5 Nutrition Myths That Won’t Die

Eating _____ will lead to death and cause ______ and you will ______….

In honor of National Registered Dietitian Day (March 9th) I want to dispel a few nutrition myths that still seem to be popping up online, in questions from clients, and posts on social media.

Let’s get right to it.

1. Eating Clean is all that matters for health


Yes, eating a ton of processed junk food is not good for the body, and it will make you feel like garbage. However, when it comes to weight loss or control, it is all about the calorie.

There have been many instances of people losing weight on fast food diets, junk food diets, etc. BECAUSE they are creating a calorie deficit. What we don’t hear about is how their insides or blood levels look, but yes they lose weight.

In the same instance, if you only eat “clean” foods, but are still in a surplus, you will gain weight.

The reason junk food gets the bad rep is because it is much more calorically dense, and is much easier to over eat your calorie level.

Quantity (calories) controls your weight, quality (nutrients) is what has a bigger effect on your insides, blood labs, etc. Eat mostly healthy, natural foods, in a calorie deficit and you will look great and feel great.

2. Carbs/Fat/Sugar/Etc. are THE reason we have a weight problem.

This goes back to #1. Yes, these foods are often over consumed by everyone, but you cannot blame one food group alone for weight gain.

There are diet gurus out there who still swear that if you cut out carbs, you can eat whatever you want and lose weight. Sorry, but if you are still eating more than you are burning you will not lose weight.

Overconsumption, and under activity are what leads to weight gain – not one nutrient alone.

3. High Protein Diets Will Ruin Your Kidneys

Balanced diet

There are exactly ZERO studies showing that high protein diets (even up to 1.5 grams/pound of bodyweight) are harmful on the body/kidneys in healthy individuals.

Yes, if you have chronic kidney disease you need to watch your protein intake.

However, in individuals with healthy normal functioning kidneys, getting more protein in your diet helps with weight control, through satiety/fullness and will definitely help with muscle recovery and growth.

I recommend all my clients eat at least .7g of protein/pound of body weight no matter what your goals are.

4. Eating carbs later in the day will make you fat.


There is no auto switch in the body that turns on at 3pm and magically turns carbs into body fat.

Eating carbs later in the day is especially important if you work out in the early morning on an empty stomach, as carbs are crucial for optimal performance during your workouts.

It still comes back to rule #1, and that if you are in a surplus – you will gain weight – no matter where those calories come from.

5. You must eat 5-6 small meals in the day to rev up your metabolism

Every time you eat, your metabolic rate does increase SLIGHTLY for digestive purposes. However, studies have shown that there is no difference at the end of the day between groups that only eat 2-3 meals vs 5-6 small meals.

The most important point is that you need to do what works best for you.

If you have the time to stop and eat many small meals throughout the day, great.

If you are better off eating 3 square meals per day, do it.

You need to find what works best for you, and what you can do for the long-term.

Some days it might work better to eat small frequent meals because of your schedule, and some days you might have more time to sit down and enjoy bigger meals.

Referencing back to #1, again, it’s all about that total daily intake of calories.

I hope these tips can help you out, no matter what your goals are. Please don’t fall for the internet diet gurus who don’t have any sort of nutrition background and are just instagram trainers/nutritionists.




Stay healthy my friends,

Published by Mike Gorski

Registered Dietitian and Fitness Coach OWNER OF MG FIT LIFE LLC

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