TAMPA (BLOOM) Double-Certified Nutritionist, Martha VanCamp joined Gayle Guyardo the host of the global health and wellness show Bloom to bust nutrition myths.
Myth or Fact – intermittent fasting is bad for you
Martha VanCamp said, “busted first we have start this entire segment with check with your doctor on what’s best for you.
If you get the go ahead a period of fasting (not eating but drinking water and coffee, teas) and then eating whole foods, from the ground or a mother, during your eating window can be good for your body.”
She went on to say “Many people utilize fasting as a weight-loss tool. However, it has also been shown to improve brain function, reduce cardiovascular stress, promote self-healing, lower blood sugar, decrease inflammation, improve gut health and make your metabolism more adaptable,
VanCamp says it also decreases inflammation because this is a big one. We all have deep inflammation that we don’t necessarily feel, but inflammation has been proved to be the root cause of infections, diseases, cancers, and autoimmune issues. So, if we implement IF we are consistently reducing the deep inflammation we have (while eating whole foods) and healing our bodies from the inside out.”
Myth or Fact: You can’t eat carbs and lose weight
Martha VanCamps said, “Myth, while the obesity epidemic started around 1980, humans have been eating carbs for a very long time.
In fact, whole foods that are high in carbs are very healthy.
On the other hand, refined carbs like refined grains and sugar are linked to weight gain. Carbs are energy for muscles and depending on activity some people need, but we need them always. In fact, if we restrict carbohydrates our brain may feel a bit fuzzy and we may experience more mood swings than usual.”
Myth of Fact: You must do lots of cardio to lose weight.
Martha said, “Cardio does aid in fat loss, but we don’t have a fat problem across the US, we have a lack of muscle problem across the US. If we focus on building more muscle, we will burn more fat.”
She went on to say, “Cardio is not the answer, strength training is. In order of importance, strength training should be 70% of your training, 20% is HIIT (high intensity training) and 10% is cardio.”
VanCamp says excessive cardio will only lead to more muscle loss. If all you do is cardio, you just become a smaller version of yourself. Muscle is calorically expensive to have, therefore, your body would rather burn through muscle over fat.
“Today I follow the 80/15/5 rule. 80% food,15% strength training, 5% cardio”, said VanCamp.