Fuel For A Fit, Fat-Burning Family: SECRET 13

If you don't get enough water, you will feel sluggish, slowing you down even more. If you become tired as a result of dehydration, you won't exercise, which will be detrimental to your weight loss efforts. Water is also filling, helping you to eat less. And sometimes, you may just be thirsty, mistaking that for hunger. Try drinking a glass of water when you feel peckish and see if the craving doesn't pass.

2. Myth. Your body needs certain fats. For instance, certain nutrients won't be absorbed properly in the absence of fats. But, if you make the wrong choices, fats will lead to heart disease, weight gain and other health problems.

So, how do you know which are good and which are bad? Learn to read packaging labels. Run a mile if you see the words 'saturated fat' (mostly found in animal products) or 'trans fat' (found in commercially prepared baked goods such as biscuits). Look for 'monounsaturated' or 'polyunsaturated' fats. These include the good stuff like olive oil, nuts and seeds. The Omega 3 fats found in fish are also good for you. Moderation is the key here.

3. Myth. While toasted bread may weigh a bit less, due to water evaporation, it still contains the same number of calories. So, eating toasted bread won't be of particular help in your weight loss efforts.

4. Truth. While nuts are calorie-dense (in other words they can be fattening if you eat too much), they contain some of the best fats. A small amount of these can help you to feel full and satisfied, reducing the likelihood of snacking on the 'wrong' foods. There is a growing body of evidence that nuts may help to reduce the risk of heart disease. Just make sure that you use them to replace other fattening foods - if you add them to your regular diet, you may in fact gain weight.

5. Myth. It is not carbohydrates as such that cause you to gain weight. You will gain weight if you consume more calories than you burn during the day, irrespective of the form these calories come in. Your body needs carbohydrates to have enough energy. Don't cut these out. Moderation and balance are what you should aim for.

6. Truth. It all depends on the variety in your nutrition plan. If you get enough in terms of fresh fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy, protein and fiber, you don't necessarily need supplements. If, for instance, your family is into juicing recipes you are likely to get enough in terms of fresh produce. However, if you have specific nutritional needs due to illness, age or something like a pregnancy, you should ask your doctor about the right kind of supplement for you.

7. Myth. The only thing that happens if you skip a meal is that your body gets this message: "Drought! Starvation! All bodily processes slow down immediately! Time for a metabolism go-slow strike!". This is the last thing you need. When this happens, your body holds onto every bit of fat. This is when you will say: "I only have to look at a piece of pie to gain 5 pounds". Give your body regular meals and you give your metabolism the right message. It will begin to work more effectively, helping you to drop the weight.

Also, when you skip a meal, you are just more likely to overeat at the next meal, or to snack on all the 'forbidden fruits'.

8. Truth. The minute you begin with an exercise program, your metabolism should begin to work more efficiently, helping you to lose weight with greater ease. This is especially true if you concentrate on strength training, rather than just aerobic exercise such as running on a treadmill. By working with weights you will be adding muscle mass, which really helps to incinerate those calories. Best of all, this effect will continue even while you sleep!

9. Myth. You may have a tendency to gain weight more easily, but this is far from a given. In most instances, whether you are overweight or not, has more to do with whether you take in more calories than you are burning during the day. So, as long as you make sure that you eat a healthy diet and are involved in some kind of exercise, there is no reason for you to be obese just because your parents are.

10. Truth. This has mainly to do with metabolism and general lifestyle. If you exercise a lot, your metabolism will be more efficient than that of your neighbor who slouches on the couch all day. So, you will be able to consume more calories without gaining weight, as your body burns calories at a faster clip. This, however, usually has much more to do with activity levels than any other factor. If you stopped exercising, you would see yourself gaining weight very soon.

11. Myth. It has been proven time and again that fast weight loss isn't sustainable or successful in the long run. It is mostly a sign of water loss, not real fat loss. The ideal is to lose no more than 1 to 2 pounds of fat per week. Any faster than this, and you will more than likely simply gain it all back, with dividends in most cases.

12. Myth. Of course anybody with diabetes needs to watch his or her sugar intake in order to control blood sugar. But ingesting too much sugar isn't at the root of diabetes. And for folks who develop Type 2 diabetes later on in their lives, lack of exercise and an overweight body are the main culprits, not sugar as such.

13. Truth. That is, if you use raw honey, not pasteurized honey. Raw honey has one benefit and that is that it comes with enzymes that can be beneficial. However, while it may have a few less calories than sugar, basically there isn't much difference between these two healthwise. But if you do like something sweet, try to replace sugar with raw honey.

14. Myth. The color of the shell of the egg has nothing to do with nutritional value. It has everything to do with the breed of the hen that does all the hard work! It doesn't matter which one you choose. Eggs do contain a really good mix of nutrients, so they are healthy if used in moderation.

15. Myth. You may be thin, but still have worrisome fat stores. By exercising, especially if you opt for strength training, you will be lowering your fat stores while revving up your muscle mass. This is crucial for calorie burning in the long run and health in general.

Exercise will ensure optimal functioning of your metabolism. You will also be taking care of your heart and lungs, as well as improving brain function. There will also be a beneficial effect on your cholesterol levels. Your self image will be better and you will be able to handle stress much easier. How's that for an impressive benefit package?

So, how did you do? All 15 correct? Congratulations! You are a nutritional genius! Between 10 and 15? Not too bad, but you may want to do some extra reading. Less than 10? Don't worry. You will catch up again. Bet you have lots of knowledge about the importance of gathering healthy juicing recipes!