Everyone wants to be healthy. But there are a lot of misconceptions about what that means and how to get there. The result is confusion, frustration and wasted time and money as we try one fad after another in search of the answer .
The good news is, there’s no need to be so confused. Most of what we’re led to believe about health just isn’t true, and the things that are true aren’t always easy to understand. This article will take a look at ten common myths and bust them for you in plain English.
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Get Rid Of Sugar Completely
It’s tempting to view sugar as the enemy and try to banish it from your diet. Doing so probably isn’t realistic, and there’s no evidence that it will do you any good. In fact, there’s some concern about the long-term effects of a sugar-free diet. For instance, we rely on glucose for quick energy and while many foods convert fairly easily to glucose, such as bread and potatoes , taking carbohydrates out of your diet means taking them out of your body .
Sugar is not healthy or unhealthy. The key is moderation, keep added sugars low (no more than one third of your daily calories) and spread them evenly across all the foods you eat , rather than concentrating them in sugary snacks.
Eat A Low-Fat Diet
This is one of the oldest health myths out there, and it doesn’t seem to be going away. But it’s not true. The idea comes from old studies that have been debunked over and over again, showing that people who ate a lot of fat became less healthy than those who didn’t . What nobody mentioned in these studies is that when somebody reduces their intake of something, they’re probably cutting back on other things too, like sugar for example! People eat low-fat cookies because they think they’re healthy, but then end up eating three times as many because the recipe calls for extra sugar!
It’s a lose-lose situation. In reality, fat is good for you! You can’t go wrong by increasing your intake of healthy fats like coconut oil and olive oil or even eating more meat and eggs if you want to .
Our Bodies Can’t Absorb Vitamins and Minerals
It’s true that our bodies can’t absorb all of the nutrients in foods. But just because some vitamins and minerals are wasted doesn’t mean your body gets nothing out of them . Your body still absorbs these same nutrients if you take supplements instead, just in smaller amounts than what you’d get from a full meal. So while there may be a difference in the quantity that’s absorbed , it’s not significant enough to make an impact on your overall health . In fact, it might even be beneficial to take vitamin supplements when you’re sick or pregnant , since your food won’t have as much value at those times.
You Should Never Miss A Workout
People say all the time that you’ll never get as fit as you could be if you skip a workout now and then. And while it’s true that exercising regularly is good for your health , there’s no reason to force yourself to exercise if you don’t feel like it. You can still enjoy many of the benefits of working out even if you only do so every once in a while. Sometimes, taking a break from exercise can refresh and reinvigorate your body . Exercise too much or too little, though, and it stops being healthy.
Snacking Is Bad For Your Diet
If people told you this one was true, they’re wrong! It’s true that eating more calories than your body needs at one time makes it harder to lose weight, but this isn’t always bad. In fact, it’s healthy to eat between three and five small meals a day, each consisting of about 200 calories . This gives your muscles the energy they need to stay active throughout the day while also preventing unnecessary hunger pangs. Research has shown that people who eat more often weigh less than those who wait longer between meals, even if they end up eating the same amount of food.
