CARBS ARE BAD
It’s not wise to
demonize any food
category in particular,
including that popular
villain, carbs, says Dr.
Policastro. “Whole grains
are good for you,” she says.
“What’s unhealthy is
processed, refined
carbohydrates, which
reduce your fiber intake.
Healthy foods like carrots
don’t have an ingredient
label, whereas carrot chips
do. If you’re looking at a
litany of ingredients on a
label, it’s probably not
healthy.”
YOU’LL FEEL
BETTER IF YOU
AVOID GLUTEN
Dr. Shoshana Feiner, an
internist with the Summit
Medical Group in Fair
Lawn, says that a lot of her
patients want to be tested
for celiac disease, a genetic
condition that makes it
difficult to process gluten,
though their blood tests
and biopsies almost always
come out normal.
“A true celiac patient
will show weight loss,
failure to thrive when
younger, and severe anemia
and osteoporosis when
older,” she says. “But when
they say they feel better
cutting gluten from their
diets, I say that’s fine.
There’s just no scientific
basis for ‘having a hard
time tolerating gluten.’”
YOU NEED TO
DRINK EIGHT
GLASSES OF
WATER A DAY
This one can be traced to a
1945 report by the U.S. Food
and Nutrition Board, which
recommended that people
consume 2.5 liters — eight
glasses — of water daily. “After
many studies, surveys and
articles, there is no scientific
evidence to suggest that
(people need) to drink this
much,” says Julene Stassou, a
registered dietician in Bergen
County and the author of The
Mediterranean Diet Weight
Loss Solution. “We get water
from foods like fruits and
veggies, and liquids that aren’t
caffeinated (and dehydrating).
Our bodies tell us when we’re
thirsty.”
SPENDING
TIME OUTSIDE
WITHOUT A
COAT/WITH WET
HAIR MAKES
YOU SICK
“There is no science to this,”
says Feiner. “Colds tend to be
worse in the winter because
many viruses do better in cold
weather, and that’s when they
spread.” Old movies that
feature heroines being rescued
after hours in the rain and later
succumbing in their beds are
more romantic than accurate,
she says.
“Unless you develop
hypothermia, you’re not at
risk,” she says. “Your teen won’t
catch a cold from walking to
school with wet hair.”
THE TRYPTOPHAN
IN TURKEY MAKES
YOU SLEEPY
We eat turkey on
Thanksgiving, and then we need
to nap, so turkey causes
sleepiness, right? Not exactly.
“Tryptophan is a component of
the brain chemical serotonin,
which gets converted into the
well-known sleep-inducing
hormone melatonin,” explains
Stassou.
But the Thanksgiving meal
also includes a lot of
carbohydrates, such as mashed
potatoes, breads and
casseroles, that make
tryptophan more available to
the brain; with alcohol on top
of that, you’ve got a recipe for
nap time.
“Basically, any big meal
containing tryptophan and lots
of carbohydrates can trigger
sleepiness, with or without
turkey,” she says.
TAKING HIGH
LEVELS OF
VITAMINS
PREVENTS
DISEASES
“My patients ask me
about this all the time,”
says Dr. Feiner. “But we
don’t see a lot of diseases
like low levels of Vitamin
D causing rickets, or lack
of Vitamin C causing
scurvy, in this country
anymore.”
While large amounts
of Vitamin E and
antioxidants used to be
promoted as good for
fighting heart disease, she
says, the same claims
have been made more
recently about Vitamin D.
But a recent study by the
National Institute of
Health debunked this.
“The bottom
line is, everything in
moderation,” she says.
FEED A COLD,
STARVE A
FEVER
The phrase would be
just as wrong if it were
flipped, says Shekari.
“There’s no science
behind this one,” he says.
“You have to eat no
matter what. In fact, you
use up energy when you
have a fever, so it’s a
better time to eat, but
most people don’t feel
like it.” ❖
(201) HEALTH 2019 EDITION
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