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30 WWW. UNWLA.ORG “НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, ТРАВЕНЬ 201 3 NUTRITIONAL MYTHS Ihor Magun, MD, FACP There are numerous misconceptions when it comes to nutrition. Below is a survey of ten most common nutritional myths and quandaries, which will hopefully help you make better food choices. 1. Juicing fruits and vegetables is a healthy alternative to actual fruit or vegetable consumption. Juice has less fiber and is more calorie - dense than whole produce. Whole produce makes you feel more full and satisfied as well as has important phytochemicals, which are disease fighters. If you do juice, prepare only as much as you will be able to drink right away s ince bacteria grow quickly when juices are not pasteurized. When you buy juices, look for 100% juice that is pasteurized. 2. Honey is a good substitute for sugar. Both sugar and honey have identical glycemic i n- dexes and similar calorie content. The re is no sp e- cific benefit to honey, only taste preference. Use it judiciously. 3. All olive oil is identical. Olive oil is a fat that is obtained by grinding whole olives and extracting the oil by chemical or m e- chanical means. The best oil to use is extra virgin olive oil. It boasts an excellent flavor, aroma, and free fatty acid content. Extra virgin olive oil is pressed to obtain the oil without the use of heat or chemicals in the extraction process. Hence, the oil is pure and unrefined, and it c ontains polyph e- nols — an antioxidant that promotes good health. 4. Fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables? Certain facts are obvious: produce just harvested is always at the peak of nutritional value. That value starts to diminish with time and improper sto r- age. Frozen produce is packaged at peak freshness and is frozen quickly, keeping the nutritional value until defrosted. Use your judgment and purchase as the seasons change and availability permits. 5. How is nutritional value dependent on cooking methods? Boiling fresh or frozen produce will leach va luable nutrients, decreasing its nutritional value. A more appropriate method of cooking is steaming or ba k- ing, coupled with shorter cooking times and lower temperatures (microwaving is an excellent o p- tion). Purchase frozen produce in airtight bags which allow easy steam cooking. Add salt to water when you do boil — it helps prevent the leaching of nutrients from produce. 6. Fat free foods are better than low fat ones. It all depends upon what type of food is selected. Many fat free foods substitute excessive salt to e n- hance the taste — at the time when salt is already overused. Read t he sodium content and compare. Be careful with foods like yogurt: while a fat free one has no fat and less calories, a low fat yogurt can still have a significant amount of fat and calories. 7. Nuts are fattening. Nuts are high in calories, but they also are an e x- ce l lent source of protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Studies have shown that ind i- viduals who ate nuts regularly (one serving size) weighed less than those who did not consume any at all. Serving size is what is important. 8. Avoid shrimp because it elevates chole s- terol. Cholesterol in our blood comes from two sources — from what we ingest and what is independently pro duced by our liver. Although shrimp does have high cholesterol content, it is low fat and contains high levels of omega - 3 fatty acids. This raises the good cholesterol level and many reduce the risk of heart disease. The quan tity consumed is the key factor. Four ounces of shrimp contain one gram of fat (saturated) and 165 milligrams of cholesterol. 300 milligrams is the daily recommendation. I n- gesting shrimp twice a week is acceptable. 9. Organic or inorganic? This topic was already covered in a previous art i- cle, but as a review, take, for example, an apple purchased at an organic market and one bought elsewhere. The smell and taste will be different. From a nutritional standpoint, there may not be tremendous differ ences, but organic apples will have been grown without the use of harmful fert i- lizers or pest control sprays. 10. Choosing products with natural ingr e- dients Look at the list of ingredients. They usually go in descending order of quantity present in the product. If something is made from 100% whole wheat that fact should appear on the ingredients list. Be a savvy shopper and take the time to decipher the labels to maximize the nutritional benefits of your food . I hope you will use this information to supplement all the other good things you are a l- ready doing to be as healthy as possible.
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