December 7, 2025 • 20 mins
Feeling confused about nutrition advice in 2025? You're not alone. Despite our advances in science and technology, most nutrition information remains stuck in the past, leaving people confused and frustrated.
In this myth-busting episode, Dr. Jules takes on the most persistent nutrition falsehoods circulating on social media and in everyday conversations. From the pervasive "carbs make you fat" slogan to the obsession with excessive protein intake, we examine why these oversimplified rules are actually preventing people from eating well and feeling their best.
Using the latest scientific evidence, Dr. Jules explains why whole food carbs aren't the enemy, why most people need less protein than they think, and why fiber might be the most underrated nutrient for longevity and disease prevention. You'll learn the truth about healthy fats, why some bloating can actually be a good sign, and why the phrase "if you can't pronounce it, don't eat it" reveals more about scientific literacy than food safety.
What makes this episode especially valuable is the practical approach to building a healthy diet pattern. Rather than focusing on eliminating foods or demonizing nutrients, Dr. Jules emphasizes building your diet on whole, minimally processed plant foods while using some processed foods strategically. The focus shifts from individual nutrients to your overall dietary pattern, which is ultimately what determines your health outcomes. Whether you're looking to improve your eating habits, lose weight sustainably, or reduce disease risk, this episode provides the evidence-based clarity needed to cut through the noise of nutrition misinformation.
Ready to upgrade your nutrition knowledge beyond the clickbait and contradictory advice online? Listen now and discover why the most important predictor of health isn't found in a single food, but in the patterns you build over time. Want more science-backed nutrition information? Visit plantbasedctorjules.com for free resources and connect on social media for daily tips.
Go check out my website for tons of free resources on how to transition towards a healthier diet and lifestyle.
You can download my free plant-based recipes eBook and a ton of other free resources by visiting the Digital Downloads tab of my website at https://www.plantbaseddrjules.com/shop
Don't forget to check out my blog at https://www.plantbaseddrjules.com/blog
You can also watch my educational videos on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMpkQRXb7G-StAotV0dmahQ
Check out my upcoming live events and free eCourse, where you'll learn more about how to create delicious plant-based recipes: https://www.plantbaseddrjules.com/
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Last but not least, the best way to show your support and to help me spread my message is to subscribe to my podcast and to leave a 5 star review on Apple and Spotify!
Thanks so much!
Peace, love, plants!
Dr. Jules
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Hey everyone, welcome to Season 2 of the Dr Jules
Plant-Based Podcast, where wediscuss everything from
plant-based nutrition to themain pillars of lifestyle
medicine.
Yo, plant-based buddies,welcome back to another episode.
(00:30):
Today we're going to be bustingsome nutrition myths.
Now it's 2025, we've mapped thehuman genome, we've landed
probes on Mars, yet when itcomes to nutrition, most people
are still stuck in the 80s.
Now, over 85% of people gettheir news from a smartphone or
(00:56):
a tablet, and that's where mostpeople get their nutrition
health information too.
Every day, I'm scrolling throughmy feed and I see the same
slogans carbs make you fat.
You can't pronounce it.
Don't eat it.
All processed food is bad.
Now, these aren't just outdated.
They're actually most likelyholding people bad from eating
(01:18):
well, from feeling great andfrom preventing disease.
So today we're going to bebusting the top nutrition myths
that need to die in 2025.
And I'm not just going to tellyou how they're wrong.
I'm going to show you why,using the latest science, so you
can feel more confident whenyou hear these slogans again.
(01:44):
Let's start with one of the bigones To lose weight, you have to
cut carbs.
Now, here's the truth Weightloss isn't about villainizing a
single macronutrient.
It's about sustainable eatingpatterns that create a calorie
deficit that you can stick to.
Now people lump carbs in thesame basket, but they're not
(02:07):
built the same.
We have carbs that we find inwhole foods and we have refined
carbs that we find in processedfoods.
Carbs can be simple, carbs canbe complex.
