(Bellingham, WA) - Everyone knows a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing - especially when deciding what to put into your body. That's because lots of nutrition "facts" commonly stated as gospel truth are actually diet myths, and believing them can throw your diet and nutrition plans way off track.

Diet myths gain credibility partly through repetition, according to nutrition expert Gloria Tsang, RD. "I hear the same diet myths repeated over and over as fact," said Tsang, who founded online nutrition community www.HealthCastle.com in 1997.

"But these myths are just that - myths - and believing them will only sabotage your ability to make healthy diet decisions," Tsang said.

She debunked top 6 diet myths:

1. Brown sugar is better than white sugar: Myth! The brown sugar sold at grocery stores is nothing more than white sugar with added molasses.

2. Brown eggs are more nutritious than white eggs: Myth! Eggshell color has nothing to do with egg quality. It varies depending on the breed of the hen.

3. Avoiding shellfish helps lower blood cholesterol: Myth! The dietary cholesterol in seafood has little effect on blood cholesterol. Blood cholesterol is raised by eating saturated fats and trans fatty acids found in deep-fried or processed foods.

4. Cutting carbs helps you lose weight: Myth! You will lose weight at the start of a low-carb diet, but it's water weight lost by tricking your body! Real weight loss can only come from reducing calorie intake or increasing calories burned.

5. Skipping meals save calories: Myth! When you skip a meal, your body thinks you're in starvation mode and slows down the metabolism. Plus, you're likely to overeat at the next meal.

6. Red meat is bad for you: Myth! Red meat can contain saturated fat. However, chicken with skin contains more saturated fat than a lean cut of beef or pork!

Embracing diet myths won't help you lose weight or have a healthier diet. In fact, they can lead you to make bad diet decisions. Simple, nutritious eating is always the best way to lose weight and stay healthy. More healthy eating tips and exclusive nutrition guides, and diet podcasts are available at www.HealthCastle.com.

About HealthCastle.com: HealthCastle.com is the most comprehensive nutrition community run by Registered Dietitians on the web. The dietitians at HealthCastle.com have been sharing their passion for nutrition and health since 1997. For fun and practical healthy eating tips, exclusive nutrition guides, and nutrition podcasts, visit www.HealthCastle.com.

To speak with Gloria Tsang or to arrange an interview, please contact Tracey Johnston at .

Losing weight is not always seen as an easy task. All the requirements of getting your body in shape are the reasons that people are always searching for a quick weight loss diet. However, going on a diet need not be as hard as it seems. It is all about ensuring you have the proper weight loss mentality and accepting that healthier diets are those that you keep for life.

Do not be skeptical or underestimate the power of meditation and yoga until you give it a go. Yoga and meditation have been important components of my exercise program and lifestyle in general. Yoga and meditation have provided me with several benefits and have minimized the time I need to devote to exercising. One of the biggest advantages of exercising with yoga is that it is not a grueling unpleasant experience unlike many other methods of losing weight. I find yoga is invigorating as opposed to feeling exhausted and depleted after doing cardiovascular exercise.

The key to most of the healthy living diets is that you will need to pay particular attention to losing weight by healthy eating. This means that indeed you will see results and they will last longer than the quick weigh loss diet, which forces you to deprive your body of the essential nutrients.In order to start you will be made aware of all the foods in the majors groups that cause you to stagnate when you want to lose weight. Things like sugars and saturated fats are made known to you. Indeed, sugar is not at all good for you especially refined sugars.

You should be made aware that going about your diet in a sensible way is the key to permanent weight loss. Having a healthier body means that you are not deprived of any of the essential nutrients, which are part of making your body function. Eating properly and sensibly means that you are not depriving your body of any of the nutrients. There is no need to starve yourself with the fast weight loss diet.

The quality and not necessarily the quantity of exercise is important. It is essential that you use the correct techniques when exercising whether you are in the gym or doing cardiovascular activities. When doing weight training breathe in and breathe out and use slow and controlled actions. Make sure your posture is correct, keep your back straight and feel those targeted muscles working. Correctly executed exercise will accelerate weight loss, enhance your strength and physique and minimize injury. It will help to distribute the correct nourishment to the targeted areas in your body and minimize the amount of time you need to devote to exercising. You can significantly reduce the amount of exercise you do. Stretching is also very effective for recovery during and after your exercise routine.

