Food is not an exact science. New studies are carried out over time, making it possible to highlight the benefits of certain components, or on the contrary to highlight their negative consequences. National authorities have developed nutritional recommendations in order to have a guideline for defining a healthy and balanced diet . However, they do not go into the precise detail of the foods one by one. This is why, with the rise of the internet, social networks and blogs... we find all types of advice, more or less scientific.
So what are the most common misconceptions about nutrition? We will decipher this with you today to give you appropriate advice! Know that the maju concept is not based on preconceived ideas or fashions…. It is based on the recommendations of ANSES (national agency for food, environmental and occupational health safety) and those of public authorities . The maju bowl and its services allow you to rebalance your diet in a healthy way. In this article, we want to enlighten you on questions that are debated on the internet and for which there are nevertheless scientifically correct answers . We decipher many preconceived ideas around 3 themes: fruits, starchy foods and hydration.
🍎 Fruit, a food that is debated! 🍎
Fruits are rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals. Their favorable effects on health have been scientifically proven , particularly with regard to the reduction of inflammation and the reduction of the risk of cardiovascular diseases. [1] [2] So we can ask ourselves what is the best time of day to consume fruit, which fruit to favor and can they be consumed as part of a weight loss process?💭 Misconception #1: Eating fruit after a meal is bad!
No studies have evaluated the correlation between fruit consumption after a meal and possible fermentation in the stomach or increased acidity . These 2 notions are often debated on the internet. Here is why these ideas are not correct:- To have fermentation, there must be bacteria. However, in the stomach there is hydrochloric acid, which will serve in particular to acidify the food bolus for the decomposition of food. The stomach therefore consists of a very acidic environment and as a result, there are very few bacteria inside. There can therefore be no fermentation in the stomach .
- Acidity is measured in pH. The lower the pH, the more acidic it is. A neutral pH corresponds to a pH of 7. The pH of the stomach remains between 1 and 3. It is therefore very acidic. When the stomach receives food, whatever it may be, its pH will vary and may increase up to a pH of 5. Therefore the ingestion of food , including fruit , will temporarily increase the pH of the stomach. stomach and therefore reduce its acidity . [3] [4] [5]
- to lose weight if you are overweight
- to stop smoking
- not to eat meals that are too large: split your meals into 4 to 5 portions during the day
- avoid wearing clothes that are too tight
- avoid sweets, salty snacks, sugary drinks and alcohol
- eat your evening meal early enough before going to bed
- to drink enough water: 1.5L per day minimum (tap water or mineral water)
- to have a good distribution of foods on your plates: proteins, vegetables, starchy foods —> to help you, the maju bowl will be your best friend!
💭 Misconception #2: Eating fruit in the evening prevents you from sleeping!
The reason why some think that consuming fruit in the evening could cause sleep problems comes from their vitamin C composition . However, to date, no scientific study has confirmed this link . Furthermore, we quickly understand that this hypothesis does not hold water. In fact, it's not just certain fruits that are rich in vitamin C! Many vegetables are as well. However, the question that comes up regularly is always whether or not we can eat an orange in the evening... and never whether we can eat spinach for example, even though they contain almost the same levels of vitamin C! And if we think a little more… the orange is not even the fruit richest in vitamin C. The kiwi , for example, contains twice as much. [7] [8] Here are the elements which allow us to affirm that the following sentence: “eating fruit in the evening prevents you from sleeping” is a received idea , a myth … and is not the reality!💭 Misconception #3: Whole fruit or fruit juice, it's the same!
Fiber helps slow the absorption of sugar . However, your juice , whether industrial or homemade, is devoid of it (yes, even if you leave the pulp in your homemade juice, the fiber content will not be high enough 😉). So, your fruit juice, whatever it is, has a high GI ( glycemic index ). It will then be quickly absorbed by your body and will cause a glycemic peak . This is therefore an unfounded myth : eating a whole fruit or drinking fruit juice will not have the same reactions in your body! We therefore advise you to consume the whole fresh fruit 🍊!💭 Misconception #4: Bananas are high in calories! They should therefore be avoided for weight loss!