They can be transformed,processed, refined, or they can
be surrounded with a whole foodmatrix made of fiber and water
(02:28):
and other phytochemicals whichcan directly impact the way we
process them and absorb them.
Carbohydrate is actually justan umbrella term that refers to
different saccharide moleculesthat are grouped together in
short or long chains.
Short chains are called simplesugars, whereas long chains are
(02:51):
called complex carbohydrates.
So carbs can be simple or theycan be complex, depending on the
length of that saccharide chain.
But they can also be refined ortransformed or processed,
depending on whether or not theycome surrounded by an intact
food matrix made out of fiberand water, phytochemicals,
(03:14):
vitamins and minerals.
The processed carbohydrates,whether simple or have that
matrix destroyed and removed.
This can help increase shelflife, stability, texture, flavor
and taste, but it definitelyrobs the whole food of vital
(03:38):
nutrients.
That makes it healthy.
Refined carbs, like white bread,pastries and sugary drinks.
They can spike blood sugar andmake it easier to overeat.
Every single bite you take hasmore calorie per bite, meaning
that the calorie density ishigher.
But whole food carbs like oatsand lentils, fruit and quinoa
(04:04):
those are loaded with fiber,antioxidants and minerals, and
the studies, includinglarge-scale cohort data, show
that diets that are high inwhole grains and complex carbs
surrounded by a whole foodmatrix are linked to lower body
weight and lower risk of chronicdisease, not increased ones.
(04:26):
So, instead of low carb, thinkslow carb, or think natural
whole food carb Carbs that comein their whole, intact and
fiber-rich form.
It's not carbs that are theproblem.
It's the type of carbs thatpeople are consuming that are
the problem.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
It's the type of carbs that people are consuming.
That are the problem.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Now the next nutrition myth that I want to
talk about is another one that Ihear all the time is needing a
gram of protein per pound ofbody weight.
Now, protein is super important, but I've never seen a case of
protein deficiency in my wholemedical career and, unless
you're a competitive bodybuilderin a cutting phase, this is
(05:12):
probably overkill.
Most people, even active people, will do very well with 1.2 to
1.6 grams of protein perkilogram of body weight for
muscle maintenance and musclerecovery.
When you overemphasize protein,you often under-eat fiber,
(05:33):
healthy fats and the otherphytonutrient-rich foods.
Remember the protein qualitymatters.
Protein is simply a chain ofamino acids and the body doesn't
recognize whether you're eatinga chain of amino acids from
animal protein or from vegetableprotein, but it does recognize
(05:55):
what comes packed with it.
Animal products tend to containmore cholesterol, more
saturated fat, heme, iron andzero grams of fiber and zero
grams of phytonutrients, whereasplant protein, like legumes,
chickpeas, beans, lentils, soyproducts, tofu, tempeh, edamame,
(06:17):
whole grains, nuts and seedsthey not only contain zero
milligrams of cholesterol, theynot only contain zero milligrams
of cholesterol, they containless saturated fat, they contain
fiber and they are morenutrient-dense and
antioxidant-rich.
Now the third myth that drivesme crazy is people demonizing
(06:39):
fiber and saying that it's notimportant.
Fiber is essential and everysingle study that's ever looked
at chronic disease risk andfiber intake has shown that the
more fiber you consume, thelower your risk of many chronic
diseases like cardiovasculardisease, heart attack, stroke,
(06:59):
diabetes, cholesterol,hypertension, cancer.
It feeds your gut microbiome,it helps regulate bowel
movements, it helps managecholesterol, blood sugar and
even supports your mood throughthe gut-brain axis.
Most North Americans andCanadians get about 14 to 15
grams of fiber per day, when therecommended daily intake is
(07:24):
upwards of 25 to 38 grams a day,and we've probably evolved on
diets that contain more thandouble that.
As I said, high fiber diets arelinked to lower risk of heart
disease, diabetes, cancers and alonger life expectancy, and if
fiber came in a pill, it wouldbe the most prescribed drug on
(07:45):
the planet, and it does.
Just even taking fibersupplements could help.
