7 Diet Mistakes Even Smart Women Make


1. You Are Doing Too Much Research

Your smarts might lead to your biggest mistake. "Smart women" often do a lot of their own research and end up being susceptible to fads such as specific supplements or pseudo-scientific sounding detox diets that really don't work in the long term.
Get back to basics. Sure, the wheat grass-infused, selenium-linseed-lecithin blend is supposed to be amazing, but so is a balanced eating and exercise program.
2. You Are Not Reading The Fine Print
It's easy to be ambushed by misleading information. When you're busy and you're grabbing boxes in the supermarket, you notice the large letters that say "all natural", "low-carb", "added antioxidants". The nutrition panel, however, can tell a different story - that's where you'll see that its high in sugar, high in salt and low in fibre. It is also important to remember that "organic" means grown without pesticides, not grown without kilojoules.
3. You Only Hear What You Want To Hear
When you sit down to a big breakfast at your local cafe on Saturday morning, you probably feel quite virtuous about eschewing the bacon (bad fat) for a slice of avocado (good fat). Newsflash: it's still a fat. The fat and kilojoules content of avocado is high. Nuts are another example. They're healthy fats and can be a great snack in a healthy diet, but you have to watch how many you eat because they are high in kilojoules.
4. You Probably Don't Need To Go Gluten-Free
Unless someone has coeliac disease or proven intolerance; there is no health benefit to eating gluten-free foods. In fact, many gluten-free foods have a high GI and tend to be lower in B vitamins, iron and fibre compared to wholegrain foods.
Unless you're certain you have a problem with gluten, you're better off choosing low-GI whole grains. These will leave you feeling fuller for longer and won't give you the rollercoaster blood-sugar levels that high-GI foods can cause. The less processed a food is, the lower its GI will usually be.
5. You Are Still Not Eating Carbs After 5pm
There is no evidence to support the still strong belief that having carbs in the evening is bad for you. If anything, it just leaves you unsatisfied and ready to snack after dinner. It also means your muscles are not fuelled for the next day, which is not great if you're planning an activity in the morning.
Nobody says you need to sit down to a huge bowl of anything. If you're focused on your weight, choose small portions of low-GI carbs like sweet potato, wholemeal pasta and brown rice.
6. You Drink Your Dinner
There's been a big change in the way that women socialise. Ten or fifteen years ago, they went on dates with men or went to the movies with their friends. Now they go out in groups with other women to the pub or a club.
In other words they are drinking like boys. Male consumption of alcohol has stabilised, while women's, particularly young women's, has risen dramatically.
There's a fair amount of anecdotal evidence and research to support the idea that drinking has become the new dinner. There's also a view among young women that eating a meal and drinking as well adds up to too many kilojoules. So they skip dinner to keep kilojoules down.
Unfortunately, drinking on an empty stomach destabilises blood sugar levels, saps B vitamins from your body and if you're not eating you're lacking the nutrients, such as zinc, to help you process the alcohol. The result is you retain those empty kilojoules.
7. You Are Drinking A lot Of Diet Soft Drinks
When it's zero kilojoules and tastes so good, it's easy to reach for a diet drink whenever you feel thirsty. It can't hurt you, right? Dietitians point out that soft drinks can be acidic and contribute to tooth decay. The acid in the drink attacks the enamel (the thin outer layer that gives your tooth its whiteness and helps prevent decay) and can age your teeth prematurely.
Researchers have also found that phosphoric acid in cola drinks, including diet drinks, can reduce bone density. Three diet cola drinks a day can reduce your bone mineral density by up to 5.1 per cent. The best drink for your smile, your bones, your weight and your hydration levels is water.
Gary Brayshaw used to be a real estate agent in Adelaide, but is now a widely syndicated consumer advocate and author on sites such as http://www.BusinessAustralia.net.

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