Many of us are easily swayed by get-healthy-quick schemes because eating healthy and working out are regimens not always easy to start or to maintain. They require discipline and patience. Navigating your way to good nutrition can be daunting. And along the way, it is common to stumble upon nutrition myths that are believable and much more exciting than the truth.

According to Ann Whitaker, manager of nutrition and clinical patient education for Kaiser Permanente of Georgia, “The best approach to nutrition and health is a balanced diet, ample sleep and regular exercise. This is truly the best course to follow.”

Whitaker, one of the instructors for the total health nutrition series offered to participants of the Kaiser Permanente Corporate Run/Walk & Fitness Program, says her list of common nutrition myths was pulled from real-life conversations over the years that she and her Kaiser Permanente colleagues in nutrition had with Kaiser Permanente members.

#1 Carbs make you fat

Myth debunked: Lower carb eaters tend to lose weight faster but they are the first to regain the weight that was lost.

#2 Eating extra protein builds muscle

Myth debunked: Adding too much protein to your diet adds stress on your kidneys and too many calories from any source can lead to weight gain and not necessarily muscle gain.

#3 Eating late at night makes you fat

Myth debunked: Calories are calories. What you eat, and how much you eat is more important than when you eat it. 

#4 Grazing all day is better than 3 meals a day

Myth debunked: There is no pattern of eating that is right for everyone.

#5 Artificially sweetened foods have fewer calories than the original food.

Myth debunked: Items labeled “sugar free” or artificially sweetened do not necessarily contain fewer calories or carbohydrates than the full sugar items. 

#6 Cholesterol free/fat free means heart healthy

Myth debunked: Bottom line- never take a nutrition claim at face value- read the label.

#7 If a food is “healthy,” I can eat more of it

Myth debunked: Eating too many calories, no matter the source, causes weight gain.

#8 I have to drink 8 glasses of water per day 

Myth debunked: There is no “perfect” amount of water for everyone. 

#9 Juicing or drinking vegetables is better than eating them

Myth debunked: Drinking your vegetables means you miss out on the chewing- the calories are consumed more quickly- you tend to get hungrier sooner.

#10 Taking vitamins give you energy

Myth debunked: Vitamins are supplements- meaning they add to what you are already doing. Vitamins cannot keep you healthy or “neutralize” a lifetime of poor food choices. 

The Kaiser Permanente Corporate Run/Walk & Fitness Program is Atlanta’s only workplace-organized training program culminating in a 5K run and walk through downtown Atlanta on September 12. www.kpcorporaterunwalk.com