But when it comes to fiber,it's not just about fiber
quantity, it's also about fibervariety, and fiber variety that
is, getting your fiber from asmany different types of plants
as possible has been shown to bethe main predictor of a healthy
(08:09):
gut microbiome.
Now, if there's been amacronutrient that has been
demonized.
More than carbs, it'sdefinitely fat.
Fat isn't the enemy, it's justan umbrella term, and there's a
(08:33):
big difference between transfats, saturated fats, mono or
polyunsaturated fats, and someof them are linked to positive
health outcomes, like nuts andseeds, and avocados and olives,
and even olive oil, are all tiedto reduce heart disease risk
(08:54):
and better metabolic health.
The Mediterranean diet, whichis rich in these fats, is one of
the most studied and beneficialeating patterns in the world,
and it's a type of plant-baseddiets, and the reason they're so
useful is because they containprimarily unsaturated fats.
Now the real villains are transfats and saturated fats.
(09:18):
These fats are directly relatedto increasing the risk of
cardiovascular disease and othermetabolic dysfunctions like
fatty liver.
Trans fats are dangerous in anydose, whereas saturated fats
are dangerous when consumed inexcess.
Now, typically, recommendationsare to keep the number of
(09:39):
calories consumed from saturatedfat at less than 10% of your
daily calories.
That's usually something like20 to 23 grams of saturated fat,
depending on your weight.
If you're at higher risk forcardiovascular disease or other
metabolic conditions, you mightwant to consider getting less
(10:00):
than 5% of your calories fromsaturated fat.
That would be around 10 gramsor lower.
I simply aim for as close tozero as possible, but you want
to make sure to aim for moreunsaturated fats that are heart
healthy.
It's not about eating low fat.
(10:21):
It's about being smart, becausealthough fat is the most
calorie-dense macronutrient, atnine calories per gram, it
doesn't make it unhealthy whenconsumed in the right dose.
We need fat to absorb fatsoluble vitamins, a, d, e and K
(10:42):
to synthesize hormones, and it'spart of normal physiology.
So it's not about being low fat, it's just about eating the
right amount and the right typesof fat.
Now, myth number five is that ifa food causes bloating, you
should be avoiding it.
Now some people will eat beansonce and say never again, but
(11:05):
bloating can actually be anormal part of a healthy gut.
That's adjusting to newfiber-rich foods.
Bacteria in your colon willferment these fibers and produce
gas, and if you don't have theright balance of gut bugs,
they'll be less efficient indoing so.
But as you challenge them withthese foods in lower doses, over
time they will adjust andmultiply and become more
(11:28):
efficient at fermenting thefiber, and that's simply a sign
that your microbiome is activeand adjusting.
Now, if that bloating is mildand temporary, it's usually a
normal sign.
Of course, if you'reexperiencing persistent and
painful bloating, get thatchecked with your doctor, but
don't automatically throw outgut-friendly foods just because
(11:51):
you're feeling a little bit ofbloating at the beginning.
Now, bloating could be alsocaused by food intolerances and
a high FODMAP burden, but that'sbeyond the scope of this
episode.
If you have discomfort thatpersists or gets worse,
definitely talk to your doctor.
(12:12):
Now another myth that lingers inthe medical field is that high
levels of HDL will offset highlevels of LDL.
Hdl, also called goodcholesterol, that circulates in
your blood is different from LDL, the bad cholesterol that
contributes to cardiovasculardisease, and for years we told
(12:34):
our patients well, your LDL ishigh, your bad cholesterol is
high, but don't worry, this isoffset by your good cholesterol
and everything is fine.
Now we now know that this iswrong.
High HDL it doesn't cancel outthe risks that are associated
with high levels of LDL or APOB.
(12:54):
These are markers of badcholesterol.
Now what matters most forreducing the rates of heart
attacks and strokes is gettingthat number as low as possible,
keeping your APOB or LDLcholesterol as low as possible.
