ith so much nutrition information available to us, keeping our nutrition facts straight can be difficult. New information is released every day and some of it seems to contradict news of the previous day. This month, I'll debunk some major nutrition myths.

Myth #1: Fasting is the best way to detox your body. The perception that fasting will help clean you out is a misguided one, since not eating will actually shut down your digestive system rather than stimulate it. Eliminating food, or even restricting most foods from your diet, can weaken your immune system instead of strengthening it, increasing the risk of infection and illness. Furthermore, fasting can cause blood sugar levels to drop, resulting in hypoglycemia, weakness, dizziness, headaches, and heart palpitations. Dehydration is also a risk. With prolonged fasting, the kidney, liver, and digestive systems begin to shut down, causing more toxins to build up in the blood, rather than be eliminated. The process of removing toxins and all waste should be stimulated by eating a high-fiber regimen based on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. If your daily diet follows this pattern and includes little caffeine, alcohol, and processed foods, there should be no need to do any extra detoxification.

Myth #2: You should avoid foods high in cholesterol. Eating foods high in cholesterol does not necessarily raise your blood cholesterol levels. Foods that contain saturated fat and trans fats are bigger contributors to high cholesterol than dietary cholesterol. To illustrate, let's compare eggs to sausages. An egg contains 1.5 grams of saturated fat and 213 milligrams of cholesterol, while a sausage link contains 6 grams of saturated fat and 40 milligrams of cholesterol. The sausage is more likely to affect your blood cholesterol since it's higher in saturated fat. In addition to avoiding saturated fats, watch out for trans fats-the hydrogenated and partially-hydrogenated oils found in many cookies, crackers, pastries, margarine, and fried foods. These man-made saturated fats can be even more harmful than natural saturated fats. Trans fats aren't labeled on Nutrition Facts panels yet, so check ingredient lists for the words "hydrogenated" and "partially-hydrogenated."

Myth #3: To lose weight, you need to cut out carbohydrates, especially bread. Bread is not evil and neither are carbohydrates. Too much of any food will make you gain weight. And there are health risks associated with restricting carbohydrates and consuming too much protein, especially fatty animal protein since it is high in saturated fat. Limiting vegetables and fruits because they contain carbohydrates also limits the disease-protecting vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and fiber in the diet. Vitamin deficiencies, heart disease, certain cancers, diabetes, and strokes are some of the major risk factors associated with consuming lots of saturated fat and excluding nutrient-rich foods that contain carbohydrates. Studies of high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets show that after just 4 weeks on such a diet, healthy participants were at increased risk for developing kidney stones, bone loss, and osteoporosis. The main lifestyle reasons why people are overweight are inactivity, uncontrolled portions, and over-consumption of high-fat, empty-calorie foods. Choosing whole-grain, unrefined complex carbs like whole-wheat bread, brown rice, and whole-grain cereals helps induce feelings of fullness (so you eat less) and inhibit fat storage (so fat loss is easier). Protein intake should be moderate, not high, (about 8 grams for every 20 pounds of body weight each day) and should come mostly from plant and lean animal sources. Losing weight is not easy, but choosing a variety of healthy foods, controlling your portions, eating balanced meals, and exercising are all proactive approaches to a healthy lifestyle plan.

Myth #4: Margarine is better than butter. Truthfully, neither one is great, but each can be consumed occasionally. Butter is cream and therefore contains saturated fat and cholesterol, but margarine is made with hydrogenated vegetable oils to make it solid. Margarine in stick form has the most trans fats and is more heart-damaging than butter. Olive oil is the best fat to use for both cooking and for dipping bread, since it has little saturated fat, no trans fat, and lots of heart-healthy fats. If you want a spread that you can eat regularly, try to choose those in tubs that are very soft. Some margarine spreads state they have no trans fats on the label, but make sure they also have little to no saturated fat.

Myth #5: Eating healthy is expensive. A healthy diet emphasizes unprocessed natural foods. Processed foods can be expensive and are usually not very nutritious. Once you eliminate these extras, you could see your grocery bill go down-especially if you buy California-grown produce in season. Another money-saving and health-promoting step is to cook more and eat out less often. Whether it's fast food or fancy dinners, the prepared food you purchase is a lot more expensive and a lot more fatty, salty, and caloric than food you would prepare at home.

Myth#6: People with diabetes should not eat sugar. First, this would be nearly impossible to achieve, since most healthy foods have at least a little bit of sugar in them. Second, it's not necessary because sugary foods, especially fruits and dairy products, can be worked into any diabetic eating plan. Like any healthy diet, a diabetic diet needs to emphasize portion control and balanced meals that contain whole grains, vegetables, and protein. This is a high-fiber, moderate-protein, nutrient-dense food combination that optimizes blood sugar control. Diabetics need to be particularly vigilant about the types and amount of carbohydrates they eat, but small amounts of sugary foods can be counted as carbohydrates and worked into the diet, especially if good blood sugar control has been established.

Myth #7: If you work out, you need to eat a lot more protein. Extra protein won't help you build more muscle-only exercise builds muscle. Adding extra protein is not necessary because most people (including well-informed vegetarians) already have plenty of protein in their diets. The important issues for athletic people are getting enough carbohydrates and fluids. The fuel you need for lifting weights, playing tennis, playing basketball, or even sprinting are carbohydrates stored in the muscle as glycogen. Complex carbs, not protein, are the optimum energy source for athletic people. Drinking adequate fluids (especially water) before, during, and after a workout is one of the most important things you can do to improve your performance and to prevent dehydration.

Myth #8: Everyone needs vitamin supplements. If you eat a balanced diet, a vitamin supplement is not usually necessary. Research has shown that the people who take multivitamin supplements are usually the people who need them the least, since they are already eating a variety of nutritious foods, like fruits and vegetables, daily. Foods contain unique combinations of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients that can't be replicated in pills. Vitamins can help prevent nutrient deficiencies, but they cannot take the place of food. Pregnant women, vegans, and people with special medical conditions may need vitamin supplements, and should talk to a registered dietitian or a doctor before they start taking one.

How much sodium can I remove from my canned beans and vegetables if I rinse them before I use them? - Customer at Sherman Oaks

I always recommend rinsing and draining canned beans and vegetables in a colander before you cook or eat them. Salt is usually added to canned food for flavor and preservation purposes, but it's not necessary and many brands now offer no-salt-added and low-sodium versions of the originals. Rinsing your canned foods under cold running water helps to remove 30-40% of the sodium. Rinsing low-sodium items would be a good additional step if you're watching your sodium intake closely. Remember that some foods, like celery, naturally contain some sodium and that can't be removed.

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The nutrition recommendations found in our newsletters are general in nature and are not tailored to specific health problems. Talk to your physician or other qualified health care practitioner concerning particular health issues or before beginning any nutritional program.