Nutrition MYTHS

1. FAT FREE doesn't mean fat free at all.Be ware of labels as FAT FREE in the food items you purchase.These are just substitutes of fat free saturated fats.

It is too good to be true anymore.

2.Skipping meals will help you loose weight!!! It is very not true at all.Infact , this will make you over indulge at your next meal time.This will reduce your metabolism levels too.Lighter meals at frequent intervals is the best idea to go.

3.Say good bye to bananas,NUTS and MILK if you want to loose weight.

These food items are denser in energy but they have good nutritional levels.

The quantity of these items should be calculative while on a weight loss spree.

Almonds are packed with vitamin E and good oils for your skin.

4.The best way to control diabetes is by avoiding starch and sugar/carbs.

NO!!If someone has diabetes,that doesn't mean he/she will deprive themselves from sugars!!You shoud keep your blood sugar level in control by controlling your sugars intake.You should opt for complex carbs as jowar,bajra,lentils.legumes.etc.

5.Avoid oranges and other citrus fruits if you have cold or cough or flu.

NO! There is nothing called hot fruit or cold fruit.In fact,citrus fruits are higher in vitamin C levels which helps in putting off a cold.Our immune system reacts to a particular food item when we have cold,flu or fever only if we are sensitive to it.

6. 100 percent fruit juice is a perfect substitue for a fruit.NO!!Nothing which is lableled as 100% fruit is actually true.A majority of these not contain more than 10 percent fruit.

7.Pregnancy means eating for two.

You're putting me on! Eating for two does not mean eating twice the quantity. For your baby to be born healthy, you only need to consume an additional 300 calories at the most, daily (and that too only in the 2nd and 3rd trimester). If you gain unnecessary weight during your pregnancy, you may have a difficult labour and will have to work much harder to drop all those pounds post delivery.

8. If you drink enough milk throughout your pregnancy, your child will be born with a fair complexion.

Come on! Do you think if you drink chocolate milk your child will be chocolate-coloured, or if you drink strawberry milk your child will be pink? Adequate milk intake (2-3 cups of milk and milk products) will help meet both the mother and child's essential calcium and protein requirements.

Skin colouring is genetically driven, not milk driven!

9. Pure ghee or even full fat milk should be given to children for overall health and growth.All children below the age of 1 year can take full fat milk and ghee, since fat is required for brain development. However, after they are 2 years old, 2 percent milk is safe if the child is eating healthy otherwise. Ghee can be included sparingly as part of a child's healthy diet if s/he is within the normal weight range. Parents must realise that these foods are rich in saturated fats and can pose the risk of childhood obesity, leading to adult obesity and even future health complications.

10. A plump child is a healthy child, but a skinny yet active child is unhealthy.

A plump child may not necessarily be healthy, and may be at risk of developing chronic illnesses. On the other hand a skinny child that is very active, eats a balanced diet and is not prone to getting ill can be considered ideally healthy.

In this day and age of information technology and the savvy consumer, we must use common sense over myth. We know what's best for our bodies in terms of nutrition, so go for what your gut says is medically sound and not otherwise.