Now you do that by eating moresoluble fiber, by reducing
(13:14):
saturated fat, avoiding transfats, and, when needed, you can
talk to your doctor about usingmedication under medical
guidance, but do not go to sleepthinking that your high levels
of HDL cholesterol in your bloodoffsets any risk that is posed
(13:35):
by having high levels of badcholesterol.
Now, another myth that I've seena lot online is that process
equals bad.
Now, this one is tricky andit's nuanced, because process
simply means that the food hasbeen altered in a way or another
(13:57):
.
If you blend food, you processit.
If you freeze it or pickle itor ferment it, it's process.
But processing exists on aspectrum.
Processing can be good or bad.
Processing can be physicalprocessing changing the texture,
blending it, cutting it,chopping it.
It could also be processedchemically, and processing
(14:20):
chemically could also meanadding things to it, like
fortification with vitamins andminerals, which is a good thing,
or it can be removing badthings making 3.25% milk,
low-fat or skim milk by reducingsaturated fat that's generally
regarded as a good thing.
(14:42):
Or chemical processing of foodcould be adding harmful
substances or removing good ones.
So processing exists on aspectrum, from good or bad,
physical to chemical.
You're either adding goodthings, removing good things, or
adding bad things or removingbad things.
It depends.
(15:02):
Some level of processing can beharmful Think sugary breakfast
cereal or sugary drinks.
But some processing canactually be beneficial, like
pasteurizing milk or fortifyingflours or pressing olives into
olive oil.
Even tofu and whole grain breadand protein powders are
(15:23):
technically processed foods, butthey can be part of a healthy
diet.
The key is whether we haveoutcome data showing that that
food either improves healthoutcomes or not, and not just
the fact that it was processedor not.
Now, another myth that's verypopular online is if you can't
(15:47):
pronounce it, you shouldn't eatit.
Now, this is more a scienceliteracy issue than a toxicity
one, and a little bit of amarketing gimmick that will
confuse science literacy withdanger.
Now, vitamin C is also calledascorbic acid, and tricalcium
phosphate is a safe source ofcalcium that we use in fortified
(16:08):
foods.
A fortification has savedmillions of lives.
Think of iodine in salt.
Think of folic acid in flour.
Don't fear a label just becauseit sounds like a chemistry
class.
A lot of this issue with scaryingredients are related to
(16:31):
people simply not being educatedin that field.
Now, that doesn't mean thatprocessed foods are great and
they're full of ingredients thatwe don't need to worry about
Now.
Just keep in mind that someingredients that we add to
processed foods are not great atpromoting health, but some of
(16:52):
them sound scary but areperfectly fine.
So just be careful indemonizing foods just because
they contain ingredients thatyou can't pronounce.
So how do we navigate nutritionin 2025?
Online, in the same day, youcan see two people that look
(17:13):
like experts that are bothcontradicting themselves.
It's very difficult to cutthrough the noise.
But basically, to eat a healthydiet, it's pretty simple.
It's building your diet onwhole and minimally processed
plant foods of fruits, veggies,whole grains, legumes, nuts and
seeds, and herbs and spices.
And don't fear processed foods.
(17:35):
Use them strategically.
Fortified plant milks andprotein powders or whole grain
breads can help fill these gaps.
And the most important predictorof health is your pattern over
time.
So focus on patterns and not onsingle nutrients the overall
quality of your diet.
(17:56):
This will matter a lot morethan demonizing one single food
and, when in doubt, checkcredible sources.
Try to look for peer-reviewedstudies, registered dieticians
or physicians that have trainingin nutrition.
Now it's time that a lot ofthese nutrition myths die, and
(18:20):
not because it's trendy to bustthem or because I like policing
other people's content, butbecause holding on to them keeps
people confused, fearful andstuck in all or nothing thinking
.
Nutrition is extremely complex,but it doesn't have to be
complicated.
Eat more plants, focus onvariety, cook at home when you
can, and try not to get yourhealth advice from an influencer
(18:43):
on TikTok.
Now I can't even begin toimagine how confusing it must be
for the average person tonavigate nutrition health
information online.
