Myth: “It’s better to eat six small meals every day than three large ones.”

Ok, this is a simple one. It is true that having SMALL healthy meals throughout the day is better than three large ones because it prevents your blood sugar from dropping (which can make you feel tired, moody, irritable, forgetful, etc). And it is true that eating three big meals a day is not necessarily good because you get hungry in between and end up craving junk, or you over-eat and end up not burning all those calories which your body then transforms into fat.
But, let’s be honest, most people who have six meals a day, have six BIG meals a day. When I say a small meal, I mean a small bean salad, or a piece of whole wheat pita with some hummus, or a few almonds and an apple; not fried chicken and french fries. It is of no use for you to have six big meals a day. You might as well have only three meals plus a couple snacks and you won’t take in two days-worth of calories in one. If you have six big meals a day you WILL put on fat, no matter how hard you work out. A small meal is like a snack (beware: not a snack as in a couple Oreo cookies, I mean like a miniature healthy meal). It’s also important to realize that if you do not exercise regularly, the effects of over-eating will be accelerated. If you are pretty much sedentary, you must reduce your calorie and fat intake as much as possible, without having too little either. But if you are active and you’re going to do the six-meal-a-day thing, make sure portions are controlled and that you are getting enough vitamins and minerals by choosing the right foods. That means having a varied diet that includes plenty of produce (more on produce in another post), whole grains and good fats (more on good fats in another post).

Note: I hear some bachelors out there are eating spaghetti at every meal. Although they might be getting the appropriate amount of calories that their body needs in a day, it doesn’t mean they are healthy. Look at it this way: if all you ever ate was chocolate, you’d survive, but you wouldn’t feel awesome. What’s the difference between getting your calories from a bean salad or from a bowl of grease? The salad probably contains way more of the good stuff your body needs to be happy. You can’t get all your vitamins and nutrients from one single dish, so vary your diet!

Coming up:
Myth: “Juices are an acceptable replacement for fruits and vegetables.”