggs is only 12g of protein. That's something(!) but not enough for a meal. I recommend most people get 20-40+g of protein with each meal. Since that amount of eggs would likely also contain a lot more fat than you need in a meal, you could consider adding an additional source of protein alongside the 2 eggs ... some meat, egg whites mixed in, etc.
Myth #12: Muscle makes you bulky.
Actually ... muscle takes up less space, pound for pound, than body fat does. Meaning, you can increase your scale weight but be putting on muscle and taking off fat and your measurements (like waist circumference) would actually be going down.
Myth #13: The cold weather makes us sick.
Actually ... we are outside less, get less vitamin D, spend more time indoors around more people and germs, and tend to have more food, sugar and alcohol this time of year. More germ exposure + weakened immune system makes us sick. Cold exposure ... when done gradually and intentionally ... improves our immune system.
Myth #14: Fevers are bad.
Actually ... fevers are genius and I aim not to interfere if my body or my kiddos' bodies have created a fever. Of course I'm vigilant to make sure it doesn't become dangerously high or rise so quickly it can cause febrile seizures, but otherwise we welcome and celebrate fevers. In fact, we try to remember that runny noses, vomiting, diarrhea, coughs, post-nasal drips are all genius too. These are not the germs' doing, but rather our body rounding the troops to help fight off and get rid of the germs.
I'm sure I missed a bunch of common myths, but I'm not trying to write a novel today for you. :-P
If you're ready to do things WILDLY different in 2024, you should know that sometime later today the waitlist for TRANSFORM: Body + Mind -- my 28-day metabolism-boosting course -- will be pulled down. So, this is your last chance to hop on! Enrollment for the January round will begin tomorrow. Those on the waitlist will get a discount code sent tomorrow when the cart opens. Join us!
XO,