Myth: I will lose or maintain weight if I eat low-fat foods.
Fact: This widespread belief is responsible for the frustration on the part of the dieters when they don’t loose weight and sometimes even become fatter on low-fat foods. Remember low fat is not necessarily low calorie. You can put on kilos if you eat low fat versions of your favourite high fat foods. In fact diet surveys have concluded that those people who eat three or more low-fat or non-fat products each day consumed more calories than those who ate no reduced fat foods.This is because most people who eat low fat substitutes are tempted to have more of those in size or proportion. For e.g. ½ cup of low- fat vanilla ice cream is only about 40 calories less than the regular version. But one is tempted to have more. Same goes for low-fat biscuits and other sweets and savouries. One must bear in mind that these low –fat substitutes when consumed in excess provide extra carbohydrates. There is no storage for carbohydrate in our body and therefore all the excess that arrives must be converted to fat and stored. So there you are, if you are watching your weight, count your calories because calories still count. An average woman needs between 1600-2000 calories a day to maintain her weight.

Myth: You have to join the gym/aerobic class to work out in order to get any exercise benefit.
Fact: You can gain health benefits from regular physical activity without ever working up a sweat or going to the gym. Scientific evidence has concluded that 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily was enough to reduce your risk of chronic disease and provide health benefits. Besides you need not even do all those 30 minutes together. You can combine a 15-minute stroll with 5 minutes of walking upstairs and 10 minutes of gardening. Your goal should be to burn a minimum of about 150 calories a day, more is better. You can achieve this by walking for 1-2 miles in an hour, gardening, swimming, bicycling or even sports like tennis/ badminton.

Myth: I am mostly at a risk of dying of cancer especially breast cancer.
Fact: Actually we normally ignore our most serious health risk- coronary artery disease. One out of two women die from heart disease and stroke. According to the American Heart Association, only 8% of women know facts about heart disease. So if you are amongst that 92% who does not know the facts about this disease, its time to buck up. However for most who are conscious, most cancer prevention measures like going vegetarian (with eating lots of vegetables, fruits and whole grains), quitting smoking, exercising, have low fat diet and maintaining weight will also protect against heart disease.

Myth: I have a low risk of breast cancer because nobody in my family has it.
Fact: Family history of cancer, like a mother or sister having it, definitely increases your risk. But 80% of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history. What’s more, 70% have none of the known risk factors- except for being a woman! Besides other risk factors, your gender itself puts you at a 1 in 10 lifetime risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer. Preventive measures undertaken now can protect you later. Have regular mammograms if you are older than 40. Go for annual breast examinations and do monthly breast self-exams. Lifestyle choices, such as eating a diet rich in fruits/ vegetables, limiting alcohol and fat, and exercising regularly may help to reduce your risk.

Myth: If I use anti-perspirants they will lead to breast cancer.
Fact: There has been a lot of circulation of this unfounded health myth. The American Cancer Society states no epidemiological studies to link between the use of antiperspirants and breast cancer risk. There is a false assertion that antiperspirants keep a person from "sweating out toxins", resulting in spread of cancer- causing toxins via the lymph nodes. Well, sweat glands are not connected to lymph nodes. The kidneys and liver remove the majority of cancer-causing substances. Lymph nodes may help to clear some toxins from the body, but they do not release these toxins through sweating. Probably more scientific research is required to prove this but for now stick to your brand of antiperspirant.

Myth: Being menopausal is being beyond feeling sexual desire or being desired.
Fact: Wrong, sexuality like all other aspects of your life gets better with age. In fact you no longer have to worry about an unplanned pregnancy and contraception. For most women, desire for sex doesn’t really change. Sexual desire results from a complex interplay between your unique psychological make-up, social and cultural conditioning and hormones. Vaginal dryness could be taken care of by using a water based lubricating jelly such as K Y jelly and undergoing a hormone replacement therapy. All the rest depends on a positive attitude and working towards it.

Myth: "Natural" foods and supplements are healthier.
Fact: This is a wrong assumption. Most vitamins, mineral supplements and herbal remedies that you grab at a drug-store or supermarket because of their health benefits are not regulated and are not required to prove that they are safe or effective. You have come across tall claims like – vitamin E for heart disease, chromium picolinate for weight loss, DHEA for antiaging, St. John’s Wort for depression, Fish supplements for preventing chronic diseases. All this research is in its infancy and nobody knows what doses are appropriate and how much is too much. No side effects have been mentioned and there is no guarantee that what you are buying actually has these ingredients. So before you start any supplement, talk to your doctor/ health care professional.

Distinguishing fact from fiction is very important when it comes to health self-care, since you are better prepared to fight your greatest health risks.

Madhavi Trivedi.
Nutritionist and Diet Consultant.