I'm here speaking in nuance,asking people to try to eat more
veggies, but when you open yourphone, you have people with
six-packs that are shirtless ina grocery store, speaking with
(19:05):
the utmost confidence storespeaking with the utmost
confidence, stating that theyhave expertise in a field that
they don't have any credentialsin.
And as soon as you open yourphone, they're there again
producing four or five videosper day with millions of
followers.
Now algorithms will support andshow people that have
(19:29):
contradictory or opposing views.
The algorithm loves thesethings that are clickbaity and
that have seven-word slogans.
They don't really enjoy tellingpeople what they already know
that eating healthier and movingmore and sleeping more and
managing stress are the mainpillars of a healthy lifestyle.
(19:55):
But that's why you're here andthat's why I do what I do, so I
can tell you these things righton.
So thanks for being here,thanks for listening to my rant
about nutrition myths.
I hope you learned a few things.
We'll see you at the nextepisode.
Peace, hey everyone, go checkout my website,
(20:26):
plantbasedctorjulescom, to findfree downloadable resources, and
remember that you can find meon facebook and instagram at
drjulescornier, and on youtubeat plantbaseddoctorjules.
Hey everyone, welcome to Season 2 of the Dr Jules
Plant-Based Podcast, where wediscuss everything from
plant-based nutrition to themain pillars of lifestyle
medicine.
Yo, plant-based buddies,welcome back to another episode.
(00:30):
Today we're going to be bustingsome nutrition myths.
Now it's 2025, we've mapped thehuman genome, we've landed
probes on Mars, yet when itcomes to nutrition, most people
are still stuck in the 80s.
Now, over 85% of people gettheir news from a smartphone or
(00:56):
a tablet, and that's where mostpeople get their nutrition
health information too.
Every day, I'm scrolling throughmy feed and I see the same
slogans carbs make you fat.
You can't pronounce it.
Don't eat it.
All processed food is bad.
Now, these aren't just outdated.
They're actually most likelyholding people bad from eating
(01:18):
well, from feeling great andfrom preventing disease.
So today we're going to bebusting the top nutrition myths
that need to die in 2025.
And I'm not just going to tellyou how they're wrong.
I'm going to show you why,using the latest science, so you
can feel more confident whenyou hear these slogans again.
(01:44):
Let's start with one of the bigones To lose weight, you have to
cut carbs.
Now, here's the truth Weightloss isn't about villainizing a
single macronutrient.
It's about sustainable eatingpatterns that create a calorie
deficit that you can stick to.
Now people lump carbs in thesame basket, but they're not
(02:07):
built the same.
We have carbs that we find inwhole foods and we have refined
carbs that we find in processedfoods.
Carbs can be simple, carbs canbe complex.
They can be transformed,processed, refined, or they can
be surrounded with a whole foodmatrix made of fiber and water
(02:28):
and other phytochemicals whichcan directly impact the way we
process them and absorb them.
Carbohydrate is actually justan umbrella term that refers to
different saccharide moleculesthat are grouped together in
short or long chains.
Short chains are called simplesugars, whereas long chains are
(02:51):
called complex carbohydrates.
So carbs can be simple or theycan be complex, depending on the
length of that saccharide chain.
But they can also be refined ortransformed or processed,
depending on whether or not theycome surrounded by an intact
food matrix made out of fiberand water, phytochemicals,
(03:14):
vitamins and minerals.
The processed carbohydrates,whether simple or have that
matrix destroyed and removed.
This can help increase shelflife, stability, texture, flavor
and taste, but it definitelyrobs the whole food of vital
(03:38):
nutrients.
That makes it healthy.
Refined carbs, like white bread,pastries and sugary drinks.
They can spike blood sugar andmake it easier to overeat.
Every single bite you take hasmore calorie per bite, meaning
that the calorie density ishigher.
