Olive oil is not the healthiest oil!

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1 Olive oil is not the healthiest oil! It has many benefits and it is recommended to include a small amount of it in our diet (1 soup spoon). But olive oil does not contain much alpha-linolenic fatty acid, an essential fatty acid from the Omega-3 family. It is therefore necessary to supplement our daily intake with rapeseed or walnut oil (1 to 2 soup spoons).

2 Skipping breakfast can cause weight gain! At night time, our bodies rest and recuperate, but do not stop working. The growth hormone is at its highest level. This is why it is important to "break" the night time "fast" and help our bodies to begin a new day, otherwise we risk feeling exhausted and ravenous, and being prone to food cravings. While it is true that our bodies do have some reserves, using them is additional work that the body does not like! It risks increasing its capacity to store calories at lunch and dinner time, to avoid such additional effort the following day. Skipping any meals does not help you lose weight, instead it leaves you starving and open to food cravings, mood swings and restlessness, while provoking the body to defend itself by storing reserves and limiting its expenditure.

3 Calories are not all that counts! Our bodies consume a certain number of calories each day: this is our energy expenditure. It depends on many factors such as our height, our weight, our sex, our physical activity and our age. Our daily calorie intake should therefore take into account our energy needs. It is by eating that we restore our body's needs. This is our energy intake. But eating calories is not enough! Because, to cover our vital needs, it is essential to eat calories from each nutrient on a daily basis and in the recommended proportions: 12 to 15% proteins, 30 to 35% lipids, and 50 to 55% carbohydrates. Since these nutrients do not contain the same number of calories per gramme, the amount of calories in our plate does not help us to eat healthily... Nor help us feel better about our bodies, even just by giving us a semblance of a clear conscience! So, we cannot always count on the number of calories!

4 Cholesterol is not bad for health! Cholesterol is produced naturally by our bodies and plays a key role in many metabolic processes in our bodies (e.g. making cells). It is present in all animal products without necessarily being connected to their lipid levels (fat). Excess cholesterol in the bloodstream (called "bad cholesterol") can be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Sometimes our liver produces excess cholesterol. Cholesterol from our diet has little influence on blood levels. Nevertheless, we should ensure that we eat a sufficiently varied diet and prioritise good fats (olive, rapeseed, walnut). Doing exercise helps the body protect itself by producing "good cholesterol". This substance, which is a little bit different, has the particularity of being able to retrieve excess cholesterol, thereby reducing the risk of arterial build-up.

5 Drink before you are thirsty! The sensation of thirst is a sign of dehydration! Other signs of dehydration can include tiredness, half-heartedness and heavy eyelids. So, do not wait to feel thirsty before drinking. You will feel better drinking small quantities all day long and at meal times. Drinking water slowly in small quantities does not disturb digestion, even while eating! You need to drink about 1 to 2 litres of liquids daily (depending on your energy needs, the climate, your physical activity, etc.).

6 Eating colours is not only a, delight for your eyes! Pigments give colour to food: carotenoid in carrots and oranges, lycopene in tomatoes and cherries, chlorophyll in green vegetables and kiwis, and anthocyanin in purple tubers and berries. They have antioxidant effects and thus protect our bodies' cells. For our health, it is recommended to "eat colours". Vary fruit and vegetables, tubers and spices, not only for more pleasure, but also to do you good!

7 Pasta does not make you gain weight! Pasta does not make you gain weight any more so than rice, bread or cereals. Eating too much pasta, just like eating too much of anything else, turns into stored body fat. All starchy foods provide energy in the form of carbohydrates, which are essential for our well-being. It is recommended to eat three to four portions of starchy foods daily (and more in the case of a regular sporting activity). Ideally, one portion (= one handful) should be eaten at each meal to control your appetite throughout the day.

8 Pineapple does not aid weight loss! This exotic fruit does not have any direct effect on weight loss. It contains an enzyme, bromelin, which affects the digestion of proteins, but does not have any effect on fat. So, there is no point in eating excessive amounts of it to lose your extra kilos! A balanced diet combined with a healthy lifestyle is the only way to get results with weight loss. All fruit and vegetables should be prioritised for their vitamins, secondary substances and fibres. It is recommended to eat about 800g of fruit and vegetables each day, which corresponds to 5 portions.

9 PDo not let eating be an extra worry, trust your sixth sense! A balanced diet does not simply mean satisfying our hunger and consuming a certain number of calories. A balanced diet means eating a bit of everything, but in sufficient quantities. It means enjoying meals, in good company, and eating food that indulges our five senses and arouses our emotions. Nutrient intake should not take precedence over the pleasure, or the social and emotional aspects of eating. However, the pleasure and social and emotional aspects should not prevail over the nutritional qualities either! It is all just a matter of finding the right balance. Common sense! This sixth sense allows us to avoid deficiencies and overindulgence (which are harmful for the body over time) while at the same time taking pleasure in eating! And that is good for health!

10 Snacks are not only for kids! Snacks are part of everybody's eating habits. If carefully chosen, they can even contribute to balancing out the day's nutritional intake. So, there is no reason to ban them. Snacks allow you to keep going until dinner time without feeling hungry, thereby eliminating the urge to eat between meals or eat too much at meal times.

11 Spinach is not rich in iron! Iron is an essential nutrient and a blood component. Spinach is far from being the best source of iron in our diet. It contains very little, and its vegetation characteristics limit its use by our bodies. Meat, fish and eggs are more significant and more interesting sources of iron to cover our needs. With the risk of offending Popeye, who managed to make thousands of children eat this vegetable!

12 Sport to lose weight? But do not compensate burnt calories by eating more! Energy expenditure from practising a sport depends on many factors, such as muscle mass, which is unique to each individual. While one kilo of adipose fat corresponds to about 8000 kcal, one hour of cycling only burns 200 to 450 kcal, depending on your fitness level and the effort made. If you want to lose body fat mass, avoid compensating the effort you endured by rewarding yourself with food. Food intake following a sporting activity should depend on energy expenditure after the meal! Physical activity is a key factor in maintaining good health. It sustains physical autonomy and endurance, and improves stress management, while stimulating the functions of the metabolism. Muscle mass increases with perseverance in training and muscles burn more calories than the adipose tissues. So, keep it up! Even if an hour of sport only adds up to the number of calories in a yoghurt and a fruit, all in all the winning figure will be yours!