Nutrition Myths
Nutrition nonsense is everywhere. Fads and half-truths prey on our hopes and desperations. Poor news reporting misrepresents both valid and invalid research findings. Somewhere among all the noise is legitimate information on how to eat well. For that reason, I appreciate The top nutrition myths of 2019 from Examine.com.
Examine.com is a source I trust for valid, evidence-based nutrition and supplement information. In brief, here’s the list of the 19 nutrition myths for 2019:
Myth 1: Protein is bad for your bones and kidneys
Myth 2: Carbs are bad for you
Myth 3: Fats are bad for you
Myth 4: Egg yolks are bad for you
Myth 5: Red meat is bad for you
Myth 6: Salt is bad for you
Myth 7: Bread is bad for everyone
Myth 8: HFCS is far worse than sugar
Myth 9: Fresh is more nutritious than frozen
Myth 10: Food nutrients are always superior to supplemental nutrients
Myth 11: Dietary supplements are necessary
Myth 12: You should eat “clean”
Myth 13: You should “detox” regularly
Myth 14: Eat more often to boost your metabolism
Myth 15: You need to eat breakfast
Myth 16: To lose fat, don’t eat before bed
Myth 17: To lose fat, do your cardio on an empty stomach
Myth 18: You need protein right after your workout
Myth 19: Creatine will increase your testosterone but cause hair loss and kidney damage
Dig into the article for more information.
Meat and the Environment
I am an environmentalist. The threat of manmade global warming is a brutal reality. I do what I can to limit my contribution to the nightmare. If you share these concerns then I hope you’ll read How to Eat Meat if You Care About the Environment from U.S. News & World Report. Briefly, the article lists the following:
- Limit your meat consumption.
- Know how different meats stack up.
- Shop local, if possible.
- Learn your labels.
- Be a prudent cook.
My wife and I are especially concerned about greenhouse gas emissions. Our food choices come with come with a greenhouse gas cost. Meat production produces an especially large amount of CO2 and methane. Accordingly, we now limit our meat consumption, especially of beef and lamb which produce the most greenhouse gas. We haven’t gone vegan but we have made the deliberate choice to reduce our animal product consumption.
(Further, by most measures, Americans eat too much meat. It’s not a coincidence that most Americans are also overweight. An additional benefit to limiting meat consumption in favor of plants is that it’ll help most people drop a few pounds and get fitter.)
Animal welfare is also a concern of ours. The article also links to the Environmental Working Group (EWG.) EWG provides this guide to animal welfare standards and labeling of meat and dairy products. We haven’t abandoned meat completely, but we don’t want to contribute to the suffering of animals. This guide has helped informed our food shopping. You might find it useful too.