True or False?
Nicole Jean, LDN
Our Haitian culture encompasses a number of beliefs related to health and nutrition that are passed from one individual to another, from one generation to the next. Folk remedies that involve food usually result from observations of cause and effect. While many remedies are being validated by modern medicine, many others appear to be without basis. Following are some common misconceptions about foods that have lingered in our culture:
- People with high blood pressure should avoid eating kidney beans.
FALSE. Kidney beans are low in Fat, low in Sodium, high in Magnesium and in Fiber and make an excellent contribution to the diet.- Pork is higher in Sodium than other meats and therefore should not be consumed by people who are watching their Sodium intake.
FALSE. Fresh pork is no higher in Sodium than beef or poultry, but processed pork such as bacon, sausages, ham and salami is usually heavily salted.- Avocado is full of cholesterol.
FALSE. Cholesterol is found only in animal products. Avocado contains no cholesterol.- We need to eat a lot of protein foods such as meat, eggs, and milk to build up our muscles.
FALSE. While protein needs to be present for the formation of muscles, exercise is what actually builds up the size of the muscle tissue.- Drinking grapefruit juice helps us to lose weight.
FALSE. Grapefruit juice is a great source of Vitamin C. But no food has yet been found that helps to "melt" the fat from our bodies.- Rinsing packaged rice will cut down on its starch content.
FALSE. Rinsing the rice takes away a thin coating of added BVitamins and Iron. The starch content remains the same.- Raw eggs are quite nutritious.
FALSE. Not only do the nutrients in eggs appear to be better absorbed after cooking, we should also be careful of using raw eggs due to the danger of salmonella poisoning.- Beets, Red wine, help to build up the blood.
FALSE. The iron content of a food contributes to healthy blood. "Pois Congo", in this instance, would be a better choice over beets.- Toasting bread cuts down on calories.
FALSE. A slice of bread, white or whole-wheat, toasted or plain, usually carries the same number of calories, about 70.- Diabetes is caused by sugary foods.
FALSE. While we do not promote the use of these foods by most people with diabetes, the disease itself results from an inability of the body to process food correctly.- People with diabetes should not consume Rice.
FALSE. Although the amount of rice to be eaten by someone with diabetes may need to be limited, rice can continue to be a healthy component of one’s diet.- Canned and frozen vegetables have less vitamins and minerals than fresh ones.
FALSE. Vegetables are now being processed a few hours after harvest, resulting in canned and frozen vegetables that retain almost all of their nutrients.- Fish has no cholesterol.
FALSE. Fish, poultry and most meat contain a comparable amount of cholesterol. Fish is a healthier choice, due to its low content of saturated fats.- Yogurt is a low calorie or "diet" food.
FALSE. A regular sweetened yogurt can add over 250 calories to your diet. Use light or fat free versions whenever possible.- Skim milk is diluted milk.
FALSE. Skim milk is whole milk that has been stripped of all fat. All other nutrients remain the same.- Salads are "diet" foods that are consumed by people trying to lose weight.
FALSE. Salads, when they include a variety of vegetables, are a great source of nutrients, for just about anyone. Watch for the fat content of your salad dressing.
While we do not need to question the validity of each one of our food practices, let us recognize that they often result from erroneous information and prevent us from enjoying a varied and healthful diet.