Brown or white eggs: Busting 6 food myths

Celebrity fitness trainer Julie Rammal will help you make easier food choices.

Everything brown is considered healthy - be it brown bread or brown eggs. Going to the supermarket, do you get confused whether to pick brown eggs or white?
Should you buy sea salt over regular salt, does egg have high cholesterol? We have all been stuck with questions when it comes to making food choices. 
Khaleej Times spoke to leading Arab celebrity fitness trainer Julie Rammal to bust six common food myths.  
Myth 1: BROWN EGGS ARE MORE NUTRITIOUS THAN WHITE EGGS
Reality: Egg colour depends on the chicken's gene. For example, chickens who tend to have white earlobes lay white eggs, and those with brown earlobes tend to lay brown eggs. Truth is, the diet and genetics of the chicken are what will actually influence the nutritional value and not the shell colour.
Myth 2: SEA SALT IS HEALTHIER THAN REGULAR SALT  
Reality: Sea salt is considered as the healthier salt, winning its halo around it. Sea salts are made from evaporated sea water. Table salt originates from underground salt mines that are processed to become table salt. Truth is, both have very similar nutritional value although table salts have iodine in them while sea salts don't. I would advise looking at the place of origin of the salt, for example, Himalayan salts are a great option with many minerals and detoxifying properties.
Myth 3: EGGS HAVE HIGH CHOLESTEROL
Reality: Recent research on eggs show that eggs in moderation are healthy and actually have antioxidant properties. In Japan, people consume some of the biggest quantities of eggs: Around 328 eggs are consumed yearly per person. Actually, people there have low levels of cholesterol and heart disease compared to the USA. 
Myth 4: DON'T EAT HEAVY AFTER WORKOUT
Reality: One should eat according to their workout. For example, after a heavy weight training session, you should make sure to fuel up on carbs and protein. If you just finished a yoga or Pilates workout, you should eat quinoa salad, soup, or lean meat. After running a marathon consider eating a carb snack such as pasta or rice within the first 30 minutes. If you are a professional dancer then fuel up on carbs and protein to help muscles repair.
Myth 5:  CARBS MAKE YOU FAT?
Reality: Carbs are fuel; you should eat good ones and not the refined and processed ones. The good carbs include lentils, apples, bananas, nuts, chia seeds, peanuts and so on. Also, remember too much of anything and not enough energy expenditure can lead to weight increase. Avoid bad carbs such as white flour, sugar and white pita breads as our bodies absorb them slowly and spike our blood sugar levels.   
Myth 6: LOW-FAT FOODS ARE ALWAYS BETTER
Reality: We hear this all the time. Actually, low-fat foods can sometimes be worse than regular full-fat foods. A recent study in the UK discovered that 10 per cent of diet foods contained the same or more calories than regular food and 40 per cent had more sugar. The reason being, when food brands eliminate fat, they have to use sugar, salt and other additives to make the food more delicious. As a result, eating low fat will make you overweight and you will end up overeating because of the additives.
anita@khaleejtimes.com
 

• Food and Dining