Instead you need to know all about the foods that will help you burn fat, and those that your body can use. There is no need to go on diets that will leave you feeling tired and lethargic just because you are looking for a quick solution. The success rate of these diets is very low, and losing too much body weight in a quick time means that you will gain back plus more. This is talked about in fat burning furnacewith proper facts.These are the real statistics and it is all about accepting that lifestyle change can indeed make the difference. Your over-all health and general appearance will be improved by eating the correct foods and going on a sensible diet plan that will ensure that you are getting all the good nutrients to help your body cope with your life.

The word "fat" has a negative connotation in society. It’s not a good word at all. Which is probably why a lot of people avoid it in their diets like the plague. Avoiding some fats like trans fats and saturated fats is a good thing. Those fats can cause a lot of different problems like pre-mature aging, heart disease, stroke, obesity, diabetes, and the always hideous subcutaneous body fat. Avoiding good healthy fats is not a good thing.

Here’s why—Eating healthy fats in your diet on a regular, everyday basis, is critical to your overall health. Some of the functions of fat in the body are for aiding in vitamin and mineral utilization, enzyme regulation, energy (9 calories per gram), healthy hair and nails, and helping your burn body fat throughout the day. And I’m not talking about essential fatty acids, even though that’s just as important if not more so to get into your diet. I’m talking healthy fats mono- and polyunsaturated.

A lot of health professionals, dieticians, and doctors say that in order to get and stay lean you need to be on a low-fat diet. This is wrong. This is the old way of thinking, a lot like do "cardio" everyday for an hour to lose weight. It’s the unnatural, processed fat that you want to avoid. Anytime you cut back on 1 of the 3 macronutrients (protein, carbs, fats) severely, then something in the body needs to react and perform double duty. Meaning your body is not performing at an optimal level.

Fat intake should be at about 20-30% of your daily calories, with less than 10% coming from saturated fats, and less than 2% from trans fats. These are the "experts" recommendations. However, nothing ever good will come from you eating trans fats. It should literally be 0%. And not all saturated fats are bad for you. Eggs, coconut, and avocado are all great sources of saturated fat, but contain much more healthy benefits that you should not avoid. You want the majority coming from healthy fats. And let’s try and avoid trans fats all together; nothing good will ever come from digesting it.

So what are healthy fats? Some good healthy fat choices are olive oil (if I cook it on the stove, I always add it), nuts (any kind), avocados, guacamole, seeds, fish, coconut oil, palm oil, canola oil, nut butters (peanut, cashew, almond, etc…), and whole eggs (best saturated fat you can eat).

Jason Yun, CSCS, CISSN is a Columbus Body Transformation Expert who runs Yun Fitness Boot Camps in Hilliard and Dublin, and teaches the Metabolism Makeover Weight Management Program in Columbus. For a FREE 2-week trial of his boot camps visit http://www.Yunbootcamps.com/specialoffer.html or call 614-432-9703. Visit http://www.YunNutrition.com to learn more about the Metabolism Makeover Program.

There really is a lot of confusion out there when it comes to eggs. Mainly the difference between egg whites and the yolk. Most people believe, and have been told time and time again that egg yolks are bad for you. They’re loaded with cholesterol, and increase your risk for heart disease, stroke, and other bad things.

Well, I’m here to tell you differently. Eggs are one of my favorite foods. They are probably the world’s most perfect food. As a natural food item they pack the best protein source in the world. And without a shadow of a doubt are extremely healthy for you. And the yolk is actually the healthiest part of the egg.

If you throw out the yolk, you’re pretty much throwing out the nutrition. The egg white is almost completely devoid of any vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. You get calcium, iron, riboflavin, B12, selenium (huge cancer fighter), phosphorous, zinc, thiamin, B6, folate, all the fat soluble vitamins, and a whole lot more super powerful nutrients.

