Nutrition Myths Uncovered
by Mitch Rustad for gayhealth.com

If you’re looking to tone and tighten your body, you must do more than simply add reps to your routine at the gym. Weights, treadmills and crunches aside, the life or death of those love handles and flabby thighs ultimately comes down to what types of food you put into your mouth.

It's true that many of us know the basics of good nutrition. We do our best to stick to a low-fat, healthy diet. Yet despite the plethora of diet information available, many nutrition myths are alive and kicking. And they could be keeping you from reaching your fitness goals.

To dispel these myths, GayHealth.com caught up with Stephanie Gillis, M.A., a Los Angeles-based sports nutritionist, whose clients play for such teams as the Los Angeles Kings, New York Islanders, Colorado Avalanche and Indiana Pacers.

Myth: Less fat always means less fat.
Low-fat cupcakes are still cupcakes, and just because the fat grams are low doesn’t mean its total calories -- the real barometer of fat -- are low, too, Gillis explains. "When it comes to losing weight, the bottom line is, and always will be, total calories," she says. "Low–fat and regular goodies usually have approximately the same calories, so there’s no real benefit to choosing low-fat Twinkies over fully-fat Twinkies."

Myth: Skipping breakfast helps you lose weight.
How you break that overnight fast could hinder or help your fitness routine. If you're looking to lose weight, says Gillis, it's best to eat within two hours of waking. This will help replenish your glycogen and blood sugar levels.

To optimize your fat-burning, try a morning workout. "I advise clients to eat something easily digestible at least an hour before they workout," she says. "You want to have 200 to 300 calories that include protein, fat and carbohydrates." Yogurt with almonds, a fruit smoothie, a small bowl of cereal and half a banana, peanut butter on half a bagel -- all are quick, easy and healthy breakfast options.

Myth: Snacking is bad.
Want a truly fabulous secret to getting a lean, hard body? Snack between meals! Yes, giving up a few huge meals per day and eating up to six smaller meals instead (every three to four hours) is the best way to reduce your insulin levels, which may be linked to a reduction in body fat. The best snack? One that includes some fat, carbohydrates and protein.

Myth: Fat free desserts are healthy.
Oh, contraire! Most fat-free foods are loaded with sugar to make up for the lack of taste. Translation: they can have even more calories than their fatty counterparts. To keep your fitness routine on track, stick with smaller portions of the real thing, instead of chowing down on a poor substitute.

Myth: All fats are bad.
Too many French fries, onion rings and cups of chocolate mousse, all of which are rich in saturated (bad) fat, are guaranteed to inflate that spare tire in no time. But not all fats are created equal. In fact, regular consumption of non-saturated (good) fats, found in avocados, almonds and cold water fish (like tuna and salmon), is essential to a healthy diet, says Gillis. "Your body needs the nutrients it gets from non-saturated fats," says Gillis. "That’s why extreme low-fat diets are nutritional disasters. Everything from your brain to your skin’s appearance suffers if your body isn’t getting enough of the right type of fat."

Myth: High-protein, no carb diets are the best way to a lean, mean body.

If there’s one myth Gillis would like to put to rest once and for all, it’s this one. "These diets were created for one reason -- to make the quacks who promote them rich," says Gillis. "High protein diets work for a short time because they are simply low-calorie diets in disguise." But it doesn’t take before your body starts to crave the fuel it needs -- carbohydrates.

High-protein, no carb diets wreak havoc on the health of the poor souls who follow them, Gillis adds. "If you want to ruin your metabolism, clog your arteries and eventually gain back the weight you lost and more, then a high protein diet is for you," she says. If you'd rather avoid these health horrors, stick to a balanced diet of fats, carbs and protein. It's the best route to a beautiful -- and healthy -- body.