Surprising Health Misconceptions
In our understanding of a healthy lifestyle, there are some concepts from various sources that are considered wrong by experts.
Can I lose weight by consistently eating low-fat foods?
Misconception One: I can lose weight if I consistently eat low-fat foods.
Fact: Most Americans eat low-fat foods, yet many of them are getting fatter. This is enough to show that the above view is wrong. A national survey in the United States found that in 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, which means that although the fat content of the food is reduced, 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 eat a full cup under the "low-fat" illusion, which means your total calorie intake is 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 the calories you need per day.
Misconception Two: I am recovering from a cold, so I won't be infected again at this time.
Fact: Before dispelling this misconception, you need to understand a common fact: the viruses that cause "colds" actually number in the hundreds. Different viruses attacking the human immune system produce different results. Since 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 infected again 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 than them sneezing at you. At the same time, you should also pay attention to drinking more water and getting more rest, which are good ways to avoid catching a cold again.
Do I have to go to the gym to get a good workout?
Misconception Three: I must go to the gym to get a good workout.
Fact: You can get adequate exercise from daily physical activities without ever going to the gym, or even without wearing sportswear. The American College of Sports Medicine believes that 30 minutes of light physical activity per 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, for example, 10 minutes of cycling, 10 minutes of jogging, 8 minutes of fast stair climbing, plus 2 minutes of aerobics following a TV program. Your minimum goal is to burn 150 calories per 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.
Are "natural" foods better for your health?
Misconception Four: "Natural" foods are better for your health.
Fact: This is a huge misconception. For example, arsenic is a natural substance, but it is highly toxic. Although the unprocessed natural foods or medicines purchased 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 they cannot be guaranteed to be safe or effective.
Although some preliminary studies have shown that vitamin E is beneficial for preventing and treating cardiovascular diseases, this research is still in its early stages. No one can tell the exact dose of vitamin E for treating cardiovascular diseases. What's worse, various "natural" nutritional supplements are now available in the food cabinets of stores or supermarkets. You need to know that treating these supplements as food and as medicine are two completely different concepts. Manufacturers and merchants who use the "natural" banner never list the side effects of these supplements on the product description. Experts remind customers who are interested in trying "natural nutritional supplements" to follow medical advice before purchasing or taking them.
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