5 Most Common Nutrition Myths Busted by Nutritionist Nikki Burnett
Nikki Burnett, MS CNTP MNT is a Functional Nutritionist and founder of Taste Life Nutrition. Nikki works with ambitious professionals to help them overcome hidden barriers to health and success. Challenges such as pain, brain fog, low energy, anxiety, and stubborn chronic conditions frequently have their roots in unhealthy foods, lifestyle factors, and unknown inflammatory conditions.
Functional Nutrition is based on the science of functional medicine - find the root cause through functional lab testing, history, and lifestyle then create and individualized program that brings balance to the body, so it can repair. Nikki is trained, in part, by The Institute for Functional Medicine. Throughout her career, she has been in the veterinary, nutrition, and medical fields in various capacities.
Nikki is a speaker, writer, and educator. She is the host of Taste Life Nutrition Radio, streaming live on KUHSDenver.com and host of Taste Life Nutrition Podcast. Nikki also co-hosts Real, Raw Health with Matt Rowe of Parsley Pet, a weekly Facebook Live about canine health and nutrition, as well as Functional Friday, a monthly Facebook Live with her Functional Health Coach, Gabrielle Grandell.
Editor’s Note: This article is for information purposes only. Please check with your medical provider before beginning any treatment.
PHOTOGRAPHED BY ESTHER LEE LEACH
When it comes to nutrition, knowing what to eat, how much to eat, and how often to eat can be overwhelming and confusing. We’re constantly bombarded with media headlines and advertisements about the latest trends, but these messages don’t always have our health in mind. Here are 10 of the most common nutrition myths I get asked all the time.
Myth 1: All Calories are Created Equally
You’ve probably heard the saying, “Calories in, calories out.” However, calories are not all created equally because the body uses and stores calories differently, depending on the nutrients found within each food.
Food is often described in terms of density. This refers to different nutrients having more or less calories packed into the same weight, making them higher or lower calorie density. We also must consider the nutrient value. If we eat 300 calories of chicken and vegetables, the nutrient value is high, feeding our body with information to function properly. 300 calories of cake gives us very little nutrition, and the body likely will store it as fat.
Myth 2: Healthy Food is More Expensive
It depends on how we look at the cost. When considering the overall cost of our health, it’s clear that processed foods are MORE expensive. Filling our carts with fresh produce versus cheap frozen and boxed meals can create a difference in our weekly grocery budget. However, the few bucks we save by purchasing unhealthy foods will end up costing us more in the long run.
Food is a language, and it literally tells our cells and DNA what to do. If we eat clean, healthy food, this sends a clean line of communication to our cells and DNA so the body knows what to do. If we eat food that is processed, full of chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, colorings, and preservatives, there is a broken line of communication, and the body becomes confused. This response creates inflammation and in time, dis-ease.
Countless reports have found that what we eat impacts health so spending a little more on healthier food can drastically reduce healthcare costs over time. Take a look at these articles: 1 and 2.
Myth 3: Yogurt is Good for the Bacteria in Your Belly
This one is true, but only for yogurt containing “live active cultures.” Unfortunately, most yogurt products are loaded with sugar. In fact, the added sugar promotes unhealthy gut bacteria growth. We’re eating a dessert disguised as a healthy option. Our best bet is to purchase plain yogurt and add your own flavor with berries, raw honey, and/or cinnamon.
Dairy is pretty low on my list of healthful foods, although there is a grey area here. But I love the coconut yogurts and kefir that are available at health food stores. There are also nut based options; just remember to look at the ingredients – less is more, and make sure it is a live probiotic food.
Myth 4: Egg Yolks Raise Your Cholesterol
There has been much debate about the health of eggs over the years, and the verdict is in: Eggs are healthy. While it’s true that egg yolks contain dietary cholesterol, research has proven that dietary cholesterol has almost nothing to do with your blood cholesterol levels.
One egg has only 75 calories, but 7 grams of high-quality protein, along with iron, vitamins, minerals, and carotenoids. The egg is noted as a powerhouse of disease-fighting nutrients like lutein and zeaxanthin. Eating only the egg white means we’re not eating a whole food, and we’re missing all the amazing nutrients of the egg. The white is high in protein, and the nutrients are in the yolk.
It is important to note that although eggs are healthy, there are a couple of caveats.
· It is one of the top 5 foods that people are sensitive to.
· High heat cooking or frying may oxidize the yolk creating an inflammatory food.
Myth 5: Conventional Meat is the same as Grass-fed or Pasture-raised Meat
We’re not going to talk about the treatment of conventionally raised animals or the drugs they get; we’re only going to talk about food.
Cows are only meant to eat grass, not corn or grain. Animals raised on 100% grass tend to be healthier, leaner, and have the nutrient content that is healthy for human needs. Cows taken off pasture usually spend a minimum of two weeks in a feedlot where they are fed things that they are not intended to eat. While the intent is to put on weight, this is not a healthy way of doing so – imagine that we ate fast food, candy, and pastries to put on the weight we needed. It works, but it doesn’t feed our bodies. This creates inflammation and the excessive fat (marbling) is very unhealthy. When we eat it, that inflammation transfers to us.
This goes for all animals – chickens are not vegetarians and neither are pigs. Feeding them what they are intended to eat, allow them movement, and get sunlight creates a healthy animal – then healthy people.
Eating healthy doesn’t have to be complicated. Food is a gift, and it gives us life – Taste Life!
Nikki Burnett: @tastelifenutrition // info@tastelifenutrition