8 "Scary" Food Myths—Busted!

There are plenty of things to be afraid of nowadays. Occupy Wall Street has turned into Occupy All Streets. The Democrats and Republicans can’t put their heads together without making a hollow coconut sound. And Charlie Sheen is still free to date our daughters! It’s hard to know what to dress up as for Halloween, since everyday life is already really creepy!

And nothing has been made scarier than our food. We've been subjected to so many nutritional ghost stories—It's cholesterol! No, it's gluten! No, it's mercury in the fish!—that we’ve turned into the consumer equivalent of grade schoolers on a camping trip, sitting around the fire listening to tales of creatures ready to jump out and drag us into the woods.

But here's the good news: The supermarket isn’t a scary place at all. You already know how to eat right and take care of yourself. You just need to trust your instincts.

Below, I’m saying “Boo!” to some of the nutritional horror stories that have seized our nation of late. As Halloween season sets in, it’s time to stop fearing what lurks in your fridge. Come with me to a new nutritional world, compliments of the brand-new Eat This, Not That! 2012: The No-Diet Weight-Loss Solution, where there are no tricks, just plenty of treats! 

Nutrition "Scare" #1: Fat Will Make You Fat!

Eating fat does not make you fat. In fact, not eating enough fat can make you fat. A 2008 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that a diet high in healthy fats proved to be superior to a low-fat diet, both in terms of weight loss and overall health benefits. Saturated and trans fats have given fat a bad name, but the truth is that the unsaturated fats found in foods like nuts, salmon, and olive oil are a key component in a healthy diet. For more easy and effective weight-loss secrets that will melt your belly fat faster than ever, follow me right here on Twitter.

Nutrition "Scare" #2: Bread Will Make You Fat!

 The low-carb craze of the early 2000s had people terrified of breaking bread, but eating the right kinds of breads and other grains can actually help you lose weight. An American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study found that overweight people who obtained all of their grain servings from whole grains lost more belly fat than those who skipped the whole grains. The reason: The fiber found in whole grain foods helps slow digestion, keeping you fuller longer. You should still avoid refined grains like "enriched" flour, but a moderate amount of whole grain bread can be a great addition to a balanced diet. Tip: True whole grain bread products will have "whole wheat" or "whole grain" flour as their first ingredient. If you see anything else, your "wheat" bread is an imposter.

NEXT:  Snacking & Coffee Myths >>

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