Myth 1: If I stick to eating low-fat foods, I can lose weight.
Fact: Most Americans eat low-fat foods, but many of them are still getting fatter. This is enough to prove that the above view is wrong.
A nationwide survey in the United States found that over the past 14 years, despite reducing the fat in food by 7% through various means, the number of people who are overweight has increased by 9%. Even if you replace high-fat foods with low-fat foods, your weight can still increase. This is because even though you are eating low-fat foods, you are very likely to consume more calories. This means that while the fat content of the food has decreased, you are eating more than before.
For example, there is only a 40-calorie difference between half a cup of vanilla ice cream and half a cup of low-fat vanilla ice cream. But you are very likely to let yourself eat a full cup under the "low-fat" illusion, which means your total calorie intake will be more than half a cup of regular vanilla ice cream. In any case, reducing the fat in food is correct, but if you are losing weight, in addition to paying attention to the amount of fat, you should also calculate the total calories. The total daily calorie requirement for women is between 1600 and 2000. Multiply your weight (in pounds) by 12 to get an approximate value of your daily calorie requirement.
Myth 2: I am recovering from a cold, so I will not be infected again at this time.
Fact: Before dispelling this myth, you need to understand a common fact: the viruses that cause the "common cold" actually number in the hundreds.
Different viruses attacking the human immune system produce different results. Because we have antibodies ourselves, the vast majority of them have no effect on the human body. However, those viruses that lack corresponding antibodies will cause cold symptoms. If your body has already produced antibodies against a certain virus during a cold, you will not be infected with a cold caused by the same virus again.
However, if your family or friend gets a cold due to a combination of multiple viruses, and one of them is a virus for which you do not have corresponding antibodies in your body, you are very likely to be re-infected during the recovery process. Although the surface symptoms may be exactly the same, the virus that caused your cold this time is different from the last one, so the effect of the same medicine on you will also be different. The way to avoid this repeated infection is to wash your hands frequently and thoroughly. Although many people believe that colds are spread through the air, the fact is that shaking hands with a cold person is more likely to infect you with a cold than them sneezing at you. At the same time, you should also pay attention to drinking more water and getting more rest, which are all good ways to avoid catching a cold again.
Myth 3: I have to go to a gym to get a good workout.
Fact: You can get adequate exercise from daily physical activities without ever going to a gym, or even without wearing sportswear.
The American College of Sports Medicine believes that 30 minutes of light physical activity a day is enough to make you feel energetic, physically fit, and resist the erosion of various chronic diseases. You don't have to do 30 minutes of exercise at once every day. You can intersperse various activities throughout the day, such as 10 minutes of cycling, 10 minutes of jogging, 8 minutes of brisk stair climbing, plus a 2-minute fitness routine following a TV program. Your minimum goal is to burn 150 calories a day, of course the more the better. And 150 calories can be easily burned by playing ball, cycling, walking to work, and doing housework for more than an hour.
Myth 4: "Natural" foods are better for your health.
Fact: This is a huge mistake. For example, arsenic is a natural substance, but it is highly toxic.
Although the unprocessed natural foods or medicines you buy in stores or pharmacies may be safe, you are not guaranteed this. Many vitamin supplements, mineral supplements, and herbal supplements are labeled as "all-natural foods", but the content of various substances in them may not meet standards, so their safety or effectiveness cannot be guaranteed. Although some preliminary research suggests that vitamin E is beneficial for preventing and treating cardiovascular diseases, this research is still in its early stages. No one can state the exact dose of vitamin E for treating cardiovascular disease.
What's worse, various "natural" nutritional supplements are now available on the shelves of stores or supermarkets. You must know that treating these supplements as food and as medicine are two completely different concepts. Manufacturers and merchants who use the banner of "natural" never list the side effects of these supplements on their product labels. Experts remind customers who are interested in trying "natural nutritional supplements" to follow their doctor's advice before purchasing or taking them.