Dr. Julie's Top 7 Misconceptions Of The Health Food Store World

Within the world of health, and especially natural health, there are a plethora of misconceptions which lead people to make what I think of as disastrous choices regarding food and medicine. Here are my top 7 misconceptions from the health food store world:

1. Low fat is better for you
2. You can eat as much protein as you want, just watch the carbohydrates
3. Juices are good for you and a great way to get a serving of fruits or veggies
4. GMO-free means it is close to organic
5. All the vitamins I get from the health food store are good quality
6. Alkaline water is great for everyone
7. Canola oil is ok as long as it's organic

I think it is important to understand why these concepts are flawed considering their prevalence. So, let's break it down:

Low-fat products have no ability to impart fat-soluble vitamins like Vitamin D, K, A, or E to your body as, without the fat, these are missing. Of course, manufacturers have thought through this and now add synthetic vitamins to the products to make up for what is missing, most of which are poorly absorbed at best and offer no real biological action in the body. Low-fat products are all hype with regards to their preference in the prevention of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, in fact, studies indicate full fat aka. Non-processed foods will always do more to prevent chronic disease than their processed counterparts.

Protein is wonderful, it provides essential building blocks for every cell, tissue, and process in the body. We have the ability to process about 4 ounces of protein at a meal, beyond that, our body is rather limited. Excess protein gets converted to glucose and then to fat for storage in our tissues. Consequently, eating a high protein diet over time causes stress to the pancreas, and insulin production and can even contribute to fat deposition and weight gain.

Coffee is a diuretic, meaning it leaches water out of the tissues. Consequently, it cannot provide hydration and creates a deficit with regards to total body water. For every ounce of coffee you drink, an ounce and a half of water is needed to replace what will be lost.

Juices unless all raw, pressed, and mostly vegetables offer no health benefits what so ever. Any store-bought products are pasteurized, meaning all enzyme and vitamin function has been rendered neutral. Even raw juices are not all equal, as those juiced in a centrifuge juicer as most people have in their homes appear to do the opposite of what they intend, creating inflammation via an altered electrical charge created by the speed of the spinning blade.

GMO-free is only GMO-free, it says nothing about pesticide use, meaning it can have been liberally sprayed with Round-Up or any other pesticide cocktail throughout the growing process. GMO is nothing like Organic and should not be confused as such.

Vitamins are not created equal, and just because you find something in a store that carries a lot of organic foods and pretty health products, says nothing about how it was manufactured. The only certainty regarding vitamin quality is to first look for organic sources and second food-based ingredients whenever possible. 

Alkaline water does not offer the total health benefit it purports to provide. As some health conditions are in fact made worse from additional alkalinity, it is important to understand all the factors related to a particular health condition before charging into ingesting alkaline products. If you desire alkalinity, it is better to drink a small amount of baking soda in water first thing in the morning and again mid-morning than to sip alkaline water throughout the day. 

Canola oil is a hybridized version of a plan which produces an oil toxic to humans. In order to be consumed, it has to be deodorized, bleached and colored even when organic. There is nothing about canola that can be considered a food, therefore, eliminating it from the diet in every form is essential to longevity and health even when it is organic!

There are amazing and wonderful options in the world of Natural Medicine and health, but as with anything, understanding the truth behind what is available and what is largely hype is essential for getting the most significant benefit for your health.