Being healthy is a combination of different factors. Chief among them is having access to the right information from the best sources. With that said, let us look into five of the biggest health and wellness misconceptions today.
Information and Reliability
Regardless of what you are looking for, you will be able to find it online. Whether it is information about job and career opportunities, vacation destinations, history, or anything else, the internet is a virtually unlimited fountain of data. Still, that doesn’t mean you should trust everything you read or come across online. It is especially true in areas that concern your well-being, such as exercise, mental health, and nutrition.
While there is creditable research and even study volunteer opportunities for a long list of ailments, including lung cancer, covid-19, and type 1 diabetes, there are also plenty of websites giving unreliable, dangerous, and outright wrong advice. As a result, you must take the time to confirm everything you read with at least two or three other dependable sources.
All Carbohydrates Are Created Equal
One of the biggest misunderstandings, as it pertains to your nutrition, is that broccoli is a vegetable. That isn’t the case. Broccoli is a carbohydrate, similar to bread, rice, pasta, and grains. The same is true for potatoes.
Nevertheless, like two brothers or sisters vary physically and personality, so do the cellulose-based edibles mentioned above. For example, broccoli contains vitamins, fatty acids, and fibers that assist your body in regulating blood pressure and lead to better heart health.
On the other hand, white rice, albeit delicious and a staple of most countries’ meals, is a source of energy but pretty much nothing else. In addition, the body takes longer to digest it and is considered a highly-processed carbohydrate with many chemicals.
Fat Is Bad for You
In simple terms, a trans-fatty acid, more commonly known as trans fat, is the derivate result of a process of hydrogenation. In essence, you take a healthy oil and extend its life by turning it into a solid. Examples of foods containing trans fats are french fries, popcorn, frozen pizza, and cinnamon rolls. As of 2021, no health benefits have been found to come from them.
Yet, like carbohydrates, fats are also not all made the same. Some like avocado, dates, almonds, and the oils found in fishes like tuna and salmon are very good for you when eaten in moderation. Your body needs them to absorb vitamins D, E, and A. Furthermore, they serve as an added layer of protection against the elements, injury, and autoimmune diseases.
Cardiovascular Activity and Weight Loss
If you want to lose weight and look great for the summer, running, swimming, or riding a bicycle every day is not enough. You also need to engage in strength training, stretch and give your body time to recover and rebuild. Of course, doing something is better than nothing, and as long as you are sweating, you are losing calories. And the more calories you lose, the more weight will come off your physique.
There are two principal reasons why going to the gym to lift weights or staying at home and doing pushups, situps, and band exercises are important. First, they help you build lean muscle, which in turn requires more energy to sustain itself. And when the body needs energy, it usually takes it first from its fat deposits. Second, muscle prevents your organism from gaining weight, not to mention looking much better in front of the mirror.
Dieting and Well-being
A few years ago, millions of people around the world decided to go on the banana diet. It had two versions. The first one argued that if you ate a banana before every meal, your body would metabolize much faster, therefore helping you lose those extra pounds around your waist and under your arms. The second suggested skipping one or two meals a day and replacing them with bananas.
Neither of them worked. Regarding the former, logically speaking, you will never lose weight by eating more food. As for the latter, bananas do not contain all the essential nutrients you need to be healthy.
A good diet must include everything, and not just for your body. By subjecting yourself to extreme diets, there is also immeasurable damage you are causing your mind.
As we have seen, there are five common misconceptions regarding your health and wellness. As always, the key lies in knowing how to filter the information you have access to and making the right choices.