There was an article in a recent issue of “Nutrition Action Health-letter” called “Surprise! Ten Myths That Can Trip You Up.” As I share what I read with you in the next several blogs, think about whether you’re carrying around these myths, some of which are just downright unhealthy to believe.
1. It’s okay for older people to be overweight. While it’s a lovely thought that as we get older we can become heavier, which takes some of the onus off of us for maintaining our healthy high school weight, it isn’t a good idea. There are just too many diseases that occur in overweight people - heart disease, diabetes, some cancers. Not only that, as we get older we lose muscle mass. So, even if you’re at your high school weight, I’ll bet that you had more muscle back then. So, as we get older, it’s more about how much muscle we’re losing. That’s why a body composition analysis is such a valuable measurement as compared to just weighing yourself. When you see how much less muscle you have, you’ll begin to understand that as we get older, maintaining that mass is what we should be measuring.
2. High-fructose corn syrup is worse for you than ordinary sugar. This isn’t so. That’s because high-fructose corn syrup is 50% fructose and 50% glucose, the same mix you find in ordinary sugar. Your body’s reaction to it is no different. The impact on blood sugar, insulin, ghrelin (a hormone that stimulates appetite), and leptin (a hormone that curbs appetite) are the same. So what’s the bottom line? Limit your intake of both products made with high-fructose corn syrup as well as ordinary sugar. Just remember that both supply empty calories. Fingers are being pointed at high-fructose corn syrup because it is one of the major sweeteners in soda and because people drink far too many, they’re getting for too many empty calories. Studies have shown that people don’t compensate later in the day for all the calories they drank in sodas.
3. If your “bad” cholesterol is low, your risk of heart disease is low. You may be proud of the fact that your LDL-cholesterol (the lethal variety) is low, but that doesn’t mean that you’re free from any risks of heart disease. As we age, LDL, triglycerides and blood pressure can go up. Often, the high triglyceride or low HDL or a combination of both may be setting you up for heart disease. It’s interesting that it isn’t the triglyceride itself that’s the problem. It’s the protein carrier for triglycerides (also called VLDL or very-low-density lipoproteins) that clog arteries. A triglyceride level of 150 or more means you’re at risk for the metabolic syndrome that increases your risk for diabetes and heart disease. Having an HDL-cholesterol (the healthy variety) of less than 40 in men or 50 in women sets you up for metabolic syndrome. Take your numbers seriously. Always ask your doctor for a copy of your blood test records so you can be in charge of keeping track of how you’re doing.
You might want to visit my website at www.advantagediets.com and check out ways to eat healthier.