But whole food carbs like oatsand lentils, fruit and quinoa
(04:04):
those are loaded with fiber,antioxidants and minerals, and
the studies, includinglarge-scale cohort data, show
that diets that are high inwhole grains and complex carbs
surrounded by a whole foodmatrix are linked to lower body
weight and lower risk of chronicdisease, not increased ones.
(04:26):
So, instead of low carb, thinkslow carb, or think natural
whole food carb Carbs that comein their whole, intact and
fiber-rich form.
It's not carbs that are theproblem.
It's the type of carbs thatpeople are consuming that are
the problem.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
It's the type of carbs that people are consuming.
That are the problem.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Now the next nutrition myth that I want to
talk about is another one that Ihear all the time is needing a
gram of protein per pound ofbody weight.
Now, protein is super important, but I've never seen a case of
protein deficiency in my wholemedical career and, unless
you're a competitive bodybuilderin a cutting phase, this is
(05:12):
probably overkill.
Most people, even active people, will do very well with 1.2 to
1.6 grams of protein perkilogram of body weight for
muscle maintenance and musclerecovery.
When you overemphasize protein,you often under-eat fiber,
(05:33):
healthy fats and the otherphytonutrient-rich foods.
Remember the protein qualitymatters.
Protein is simply a chain ofamino acids and the body doesn't
recognize whether you're eatinga chain of amino acids from
animal protein or from vegetableprotein, but it does recognize
(05:55):
what comes packed with it.
Animal products tend to containmore cholesterol, more
saturated fat, heme, iron andzero grams of fiber and zero
grams of phytonutrients, whereasplant protein, like legumes,
chickpeas, beans, lentils, soyproducts, tofu, tempeh, edamame,
(06:17):
whole grains, nuts and seedsthey not only contain zero
milligrams of cholesterol, theynot only contain zero milligrams
of cholesterol, they containless saturated fat, they contain
fiber and they are morenutrient-dense and
antioxidant-rich.
Now the third myth that drivesme crazy is people demonizing
(06:39):
fiber and saying that it's notimportant.
Fiber is essential and everysingle study that's ever looked
at chronic disease risk andfiber intake has shown that the
more fiber you consume, thelower your risk of many chronic
diseases like cardiovasculardisease, heart attack, stroke,
(06:59):
diabetes, cholesterol,hypertension, cancer.
It feeds your gut microbiome,it helps regulate bowel
movements, it helps managecholesterol, blood sugar and
even supports your mood throughthe gut-brain axis.
Most North Americans andCanadians get about 14 to 15
grams of fiber per day, when therecommended daily intake is
(07:24):
upwards of 25 to 38 grams a day,and we've probably evolved on
diets that contain more thandouble that.
As I said, high fiber diets arelinked to lower risk of heart
disease, diabetes, cancers and alonger life expectancy, and if
fiber came in a pill, it wouldbe the most prescribed drug on
(07:45):
the planet, and it does.
Just even taking fibersupplements could help.
But when it comes to fiber,it's not just about fiber
quantity, it's also about fibervariety, and fiber variety that
is, getting your fiber from asmany different types of plants
as possible has been shown to bethe main predictor of a healthy
(08:09):
gut microbiome.
Now, if there's been amacronutrient that has been
demonized.
More than carbs, it'sdefinitely fat.
Fat isn't the enemy, it's justan umbrella term, and there's a
(08:33):
big difference between transfats, saturated fats, mono or
polyunsaturated fats, and someof them are linked to positive
health outcomes, like nuts andseeds, and avocados and olives,
and even olive oil, are all tiedto reduce heart disease risk
(08:54):
and better metabolic health.
The Mediterranean diet, whichis rich in these fats, is one of
the most studied and beneficialeating patterns in the world,
and it's a type of plant-baseddiets, and the reason they're so
useful is because they containprimarily unsaturated fats.
Now the real villains are transfats and saturated fats.
(09:18):
These fats are directly relatedto increasing the risk of
cardiovascular disease and othermetabolic dysfunctions like
fatty liver.
Trans fats are dangerous in anydose, whereas saturated fats
are dangerous when consumed inexcess.
