Healthy Eating Myths: BUSTED!

Who better than River Cottage nutrition expert Naomi Devlin to uncover the truth about superfoods, detoxing and #cleaneating?

We read so much conflicting information about food that it can be hard to know what to do for the best. The simple truth is much less complicated than you think and most of us just need to cook more from scratch in order to feel great. I like a little science with my supper, so here are some common healthy eating myths and the truth behind them.

1. Some foods are cleaner than others

Clean eating is all over social media like an avocado coloured rash, but what actually is ‘clean’ food? The term simply refers to food that is organic and unprocessed, but clean eaters also go a step further and eliminate wheat, dairy and refined sugar, believing them to be toxic. Yet ironically, many clean eating treats are so full of sweet medjool dates they can contain more sugar than a standard dessert! Clean eating confers hero status to some foods such as coconut and demonises others like wheat, but it’s important to remember that balance is key. Of course, we all know that our diets should be as unprocessed as possible, based around ingredients that our great grandparents would have recognised and not too heavy on crisps, fast food and sweets, but restricting your diet cuts out much of the variety a healthy body needs. The only reason to completely cut out wheat, dairy, or even to eliminate sugar is because they are causing you symptoms of ill health and if that is the case, you need to seek the help of a qualified professional, not somebody on Instagram. If you deny yourself all the things you love, you’re much more likely to end up falling off the wagon and bringing food you don’t feel good about. Eating a little dirty food now and then is good for the soul.

2. Detoxing is good for you

Detoxing is a popular idea because it appeals to our inner puritan. The theory is that toxins build up in the body and need to be expelled by consuming only clean foods and sometimes only juices. The fact is that toxins do occur in the body as a natural by-product of metabolic and bacterial processes and our eliminative organs work together to excrete them through the gut, skin and urine. Cleanses tend to overstimulate the eliminative organs and can result in headaches, nausea, rashes and spots – which are often claimed to be signs that the toxins are coming out! It’s much more sensible to support those organs gently every day, rather than saving it all up for a detox. To support digestive elimination, eat more insoluble fibre, found in vegetable skins, pulses and wholegrains.

3. If you eat fat you’ll get fat!

With ever increasing numbers of low fat products on supermarket shelves, we’ve been encouraged to think that if you eat fat, you’ll get fat. Whilst it is true that you will put on weight if you eat more food than you need, it is probably due to factors other than simply eating too much fat. Fat acts as an anchor, helps to keep hunger at bay and aids absorption of some very important nutrients. Without enough fat in your diet, food can be unsatisfying, leading to snacking between meals. Lack of fibre and too much starch or sugar are far more likely to make you put on weight as these foods are quickly converted into glucose, which your body ends up storing as fat. Try finishing a meal with a piece of rich cheese to reduce the risk of late night snacking or needing a sugary pudding.

4. Eat little and often to keep your blood sugar stable

It makes sense that if you eat regular small meals your blood sugar will stay stable, but eating this way actually appears to have the opposite effect. Longer gaps between meals encourage your body to store energy in muscles rather than as fat and to be more efficient at releasing stored fuel. Snacking is not a good idea as it keeps the body in storage mode and can lead to sluggish metabolism. Aim for a 12 hour gap between supper and breakfast and two to three satisfying meals a day according to how active or hungry you are.

5. I must eat superfoods to stay healthy

It is true that some foods are richer in nutrients than others and these are often called superfoods. But there is some confusion about whether you need exotic and expensive ingredients like maca powder, spirulina and goji berries in order to be properly nourished. In fact, a superfood is anything which contains lots of beneficial nutrients, so you might be surprised to find that butter, seaweed and liver all fit the bill. You can easily add more superfoods to your diet just by choosing brightly coloured and deeply flavoured foods, as they always contain nutrients in abundance. Try eating more of these British superfoods when they are in season: beetroot, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, blackberries, carrots, squash, red onions, garlic, free range eggs, walnuts and pumpkin seeds.

6. Carbs are fattening, especially in the evening

Not all carbs are created equal and whether they are fattening or not is all to do with how complex they are. Simple carbs like white bread and white rice are high in starch and easy to convert quickly into glucose, which is then often stored as fat. Complex carbs such as those in beans take a while to digest and break down, so you avoid the sugar spikes that lead to weight gain. Complex carbs also contain fibre that keeps you full for longer, helping you to avoid snacking between meals. It’s often a question of quantity, so a little piece of white bread with a veg heavy meal is fine, but a foot of baguette with a bag of crisps would put you firmly in the danger zone! The time of day doesn’t affect whether you store carbs as fat or not, but eating starchy meals late in the evening can lead to unbalanced blood sugar, raised hunger hormones and overeating. Don’t worry about eating low carb, as we need them to thrive, but do try to eat more of the following more complex carbs: beans and pulses, buckwheat, rye, barley, quinoa, millet, wild rice, root vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds.

7. Coffee is bad for you

Drinking too much coffee is not great as the caffeine can leave you wired and interfere with normal adrenal function, but moderate coffee consumption has been shown to have benefits. Real coffee is a great source of antioxidants, helping to keep your cells healthy and support immune function. Coffee drinkers also suffer lower levels of depression and tend to have more diverse gut microbiomes than those who don’t drink any, so enjoy the odd cup of real coffee joyfully. If you have a mid afternoon slump or need to work late, try not to prop yourself up with coffee, as it will give you a false energy boost and may upset your sleep-wake cycle. Try a short brisk walk in fresh air and a glass of water when your energy dips and save the coffee for earlier in the day when it is less likely to disrupt your sleep.

For more information about the classes Naomi teaches at River Cottage visit naomidevlin.co.uk /courses