Time to Correct 7 Common Misconceptions About Diet

Before making a weight loss decision and rushing to the internet, you should ask yourself this question: If such a miracle diet or remedy existed, how would overweight and obesity continue to increase rapidly in the world and our country? Crash diets that promise to rid you of excess kilos and give you a slim appearance can lead to serious health problems including depression, fatigue, concentration difficulties, hair loss, gallstone formation, and adverse effects on heart health. Some incorrect diet practices believed to be correct in society not only negatively affect health but also increase concerns about weight loss. Nutrition and Diet Specialist Ezgi Hazal Çelik shared 7 common misconceptions about dieting in our society and provided important warnings and recommendations.

Drinking lemon water

Drinking lemon water does not help remove toxins from your body, does not burn fat, and does not make your body alkaline! It only increases your daily water consumption and vitamin C intake. It is true that it gives you the feeling of doing something good for yourself and provides good motivation throughout the day. If you have such a routine and have no stomach problems, you can continue. However, with regular consumption, your teeth are exposed to acid throughout the day, so over time it can damage your tooth enamel.

Consuming smoothies as primary nutrition

As the belief that you can lose weight by consuming any mixture increased, many alternatives began to emerge in different forms. In addition to recipes we can make at home, many smoothies commercially marketed as "meal replacements" have become available. However, ignoring chewing, which is an important factor for your appetite signals, is not correct, and foods processed through a blender lose their fiber content and vitamins and minerals. Moreover, these types of nutrition models are not sustainable for many people. You may grit your teeth for a while to lose weight and may not struggle to consume liquid meals, but what happens afterwards? These drinks, which you think help you lose weight and are often labeled as healthy, can result in uncontrolled calorie intake and take you further from your target weight loss.

Eliminating carbohydrates completely

Carbohydrates are stored in the body along with water. Glycogen, our carbohydrate storage, amounts to approximately 500 grams in a person. Following a low-carbohydrate diet for a long time leads to depletion of these stores. Therefore, with your depleted glycogen store, since water used in storing carbohydrates is no longer needed, you will see rapid weight loss reflected on the scale. It should not be overlooked that the weight lost here will return when you reintroduce carbohydrates to your nutrition plan. The type of carbohydrate consumed in a diet is quite important. You should avoid simple sugars, foods containing simple sugars, and foods made with white flour. However, you can manage the weight loss process with a diet balanced in protein, complex carbohydrates, and fats appropriate to your energy needs.

Counting calories

How many calories you consume daily is certainly important until you reach your target weight. However, calculating only the amount of calories you consume is neither a correct behavior change nor does it lead to lasting weight loss. The most important point to understand here is that not all calories are equal. While it is true that all calories contain the same amount of energy, the human body is structured to count molecules, not just calories. Your food choices may be more important than what and how much you eat. Therefore, during weight loss, it is important not to focus solely on calorie intake, but to eat adequately and in a balanced manner with sufficient variety from each food group.

Using brown sugar

If you are someone who says "I cannot drink my tea or coffee without sugar but I use brown sugar," the effects of brown sugar on health are not much different from white sugar, aside from minor differences between the two. The molasses removed during the process to obtain white sugar are added back to produce brown sugar. Although brown sugar contains minerals and vitamins in negligible amounts, this does not mean brown sugar is better. In short, both are sugar, and the dark color does not make brown sugar "diet-friendly." Not consuming sugar added to tea and coffee, which are consumed in high quantities especially in our country, is a behavior change that not only supports your weight loss process by reducing your daily simple sugar and calorie intake but also brings considerable positive effects on your health.

Drinking tea, coffee, and herbal teas instead of water

Water is undoubtedly the healthiest beverage. Water, which is essential for many metabolic processes such as digestion, absorption and transport of nutrients to cells, and removal of harmful waste from the body, can slow down the weight loss process when not consumed in sufficient quantities during the day. When the body lacks water, digestive enzymes and intestines slow down, which can lead to weight gain. Beverages you consume throughout the day such as tea, coffee, and herbal teas contribute to your water intake, but as always, direct water consumption will be more beneficial during the weight loss process you have started. A healthy adult should consume 30-35 ml per kilogram of body weight, averaging 2-2.5 liters of water per day.  

Adding butter to coffee

Nutrition and Diet Specialist Ezgi Hazal Çelik states: "Adding various oils to coffee and drinking it is a practice we frequently hear about recently and many people do. When unsweetened coffee is consumed in moderation, it accelerates metabolism depending on its caffeine content and supports the weight loss process through its effects on appetite. However, adding coconut oil or butter to coffee not only increases the energy you will get from a cup of coffee but also leads to regular consumption of excessive saturated fat, which over time can cause cholesterol levels to rise. The basic principle in your weight loss and fat burning is creating a calorie deficit by ensuring that calories burned throughout the day exceed calories consumed, in other words creating an energy balance." she says.