These days it seems as though everyone from your grandmother to your next door neighbor has conflicting dietary advice to offer. On top of that, you might be inundated with various claims that you read online. While there is sometimes a bit of truth to some popular claims about food and nutrition, most trendy food tips won’t really help you in any measurable way. As you pursue a weight loss diet, rest assured that you can forget about these five “tips”.

White foods are bad. This one can be true, to an extent. White bread and sugary foods are indeed bad for you, and shouldn’t be eaten daily. However, plenty of “white” foods are perfectly nutritious and should be included in your diet. Potatoes, white beans, and cauliflower are some good examples. Keep them in your diet to reap the benefits of potassium, fiber, and vitamin C. Just don’t deep fry those potatoes!

Gluten-free foods are healthier. They certainly are better for you, if you’re gluten intolerant. Otherwise, there is no evidence to suggest that we all need to pursue a gluten-free diet. A balanced diet based on fresh produce, whole grains, and lean protein is best for most people – and that includes foods that contain gluten, in moderation.

You must eat five or six small meals per day if you want to lose weight. Weight loss always comes down to a matter of calories consumed versus calories burned. You can consume your daily allotment of calories in any configuration that you wish. Some people swear that small mini-meals help them lose weight, but that probably has more to do with preventing cravings than actual properties of metabolism. The bottom line is this: Do this if it helps you, but if it’s inconvenient, ditching the mini-meal plan won’t hurt your progress.

Avoid foods high in lectin. Some people believe that foods high in lectin can cause “leaky gut syndrome”, but there is no conclusive proof of this claim. More importantly, cooking these foods (beans, whole grains, and peanuts) inactivates most of the lectins anyway. There is no need to eliminate these foods from your diet.

Eat protein and carbs separately. There is no proof of this claim. In fact, eating proteins and carbs together can give you instant energy (from the carbs) while keeping you satiated longer (from the protein). That actually sounds like a winning combination.

We can help you put together a healthy weight loss diet, while avoiding unnecessary fads and bad advice. Give us a call, and we’ll set an appointment to discuss your caloric requirements, exercise, weight loss goals, and any questions you might have.