Now, typically, recommendationsare to keep the number of
(09:39):
calories consumed from saturatedfat at less than 10% of your
daily calories.
That's usually something like20 to 23 grams of saturated fat,
depending on your weight.
If you're at higher risk forcardiovascular disease or other
metabolic conditions, you mightwant to consider getting less
(10:00):
than 5% of your calories fromsaturated fat.
That would be around 10 gramsor lower.
I simply aim for as close tozero as possible, but you want
to make sure to aim for moreunsaturated fats that are heart
healthy.
It's not about eating low fat.
(10:21):
It's about being smart, becausealthough fat is the most
calorie-dense macronutrient, atnine calories per gram, it
doesn't make it unhealthy whenconsumed in the right dose.
We need fat to absorb fatsoluble vitamins, a, d, e and K
(10:42):
to synthesize hormones, and it'spart of normal physiology.
So it's not about being low fat, it's just about eating the
right amount and the right typesof fat.
Now, myth number five is that ifa food causes bloating, you
should be avoiding it.
Now some people will eat beansonce and say never again, but
(11:05):
bloating can actually be anormal part of a healthy gut.
That's adjusting to newfiber-rich foods.
Bacteria in your colon willferment these fibers and produce
gas, and if you don't have theright balance of gut bugs,
they'll be less efficient indoing so.
But as you challenge them withthese foods in lower doses, over
time they will adjust andmultiply and become more
(11:28):
efficient at fermenting thefiber, and that's simply a sign
that your microbiome is activeand adjusting.
Now, if that bloating is mildand temporary, it's usually a
normal sign.
Of course, if you'reexperiencing persistent and
painful bloating, get thatchecked with your doctor, but
don't automatically throw outgut-friendly foods just because
(11:51):
you're feeling a little bit ofbloating at the beginning.
Now, bloating could be alsocaused by food intolerances and
a high FODMAP burden, but that'sbeyond the scope of this
episode.
If you have discomfort thatpersists or gets worse,
definitely talk to your doctor.
(12:12):
Now another myth that lingers inthe medical field is that high
levels of HDL will offset highlevels of LDL.
Hdl, also called goodcholesterol, that circulates in
your blood is different from LDL, the bad cholesterol that
contributes to cardiovasculardisease, and for years we told
(12:34):
our patients well, your LDL ishigh, your bad cholesterol is
high, but don't worry, this isoffset by your good cholesterol
and everything is fine.
Now we now know that this iswrong.
High HDL it doesn't cancel outthe risks that are associated
with high levels of LDL or APOB.
(12:54):
These are markers of badcholesterol.
Now what matters most forreducing the rates of heart
attacks and strokes is gettingthat number as low as possible,
keeping your APOB or LDLcholesterol as low as possible.
Now you do that by eating moresoluble fiber, by reducing
(13:14):
saturated fat, avoiding transfats, and, when needed, you can
talk to your doctor about usingmedication under medical
guidance, but do not go to sleepthinking that your high levels
of HDL cholesterol in your bloodoffsets any risk that is posed
(13:35):
by having high levels of badcholesterol.
Now, another myth that I've seena lot online is that process
equals bad.
Now, this one is tricky andit's nuanced, because process
simply means that the food hasbeen altered in a way or another
(13:57):
.
If you blend food, you processit.
If you freeze it or pickle itor ferment it, it's process.
But processing exists on aspectrum.
Processing can be good or bad.
Processing can be physicalprocessing changing the texture,
blending it, cutting it,chopping it.
It could also be processedchemically, and processing
(14:20):
chemically could also meanadding things to it, like
fortification with vitamins andminerals, which is a good thing,
or it can be removing badthings making 3.25% milk,
low-fat or skim milk by reducingsaturated fat that's generally
regarded as a good thing.
(14:42):
Or chemical processing of foodcould be adding harmful
substances or removing good ones.
So processing exists on aspectrum, from good or bad,
physical to chemical.
You're either adding goodthings, removing good things, or
adding bad things or removingbad things.
