I am not a registered dietitian or a nutritionist, but I have learned a lot about food. I have to. Because as a trainer, exercise is only half of the equation. I can give my clients legendary workouts, but if they’re going through the Wendy’s drive through at lunch hour every day, no amount of hard training is going to get them the results they are looking for. So before I start working with someone I analyze what they have been eating, factor in their food preferences, and together we create an eating plan that matches their lifestyle and goals.

After a couple of weeks, the weight starts to come down and in most cases I have a happy client. Family, friends and co-workers will ask him or her for the details of said diet and that is where the trouble generally starts. “Doesn’t your trainer know that dairy is not meant for human consumption and red meat causes cancer?” Unfortunately, misinformation like this confuses and frustrates us in our quest to eat healthy, regardless of whether we are achieving great results or not. It is important that my clients believe 100% in the program I have put together for them if they are going to reach their desired goals. So this type of water cooler banter makes my job that much harder.

“A high protein intake will damage your kidneys” – This is my all-time favourite myth. In 1983, researchers first discovered that eating more protein increases your “glomerular filtration rate,” which is the amount of blood your kidneys are filtering per minute. Based on this finding a number of scientists jumped to the conclusion that this would cause damage to your kidneys. After over 3 decades of research, there is zero published research showing that consuming high amounts of protein  (up to 1.27 grams per pound of body weight a day) will cause any damage to your kidneys. If you are strength training intensely 3 to 5 times a week I would recommend that you aim for a minimum of 1.8 grams of protein per kg of lean mass.

“Eating too much red meat causes cancer” – In 1986, Japanese researchers discovered cancer developing in rats that were fed “heterocyclic amines” which are compounds generated from overcooking meat under high heat. Since this study came out, a number of scientists have jumped to the conclusion that this must be the case.  No study has ever found a direct cause-and-effect relationship between red-meat consumption and cancer. If you are still concerned, feel free to trim off any burnt or overcooked parts of the meat when it comes off the grill.

“A high salt intake leads to high blood pressure” – In the 1940s, a Duke University researcher became well known for using salt restriction to treat people with high blood pressure. Years since, numerous scientific reviews have determined there’s no reason for people with normal blood pressure to restrict their sodium intake. Research has shown that if you already have high blood pressure, reducing the amount of salt you take in might be helpful. Your other option is to increase your potassium intake. What they found was that it’s the balance of the two that is most important (potassium and sodium). Think spinach, broccoli, bananas, strawberries and any kind of bean or legume.

“Sweet potatoes are better for you than white potatoes” – Most North Americans eat a highly processed/deep fried version of the white potato. French fries and potato chips being the main culprits. So somewhere along the line eating white potatoes became linked to obesity and diabetes. Sweet potatoes/yams are more often than not eaten whole and have been lauded for being rich in nutrients and having a lower glycemic index than their white counterpart. Both these spuds have their nutritional differences, but neither one has been proven to have more benefits than the other. Just different. Sweet potatoes have more fibre and vitamin A, but white potatoes are higher in minerals: iron, magnesium, and potassium. Easy answer. Eat both!