A banana is 90.5 kilocalories per 100g. It is therefore 5 times less than a dry biscuit of the same weight! [7] Certainly, fruits have different energy values. An apple 🍎 for example, has between 50 and 60 kcal per 100g, depending on the variety. Watermelon 🍉, for its part, has 38.9 kcal per 100g... But each of them has a different nutritional composition and are therefore interesting to consume for their vitamin and mineral intake. Indeed, bananas 🍌 for example, have a good carbohydrate content (to find out more about carbohydrates, click here: What are carbohydrates? ), allowing the body to be given energy and is a source of potassium , helping to contribute to recovery after a sporting effort (avoiding cramps in particular) and also helps to contribute to good cardiovascular health by facilitating muscle contraction. Bananas should therefore not be avoided in a weight loss process... This is an unfounded myth ! The key, as is the case for each food category (proteins, vegetables, starchy foods), is to vary your food sources and not always consume the same food in its category (so do not eat 3 bananas per day every day, as fruit).💭 Preconceived idea #5: As a weight loss goal, we forget fruits because they contain too much sugar!
To function properly, our body needs nutrients . Fruits provide the body with many vitamins and minerals ! The debate comes from the level of fructose contained in fruits, because we often associate the desire to lose weight with stopping sugar (to find out a little more about fructose, click here: Fructose, is it bad for your health? However, the sugar naturally present in fruits poses no problem in a weight loss process, provided (as with all other foods), you do not overdo it and respect the recommendations which are “5 fruits and vegetables per day". In addition, know that the fibers present in fruits help slow the absorption of sugar into the blood and thus increase satiety. The myth that you should not eat fruit when you want to lose weight is therefore false! It is entirely possible to lose weight by consuming 2 to 3 fruits per day... and completely removing fruit from your diet would remove nuggets of vitamins and minerals, essential to our good health! On the other hand, for a weight loss approach, it would rather be a question of avoiding the consumption of processed products in general, because they contain (almost) all synthetic fructose (unnatural fructose - formulated in the laboratory), which him, is bad for your health!🥔 Starchy foods: friend or foe for a balanced diet and a weight loss goal? 🥔
Starchy foods are part of one of the 3 major families of nutrition. In the starchy family there are 3 types of foods: cereals (pasta, rice, wheat, etc.), tubers (potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc.) and legumes (lentils, chickpeas, red beans). , beans, etc.). The point of including starchy foods in our diet is to provide our body with all the energy it needs to function. In this way, complex carbohydrates should be favored so that these energy intakes are progressive over time and therefore induce a stronger feeling of satiety . To find out more about carbohydrates, click here: What are carbohydrates? Let's review the most common misconceptions about starchy foods.💭 Misconception #1: Starchy foods make you gain weight!
ANSES recommends consuming starchy foods at each meal, accompanied by vegetables and proteins, for a balanced diet . Starchy foods provide the body with energy over time. We often imagine it as being the fuel of our body! Starchy foods allow you to last until the next meal without feeling hungry, which helps limit snacking. In addition, by choosing so-called “ complete ” starchy foods, this will provide you with fiber to strengthen satiety and stimulate intestinal transit . What can increase the calories in your meal is not the starchy foods per se but rather the excess that you add, such as to create a sauce for example. For a weight loss approach as well as a desire to rebalance your diet, the maju bowl with its nutritional program and recipe ideas are perfectly adapted to help you consume the quantities that your body needs , without any headache or mental burden .💭 Misconception #2: In the evening, you should not eat starchy foods!
If you have bloating when you wake up, it is very possible that starchy foods are not the cause strictly speaking... but rather it is the chosen quantity ! The same goes for the question “does eating starchy foods in the evening make you gain weight?”. For a balanced diet , that is to say so that your diet provides your body with all the micro and macro nutrients it needs to function properly and be in good health , starchy foods must be part of your meals... dinner Understood ! This does not mean, however, that starchy foods must be abundant in the dish. Instead, it's about adding a serving of starchy food to your dinner that meets your needs . To help you, the maju bowl allows you to dose the quantities appropriate to your needs without any headache or mental load! When trying to lose weight, favor so-called “ complete ” starchy foods and legumes . If you cut out starchy foods in the evening , you risk feeling hungry in the evening or at night. It is not by starving yourself that you will lose weight healthily, quite the contrary! The same goes for the quantities of starchy foods in your lunch. A dose of starchy foods that is too low for your needs will make you hungry in the afternoon and could lead to snacking . To lose weight , daily calorie expenditure must be higher than intake ... Concretely, to lose weight healthily, it is a question of reducing portions overall, and not of eliminating a food group from certain meals! To find out more about energy balance , click here: How does energy balance work? In conclusion, to maintain good health whether in the process of weight loss or not, it is important to keep a portion of starchy foods in the evening . It is a scientifically unfounded myth to say that you need to eliminate starchy foods from your evening meal to lose weight !💧 Hydration, how does it work? What does it mean ? 💧
Hydration plays a more than essential role in our good health! The body is made up of almost 70% water , which is why it is important to replenish the water that we lose throughout the day. Concretely, at what level does water play a role? It plays a role in the proper functioning of the brain (which itself is made up of almost 80% water), it also eliminates toxins , lubricates the joints , facilitates the digestive process , guarantees healthy skin . healthy , transport oxygen and other essential elements, stimulate metabolism (allowing fat burning), etc. [9] [10] [11] [12]. We are going to review the preconceived ideas about hydration.💭 Misconception #1: Drinking pure water, tea, coffee or an infusion is the same!
