We’ve all heard them. Those crazy little stories and myths that have been passed around like re-runs of a bad dream. And some of them are really far fetched. There have been a few though that do sound like legitimate concerns and I will address them here.

Myth: Low-Carb plans tell you to eat nothing but bacon, meats and cheese.

Fact: Nothing could be further from the truth. While bacon, red meat and various cheeses are certainly allowed on low-carb plans, you are also advised to eat generous portions of non-starcy veggies, low-glycemic fruits and nuts. In later stages some plans add back whole grains in moderate amounts. I’m sure you’ve heard someone say “Low-carbers eat a pound of bacon for breakfast!” We love bacon at our house, but even my growing pre-teen son, who never seems to get full, can’t eat a whole pound of bacon in one setting. The idea is absurd.

Myth: Exercise is not part of a low-carb plan.

Fact: Exercise is very much a part of a healthy low-carb routine. The most talked about low-carb plan on the face of the planet, Atkins, has an entire chapter dedicated to this topic. Chapter 22 of Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution is titled “Exercise: It’s Non-Negotiable”. Then Dr. Atkins goes into several pages explaining the health benefits of exercise and dispelling misconceptions about carb-loading. He even goes so far as to say “If you aren’t getting regular exercise, you aren’t following the Atkins Nutritional Approach.” And he’s not the only low-carb plan author that feels this way.

Myth: Ketosis is dangerous.

Fact: Ketosis is perfectly safe and occurs when the body burns it’s own fat, which is one of two fuel sources available to us- the other being glucose from carbohydrates. Many times ketosis is mistaken for a dangerous condition seen in Type 1 diabetics called ketoacidosis. This occurs when a person’s blood sugar is out of control and he or she is unable to produce insulin. In short, ketosis is using up your stored fat. According to Drs. Mike and Mary Dan Eades in their book Protein Power (page 148), ketones are actually the preferred fuel source of our heart and kidneys. Dr. Luber Styrer, a professor of Biochemistry at Stanford University and author of the biochemistry textbook used at most medical schools, says ketones are “normal fuels of respiration and are quantitatively important as sources of energy.” Drs. Donald and Judith Voet, authors of another medical biochemistry textbook, say that ketones “serve as important metaboic fuels for many peripheral tissues, particularly heart and skeletal muscle.”

Myth: Weight lost on low-carb diets are mostly water.

Fact: Say what Willis?!? I know people that have lost over 200 lbs on low-carb plans. Are they seriously trying to tell me these people were bloated that bad? It’s true that in the initial act of cutting carbs will act as a diuretic, but soon the body switches to fat burning and the rest is sweet history. I lost 45 lbs – I was squishy, but not THAT squishy.

Myth: High protein diets cause osteoporosis.

Fact: Wrong again. First, low-carb diets are not high protein. (Again, we don’t just eat meat.) Most people eat no more protein than the did before they started a low-carp plan (unless they were vegetarians or on a starvation diet). Second, high protein diets don’t cause calcium loss. There have been a hoard of studies proving this fallacy wrong, despite its refusal to go away.

Myth: Low-carb diets cause fatigue.

Fact: While it’s common to feel worn out within the first few days of starting a low-carb plan (we affectionally refer to it as the “induction flu”), it’s only temporary. This is caused by withdrawls from the carbohydrates and your metabolic pathways switching gears in to fat burning mode. After a few days this “flu” disappears and most people report having high amounts of energy and clear thinking. Whoo Hoo! No more brain farts!

Myth: Diets high in fat, like Atkins, cause gallbladder diesase.

Fact: I can personally attest to this being completely false. In fact the opposite is proving true. Overwhelming scientific evidence is showing that over 90 percent of gallbladder diesase if formed when fat intake is low. (Ever heard the term use it or lose it? It applys here.) At age 23 I suffered from terrible gallstones. It was so bad infact that my doctor scheduled emergency surgery to remove my gallbladder. At that point I had been vigorously following the low-fat dogma for many years. At a follow up visit with my doctor, he informed me that my low-fat diet had caused my troubles. I was so flabbergasted by this bit of information that I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. Low-fat is supposed to be the healthiest way to eat, right? The government says so. (I believe the government statement just made my point for me.)

Myth: Diets that promote high fat intake will raise cholesterol levels and increase the risk for heart disease.

Fact: That’s just hooey! First, there is not one – I repeat – not one study that proves dietary fat and high cholesterol causes heart disease. Ancel Keys theory connecting fat consumption to heart disease was based on what is considered his masterpiece The Seven Countries Study, which included some 13,000 middle aged men in sixteen mostly rural populations in Italy, Yugoslavia, Greece, Finland, the Neatherlands, Japan and the United States.Sadly this study was fatally flawed. Keys chose to use only the seven countries that would support his hypothesis. In reality he had studied 22 countries, but as any good scientist, he ditched the other 15 countries because they didn’t prove his point. Despite the lack of evidence that dietary fat caused heart disease, consensus won out and it became nutritional law. For more information on the whole cholesterol issue, be sure to check out the fantastic book by Dr. Malcom Kendrick called The Great Cholesterol Con: The Truth About What Really Causes Heart Disease and How to Avoid It.

Myth: When you quit a low-carb diet you gain back all the weigh you lost – and more!

Fact: Actually, this one is true. But here’s why. You can only stay thin and healthy by eating healthy. If you go back to eating the foods that caused your weight gain the first place, guess what? You’re gonna be right back where you started, or worse, heavier. And this is true for any diet plan, not just low-carb. Someone please assure me common sense isn’t dead. With statements like these, I sometimes wonder.

Myth: Too much protein is bad for your kidneys.

Fact: Again, low-carb diets are not necessarily high-protein diets. Putting that tidbit aside, there is not one study showing that a protein-containing diet causes any form of kidney disease. *BUZZ* Wrong again!

Myth: Low-carb diets make you bark like a dog.

Fact: Ok, I had to include this one just because it cracks me up. I actually saw this complaint on a forum once. Speaking as someone who has been living the low-carb lifestyle for many years, I can personally vouch that I have never barked like a dog because of my food choices. Any barking I have done has been completely of my own volition. And no, I won’t delve further into those details.