But what about the cholesterol? Before I get into that, let’s talk about an essential nutrient that eggs are a superstar provider of—Choline. It’s an essential nutrient because you must obtain it from the diet, much like essential fatty acids. It is essential for brain, cell membranes, and cardiovascular function. It’s part of a phospholipid that I can’t pronounce and you need not worry about knowing the name of. But without adequate amounts of it, both cholesterol and fat will accumulate in the liver. So the choline in eggs actually stops the accumulation of fat and cholesterol in the liver!

Many studies have come out saying that dietary cholesterol doesn’t raise cholesterol levels significantly. It is much more affected by saturated and trans fats. You should be getting less than 10% of your total calories from saturated fats, and 0% from trans fats—Yes, they are that evil!

Many people don’t know this but the body actually makes cholesterol in the body. If you don’t eat enough cholesterol in your diet, the body produces more. If you do eat foods high in cholesterol, like whole eggs, then the body lessens the amount it will produce. Cholesterol plays a hand in many important functions in the body. You actually can’t live without it.

So don’t be afraid of the yolk. It’s good for you. Each large egg contains 70 calories and 6.3 grams of protein. So add some vegetables, or fruit, and it makes a great snack. You should be getting protein with each of your meals throughout the day anyway, and there is no natural food item protein better than whole eggs.

Another great thing about eggs is the variety you can use them with. There are so many different ways to prepare eggs. I must confess I do eat my eggs raw some time. Rocky! Rocky! The question of salmonella comes up then. Actually a study done by the USDA found that of 69 billion eggs produced annually only .3 percent are contaminated at all. Salmonella appears only when the eggs come from sick birds. If you’re buying your eggs from a reputable company the chances are super slim of getting bad eggs.

Back to egg whites. These are fine if you are trying to watch your fat intake or calorie intake. But unless you’re a professional body builder preparing for a show, you don’t need 100% egg whites. You’re missing out on super important brain, eye, and overall health food nutrition. Plus it tastes a whole lot better.

Jason Yun, a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Sports Nutritionist, is a Columbus fitness bootcamp and weight management teacher. To book him to speak at your local Columbus organization please contact him by email at jyun@yunbootcamps.com or by phone at 614-432-9703. For a free 2-week trial to his Bootcamps go to: http://www.yunbootcamps.com/specialoffer.html or http://www.yunnutrition.com

As you probably know, nutrition is of the utmost importance for achieving results in your fitness program and living a healthy life in general. Like exercise, nutrition must be goal specific. If you want to lose weight you cannot eat a high Calorie diet. If you want to gain weight you cannot eat a low Calorie Diet. No matter what your goals are, here are the most important tips for active people to consider about their diet.

You cannot take a once size fits all approach when it comes to nutrition.

It does not matter if you read a diet in a magazine or have an expensive nutritionist for your nutrition program. What works for other people may not work for you. To find what works for you, experimentation is a must. I stress eating for variety. The more variety of food and fluids you consume, the more satisfied you will be with your meals. Consuming a variety of foods, the more vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals you will get in your diet. Far less negatives such as saturated fats, simple sugars and excess calories will be consumed.

Having proper nutrition will allow you to achieve optimum and more rapid results in any training program. Nutrition cannot be overlooked when optimum athletic performance is considered as well.

Eating Healthy Food and Fluids is More Important than Calorie Counting.

Many diets and nutrition programs focus strictly on calories in their program.This is definitely NOT the best way to approach your diet. Consuming the optimal foods will more than likely take care of the calories for you.

Most commonly referred to "clean" foods are better for satisfying your hunger and giving you the nutrients for energy for exercise. "Clean" foods are generally natural, nutrient dense foods without added fats and sugars. The healthier the food is blatantly obvious some times. If you had the choice between macaroni & cheese or plain sweet potato you can plainly see which would be better for your health. Steamed vegetables or fries? This is never really difficult.

Eating 5-6 small Meals and Snacks Takes Care of Food Timing

Have you ever been told not to eat, or not to eat or not to eat carbs after 6pm? This is something that is not good. Eating 5-6 small meals and snacks evenly spread out through the day is optimal. This will not only take care of your pre- and post- exercise meals but will also keep your energy levels stable throughout the day. When your body is constantly breaking down smaller portions, your energy, metabolism and fat burning will speed up.