Coffee, tea, as well as certain infusions, are diuretics , that is to say they promote the urinary elimination of water. In other words, these drinks help the kidneys produce more urine in order to flush salt and excess water out of the body. Diuretic drinks therefore result in dehydration and not the other way around! [13] [14] So, it is not the same thing to drink plain water as it is to drink tea, for example. The consequences on the body are not the same. ANSES (National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety), recommends consuming 1.5L to 2L of water per day . This is simple, tap or mineral water . Consumption of tea, herbal tea, coffee or even chocolate, soda or fruit juice does not fit into this equation . The idea is not to demonize diuretic drinks , which can have positive effects . Simply, it is important to know that overusing diuretic drinks will be harmful to your health. In addition, here is a YouTube video which describes the effects of green tea: Between health benefits and risks.💭 Misconception #2: To overcome water retention, you need to drink less!
To address this issue, it is important to first define what water retention is. The human body is well made: it has a system to regulate the quantities of water and salt present in our body. However, it can happen that this balance is disturbed . In this case, an accumulation of water is created in a tissue of the body, causing edema . This is what characterizes water retention . It most often involves swelling in the lower part of the body, that is to say in the legs and more particularly in the ankles and feet. However, it is possible to retain water in the stomach or face. Then, it is important to know the reasons for the appearance of water retention. The main cause is a diet too rich in salt. In fact, salt will retain water in the body's tissues and will thus reduce its elimination and create a “pocket” of water . Other factors can result in water retention, such as prolonged immobility , hormonal imbalance (menstrual period, pregnancy, menopause), taking medications , exposure to high heat , etc. To finish, let's answer the question: to overcome water retention, you need to drink less…. Myth or reality ? You will have understood this from the explanations… on the contrary, you need to drink more in order to eliminate pockets of water and thus fight against water retention ! Here are the valuable tips to overcome or avoid water retention:- To drink a lot of water
- Reduce your salt consumption: added salt but also processed products
- Avoid a sedentary lifestyle and promote physical activity : water sports are particularly suitable because they promote good blood and lymphatic circulation
- Have a varied and balanced diet : favor homemade foods as much as possible and eat the quantities appropriate to your needs thanks to the maju bowl.
💭 Misconception #3: Drinking fruit juice is better than drinking soda!
We saw above that it is better to consume a whole fruit rather than fruit juice, because the latter is devoid of fiber. In addition, industrial juices are also devoid of nutrients . By measuring the sugar levels of a juice compared to a soda , we obtain similar values . Indeed, on Ciqual (nutritional composition table created by ANSES), we find 10.1g of sugar per 100g for a multi-fruit juice and 10.2g per 100g for cola. [15] [16] Opting for fruit juice instead of soda for the sole reason of minimizing sugar consumption is therefore not interesting. Here is a YouTube video that covers this topic: Some fruit juices are sweeter than soda . If you have trouble drinking plain water , there are healthy alternatives to add flavor to your water. For example, you can infuse : cucumber, lemon, grapefruit, red fruits (for summer or using frozen red fruits), mint, basil, star anise, thyme, ginger, hibiscus flowers, etc. You can infuse a single ingredient, or mix according to your preferences. As for the preparation , two choices are available to you: either you let it infuse overnight and remove the pieces in the morning; Either you make your mixture in the morning and let it infuse in your bottle as your day progresses.
Comment written by Sterenn MAURICE , dietitian-nutritionist at maju.
Bibliography
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