As a personal trainer, you will encounter many clients who have been told, and will strongly defend, many nutritional myths. However, these nutritional myths may actually stop your clients from achieving their goals so it is important that you can shed some light on what the current literature says. Below, I have identified the 4 most common nutritional myths that personal trainers encounter and what the research actually says:
MYTH #1 – GLUTEN IS BAD FOR YOU AND EFFECTS YOUR WEIGHT LOSS
Gluten is the protein in wheat, rye, barley and countless processed foods including pasta, breads, and cereals.
There is no evidence that gluten-free diets are effective for weight loss or for general health benefits in healthy adults.
On a gluten free diet, gluten containing foods are often replaced with better food choices, such as legumes, fruit and vegetables. These dietary changes are often lower in calories creating the calorie deficit needed for weight loss.
MYTH #2 – HIGH PROTEIN DIETS WILL HARM YOUR KIDNEYS
This myths arises from the fact that kidney filters protein or amino acids from the blood, so the general population often fear that by increasing their protein intake, they will put additional pressure on the kidney as it tries to filter the extra amino acids. However, there is extensive research into high protein diets and the effects they have on the kidneys. In healthy individuals with no existing kidney issues, high protein diets have been shown to have no effect on kidney function3 and when high protein diets result in weight loss, it may even reduce the risk of renal dysfunction4.
MYTH #3 – ORGANIC FOODS ARE BETTER FOR HEALTH
FALSE!
Non-organic food contain levels of pesticides that are safe for people to eat and monitored by the HSE mionitoring programme in the UK.
Organic and non-organic foods have the same levels of nutrients.
MYTH #4 – FASTED CARDIO WILL INCREASE FAT BURNING
FALSE!
Fasted cardio increases fat oxidation or how fat is burned. BUT you will only lose weight if you are in a calorie deficit or eat and drink fewer calories than your burn.
Fasted cardio alone doesn’t lead to weight loss but overtime changing how and what you eat and exercise will, by support a calorie deficit.
Capristo, Esmeralda, Giovanni Addolorato, Geltrude Mingrone, Andrea De Gaetano, Aldo V. Greco, Pietro A. Tataranni, and Giovanni Gasbarrini. “Changes in body composition, substrate oxidation, and resting metabolic rate in adult celiac disease patients after a 1-y gluten-free diet treatment.” The American journal of clinical nutrition 72, no. 1 (2000): 76-8
Lis, D.M., Stellingwerff, T., Shing, C.M., Ahuja, K.D. and Fell, J.W., 2015. Exploring the popularity, experiences, and beliefs surrounding gluten-free diets in nonceliac athletes. International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism, 25(1), pp.37-45.
Friedman, A.N., 2004. High-protein diets: potential effects on the kidney in renal health and disease. American Journal of kidney diseases, 44(6), pp.950-962
Tay, J., Thompson, C.H., Luscombe-Marsh, N.D., Noakes, M., Buckley, J.D., Wittert, G.A. and Brinkworth, G.D., 2015. Long-term effects of a very low carbohydrate compared with a high carbohydrate diet on renal function in individuals with type 2 diabetes: a randomized trial. Medicine, 94(47).
Dangour, A.D., Lock, K., Hayter, A., Aikenhead, A., Allen, E. and Uauy, R., 2010. Nutrition-related health effects of organic foods: a systematic review. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 92(1), pp.203-210
Smith-Spangler, C., Brandeau, M.L., Hunter, G.E., Bavinger, J.C., Pearson, M., Eschbach, P.J., Sundaram, V., Liu, H., Schirmer, P., Stave, C. and Olkin, I., 2012. Are organic foods safer or healthier than conventional alternatives?: a systematic review. Annals of internal medicine, 157(5), pp.348-366
Schoenfeld, B.J., Aragon, A.A., Wilborn, C.D., Krieger, J.W. and Sonmez, G.T., 2014. Body composition changes associated with fasted versus non-fasted aerobic exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 11(1), pp.1-
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Home » Nutrition Myths that Need to Die
Nutrition Myths that Need to Die
Home » Nutrition Myths that Need to Die
As a personal trainer, you will encounter many clients who have been told, and will strongly defend, many nutritional myths. However, these nutritional myths may actually stop your clients from achieving their goals so it is important that you can shed some light on what the current literature says. Below, I have identified the 4 most common nutritional myths that personal trainers encounter and what the research actually says:
MYTH #1 – GLUTEN IS BAD FOR YOU AND EFFECTS YOUR WEIGHT LOSS
Gluten is the protein in wheat, rye, barley and countless processed foods including pasta, breads, and cereals.
There is no evidence that gluten-free diets are effective for weight loss or for general health benefits in healthy adults.
On a gluten free diet, gluten containing foods are often replaced with better food choices, such as legumes, fruit and vegetables. These dietary changes are often lower in calories creating the calorie deficit needed for weight loss.
MYTH #2 – HIGH PROTEIN DIETS WILL HARM YOUR KIDNEYS
This myths arises from the fact that kidney filters protein or amino acids from the blood, so the general population often fear that by increasing their protein intake, they will put additional pressure on the kidney as it tries to filter the extra amino acids. However, there is extensive research into high protein diets and the effects they have on the kidneys. In healthy individuals with no existing kidney issues, high protein diets have been shown to have no effect on kidney function3 and when high protein diets result in weight loss, it may even reduce the risk of renal dysfunction4.
MYTH #3 – ORGANIC FOODS ARE BETTER FOR HEALTH
FALSE!
MYTH #4 – FASTED CARDIO WILL INCREASE FAT BURNING
FALSE!
Fasted cardio increases fat oxidation or how fat is burned. BUT you will only lose weight if you are in a calorie deficit or eat and drink fewer calories than your burn.
Fasted cardio alone doesn’t lead to weight loss but overtime changing how and what you eat and exercise will, by support a calorie deficit.
References:
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