Llewellyn's 2020 Herbal Almanac by Jill Henderson

Author:Jill Henderson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: CVR06132018, CVR06272018, herbal almanac, llewellyn's herbal almanac, llewellyns herbal almanac, llewellyn herbal alamanc, 2020, 2020 herbal almanac, herbal almanac 2020, spells, herbal, herbalism, recipes, crafts,
Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide, LTD.
Published: 2019-06-20T16:59:06+00:00

Food and Nutrition Myths

Get comfortable and grab yourself some coconut water and a gluten-free snack, because this might take a while. Here we go.

Myth #1: Organic produce is more nutritious than non-organic/conventional.

I get asked about this a lot, and there’s really a simple way to determine how to spend your food dollars when it comes to organically or conventionally grown foods. Though there are numerous people who believe the term “organic” is used to con consumers out of hard-earned dollars, the term actually refers to foods that are farmed without the use of pesticides, herbicides, growth hormones, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Some people prefer organic on that basis alone, which is fine. Others believe that organic food has substantially higher levels of antioxidants or other health-promoting compounds compared with conventionally grown foods. However, there is no peer-reviewed research to support the claim that eating organic will lead to improved health compared to non-organic, and any differences found in nutritional composition between organic and conventional foods have been statistically insignificant (meaning unlikely to influence the health outcomes of people who buy organic).

Bottom Line: I can fully understand the desire to avoid pesticides! To assist you with this, I suggest you check out ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php. The Environmental Working Group puts out annual “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean Fifteen” reports, which you can use for making organic-buying decisions.

Myth #2: Detox diets (cleanses or fasts) are necessary to clear toxins from your body.

Proponents claim a “detoxification diet” is necessary periodically to cleanse toxins from your body that accumulate from environmental pollutants and unhealthy diets. Such detox diets include several days of juice fasts, short periods of vegetable and water regimens, or more invasive colonic irrigations. (I suppose you could toss the maple syrup-based Master Cleanse diet in here too.) But the body has its own system of organs to do that—the liver, spleen, and kidneys—and there is no scientific evidence to suggest that any detox diets assist or improve these organs in performing the same tasks.

Bottom Line: For healthy adults, living on vegetables and water for a few days won’t likely do any harm, but it doesn’t top your own body’s natural detoxification system either. Consistently eating nutrient-dense foods, drinking plenty of calorie-free fluids, following a recuperative sleep schedule, and getting regular physical activity are the core pillars in optimizing your body. No detoxes or fasts needed!

Myth #3: Eggs raise cholesterol and are bad for your heart.

Egg yolks contain dietary cholesterol, but this form of cholesterol has little to do with the cholesterol linked to clogged arteries and heart attacks, which is serum cholesterol. In other words, the cholesterol in food (eggs or otherwise) doesn’t directly raise our serum (blood) cholesterol because our bodies will adjust accordingly by manufacturing less. Instead, problems with serum cholesterol and heart disease are scientifically linked with intake of saturated and trans fats (aka trans-unsaturated fatty acids). From that perspective, one egg provides a very low two grams of saturated fat and zero trans fats.

Numerous studies have concluded that there

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