It depends.
(15:02):
Some level of processing can beharmful Think sugary breakfast
cereal or sugary drinks.
But some processing canactually be beneficial, like
pasteurizing milk or fortifyingflours or pressing olives into
olive oil.
Even tofu and whole grain breadand protein powders are
(15:23):
technically processed foods, butthey can be part of a healthy
diet.
The key is whether we haveoutcome data showing that that
food either improves healthoutcomes or not, and not just
the fact that it was processedor not.
Now, another myth that's verypopular online is if you can't
(15:47):
pronounce it, you shouldn't eatit.
Now, this is more a scienceliteracy issue than a toxicity
one, and a little bit of amarketing gimmick that will
confuse science literacy withdanger.
Now, vitamin C is also calledascorbic acid, and tricalcium
phosphate is a safe source ofcalcium that we use in fortified
(16:08):
foods.
A fortification has savedmillions of lives.
Think of iodine in salt.
Think of folic acid in flour.
Don't fear a label just becauseit sounds like a chemistry
class.
A lot of this issue with scaryingredients are related to
(16:31):
people simply not being educatedin that field.
Now, that doesn't mean thatprocessed foods are great and
they're full of ingredients thatwe don't need to worry about
Now.
Just keep in mind that someingredients that we add to
processed foods are not great atpromoting health, but some of
(16:52):
them sound scary but areperfectly fine.
So just be careful indemonizing foods just because
they contain ingredients thatyou can't pronounce.
So how do we navigate nutritionin 2025?
Online, in the same day, youcan see two people that look
(17:13):
like experts that are bothcontradicting themselves.
It's very difficult to cutthrough the noise.
But basically, to eat a healthydiet, it's pretty simple.
It's building your diet onwhole and minimally processed
plant foods of fruits, veggies,whole grains, legumes, nuts and
seeds, and herbs and spices.
And don't fear processed foods.
(17:35):
Use them strategically.
Fortified plant milks andprotein powders or whole grain
breads can help fill these gaps.
And the most important predictorof health is your pattern over
time.
So focus on patterns and not onsingle nutrients the overall
quality of your diet.
(17:56):
This will matter a lot morethan demonizing one single food
and, when in doubt, checkcredible sources.
Try to look for peer-reviewedstudies, registered dieticians
or physicians that have trainingin nutrition.
Now it's time that a lot ofthese nutrition myths die, and
(18:20):
not because it's trendy to bustthem or because I like policing
other people's content, butbecause holding on to them keeps
people confused, fearful andstuck in all or nothing thinking
.
Nutrition is extremely complex,but it doesn't have to be
complicated.
Eat more plants, focus onvariety, cook at home when you
can, and try not to get yourhealth advice from an influencer
(18:43):
on TikTok.
Now I can't even begin toimagine how confusing it must be
for the average person tonavigate nutrition health
information online.
I'm here speaking in nuance,asking people to try to eat more
veggies, but when you open yourphone, you have people with
six-packs that are shirtless ina grocery store, speaking with
(19:05):
the utmost confidence storespeaking with the utmost
confidence, stating that theyhave expertise in a field that
they don't have any credentialsin.
And as soon as you open yourphone, they're there again
producing four or five videosper day with millions of
followers.
Now algorithms will support andshow people that have
(19:29):
contradictory or opposing views.
The algorithm loves thesethings that are clickbaity and
that have seven-word slogans.
They don't really enjoy tellingpeople what they already know
that eating healthier and movingmore and sleeping more and
managing stress are the mainpillars of a healthy lifestyle.
(19:55):
But that's why you're here andthat's why I do what I do, so I
can tell you these things righton.
So thanks for being here,thanks for listening to my rant
about nutrition myths.
I hope you learned a few things.
We'll see you at the nextepisode.
Peace, hey everyone, go checkout my website,
(20:26):
plantbasedctorjulescom, to findfree downloadable resources, and
remember that you can find meon facebook and instagram at
drjulescornier, and on youtubeat plantbaseddoctorjules.
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