Be a Cheater!

Sometimes sticking to a diet is very difficult. This is why cheating on your diet once in a while will keep you on track. If you are accustomed to cheating on your diet once a week you will be less likely to binge the next time you see a pizza, cookies or chips sitting in front of you. Cheating simply means eating an "un-clean" high calorie food that is not a normal part of your diet. Save this meal for a social occasion and don’t overdo it.

I hope you find my advice useful. I have much more but it would take hundreds of pages. The advice I want you to remember is if it does not work for you, move on to something that may. Einstein once defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Good luck and I hope you are in the best shape of your life soon.

Michael Behnken, MS, NASM-CPT-PES, CSCS –
http://FitSF.com – http://AskTheTrainer.com

I am a career fitness trainer with 2 kinesiology degrees and 3 prestigious certifications.
My passion is communicating with and helping people.

Do you remember Beta Carotene? In the 1980’s, no one but doctors and nutritionists had ever heard that beta carotene even existed, until one day when some technician found that the high BC content in carrots does a lot of good for heart patients.

So in 1992 a major study (18,000 people) was done on the Antioxidant properties of beta carotene by giving it in pill form to cancer patients. It failed miserably.

Researchers are still scratching their heads over why it was such an utter failure, even though beta carotene is a form of Antioxidant.

Vitamin E has a similar story. It too is an Antioxidant; in fact it is the one that the ORAC scale is based upon. Unlike the solid beta carotene pill incident, Vitamin E is in liquid form, so it’s getting fully digested for sure, yet its effects as an antioxidant are pretty nominal.

Aside: It’s a pretty shocking story too… Two large studies involving more than 127,000 people in total were run in 1990 after Vitamin E was found to help Heart patients. Because of this, by the year 2000 an estimated 23 million US citizens were taking Vitamin E daily… But in recent years 7 more such studies have been found to show little or no improvement at all!

Anyway, let me lay down one other scenario, a more modern one. You’ve probably heard the French paradox, but if not, here’s a recap:

French people’s diet is the only one higher in saturated fats and cholesterol than the diet of Americans. It’s been well proven. However, with that diet, you might expect for the French to have a higher incident rate of Heart Disease than Americans, but they clearly do not.

Researchers believe that this paradox is caused by the very high amounts of Anthocyanins in red wine, which the French consume way more than the average amount of daily. Anthocyanins, of course, are one of the most potent Antioxidants.

So, what do you think will happen if they pack a pill full of Anthocyanins?

I’d be willing to bet the exact same thing would happen that happened with beta carotene and vitamin E… Nada.

These examples are hard evidence that Antioxidants must come in natural form in order to be effective free-radical scavengers. It makes perfect sense to me… What is free-radical scavenging but something acting alive and moving around? If you stop that thing cold in its tracks, like say, compressing it into a cold, lifeless pill, then how is that going to preserve the scavenging property?

So, my overall point here today is to get your Antioxidants from a fibrous form, such as berries or berry pulp. Don’t let it get encapsulated or worse yet, made into a solid pill.

Eating the berries off the tree is the best way to get those free scavengers rampaging of course, but since everyone outside of Amazonia doesn’t have that option, your next best bet is to find it processed with consideration for preserving the fiber. Frozen pulp may be the best way to do that, but it really depends on the processing technique.

As for freeze dried Acai, I don’t claim to have all the answers. It seems like that would stop the scavenging dead in its tracks, but then again, freeze-dried Acai has the highest ORAC rating… And specifically with MonaVie, their patented process also includes re-mixing their freeze-dried Acai with fresh pulp… So perhaps that gets both the high ORAC rating and the still-moving scavengers both inside at once. And who knows? Maybe the ones still moving can reanimate the frozen ones!

Carl Cruz is an Acai Berry researcher and enthusiast. He feels compelled to teach the world how no other food or drug on this planet is capable of delivering nearly as many beneficial nutrients and antioxidants as the Acai Berry. He provides the excellent benefits and the commercial products based on Acai Berries.