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Nutrition myths busted
Dietitians set the record straight
about what some might think is the healthy way to eat
Katherine Hudson Northern News Services Published Thursday, March 1, 2012
"There's so much nutrition information going around, a lot of contradictory stuff," said Jennalle Butcher, regional nutritionist with the Beaufort Delta Health and Social Services Authority (BDHSSA). "Research studies are sensationalized. One year eggs are good for you, the next, no. Are carbs the devil or is fat the devil, or is it calories? What is it?" Butcher said nutritionists and dietitians, with the backing of science and with the facts based on hard evidence, can help people decipher the truths behind nutrition claims. This year, the theme for National Nutrition Month is Get the Real Deal on your Meal – helping Canadians make informed food choices to best support their health by having ready access to truths about common food and nutrition myths. Diana Trang, another nutritionist with the health authority, said there are a lot of myths out there with society being more health- and label-conscious than ever. "I think people think they know a lot about nutrition and food. Sometimes I feel people are too caught up about the nutrition aspects. Some of the myths go to the basics of cooking at home," she said, where one can add their own flavours and pan fry their own fish instead of picking up something that is covered in batter and heating it up. Labels stating fat free, low fat or cholesterol free are marketing stances. When one fat is taken away – like trans fat – another fat, like saturated fat, is put back in. "They have to have some sort of shelf-stable fat, so the boxes of crackers can stay on the shelf for six months and not go bad," said Butcher, adding it's best to not judge food by fat alone. "Cookies, chips, all kinds of junkie foods that may very well have little fat, but they're definitely quite often higher in sugar or higher in salt." Drinking eight glasses of water a day is also a myth – at least the strict guideline of volume is. Drink fluids in general, said Butcher. "The real message is it's definitely important to stay hydrated, but it's not necessarily eight glasses for me and eight glasses for you. It's just like sleep, it's different for every person." Trang works with pre-natal mothers and young children and said although there are vitamins in juices, the sugar content of juice and pop are the same. She said it's important to offer other beverages to growing kids. Milk having a short shelf life in Inuvik doesn't have to get in the way either. "You can freeze milk and then put it in the fridge to thaw it out," she said. Not buying fruits and vegetables because they go bad too quickly or are too expensive can be worked around as well – frozen fruit and veggies can do the trick. The frozen food was frozen at the "peak of freshness and frozen right away," said Butcher, without anything else added to it. Canned fruits and vegetables are healthy options as well, as long as the salt is rinsed off. "Fresh fruits and vegetables aren't the only ones that are healthy. The stores are loaded any time of the year, it doesn't matter if the Dempster Highway is closed or what," she said. The public can call a dietitian for advice or have a nutrition assessment done for free and without a doctor's referral. For more information on Nutrition Month and the myths that might slip their way into one's kitchen or grocery list, visit the Dietitians of Canada website.
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