insideKENT Magazine Issue 79 - October 2018 | Page 140
HEALTH+WELLNESS
HEALTHY OR HAZARDOUS:
FOOD MYTHS BUSTED
IN TODAY'S SOCIETY, WHERE WE RELY SO HEAVILY
ON THE INTERNET AND FOLLOWING THE TOP DIET
AND HEALTH TRENDS RECOMMENDED BY SOCIAL
MEDIA AND CELEBRITIES, IT’S BECOMING MORE
AND MORE DIFFICULT TO KNOW WHAT IS AND ISN’T
TRUE ABOUT THE FOOD WE EAT. FORTUNATELY,
DR PREETHI DANIEL, CLINICAL DIRECTOR AT LONDON
DOCTORS CLINIC, IS HERE TO BREAK DOWN THE TRUTH
ABOUT COMMON FOOD MYTHS.
HAVING FRUIT IN SMOOTHIES MAKES THEM
UNHEALTHIER THAN EATING THEM FRESH…
Not strictly true. Blending fruit only changes
their texture, preserving all the goodness. The
longer the fruit sits though, the more vitamin
C and carotenoids are lost. However, there is
some theory behind the fact that you could
be consuming more sugar and calories than
when eating fresh fruit. Fresh fruit is more
fibrous which may help in slowing down the
breakdown of sugars. Furthermore, shop-
made or bought smoothies tend to contain
artificial sweeteners and calorie containing
nut butters. It goes without saying that
milkshakes and fruit juices are probably
worse than blended smoothies.
CUTTING OUT CARBS IS THE BEST WAY TO
LOSE WEIGHT…
A hot topic in the field of weight loss, this one
is up for debate. The fact is not all carbs are
bad for you and the focus should be on the
amount and type of carbs you’re eating.
Fibre-rich, less processed wholegrain carbs
are very good for you. Carbs are our main
source of energy and cutting them out
completely will in theory make you use protein
and fat for an energy source. However, it also
puts you at higher risk of certain conditions
such as ketosis.
DRINKING COLD WATER AFTER EATING OILY FOOD
IS BAD FOR YOU…
It is thought that cold water congeals the fat
in oily food or causes it to solidify and get
stuck causing indigestion, however, this is not
true. Your body is at a constant temperature
inside and the enzymes responsible in
digestion start acting on food straight away,
right from your mouth.
CHEWING GUM STAYS IN YOUR STOMACH FOR
SEVEN YEARS…
This one is not true! Anything we swallow gets
digested within minutes to hours and excreted,
including gum, albeit this one might take some
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time or even pass untouched. So, all those
years you lived in fear of swallowing gum
were completely unnecessary.
YOU HAVE TO WAIT AN HOUR AFTER EATING BEFORE
YOU CAN SWIM…
This is something up for debate. There is
actually no evidence of drowning when
swimming after a heavy meal. The oft-
mentioned reasons of cramping or stitch are
also unproven. While it is true to some degree
that there is increased blood flow to the
stomach and bowels after a meal to aid
digestion, this does not mean there is less
blood flow to the arms and legs. We have
enough blood to keep all systems functioning
at all times.
THE ‘FIVE-SECOND RULE’…
We have all dropped food on the floor and
eaten it within five seconds and most of us
are here to tell the tale. But, is it safe to do so?
If food is visibly covered in dirt, avoid eating
it at all costs, however, a momentary drop on
your recently cleaned kitchen floor may be
OK. Remember, germs are invisible, so we
really have no idea what we are exposing
ourselves to – shoes are covered in dog poo,
urine from toilet floors and general germs, so
when food drops on the floor, it’s exposed to
a whole host of nasties – think twice before
eating it.
www.londondoctorsclinic.co.uk