Saturday, April 5, 2008

6 HEALTH MYTHS THAT YOU SHOULD IGNORE



It seems like the scope of fitness and nutritional advice from, professionals, celebrities and scientific health pros are limitless. But there are some things that just don’t make sense. Funk has compiled six health myths and why we should ignore them.



1. THE LESS FAT YOU EAT, THE BETTER – There are four different kinds of fats: Saturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and trans-fat. . Avoid saturated and trans-fats, which are associated with the increase blood cholesterol. The other two fats, however, lower blood cholesterol, increase nutrient absorption and enhance food flavour. AN adult should have about 65 grams or less of fat each day. Less than a third of that should be “bad” fats, so stay away from processed foods. Supplement your meals with healthy fats found in foods like avocado, almonds and olive oil.



2. HIGH-PROTEIN, LOW-CARB DIETS ARE THE MOST EFFECTIVE FOR WEIGHT LOSS – While the low-carb diet has long been a trendy option, it cannot support optimal health for long. Restricting essential carbohydrates prevents you from getting the vitamins and minerals that you need to keep your body healthy. Adequate carbohydrates must be consumed daily to restore glycogen levels.



3. YOU CAN LOSE AND MAINTAIN WEIGHT WITHOUT EXERCISE AND YOU CAN EAT WHATEVER YOU WANT IF YOU DO EXERCISE – Both myths are a recipe for unhealthy living. You can lose weight without exercise, but cutting calories to the extreme will only lead to eating disorders. And as good as physical activity is for you, if you don’t couple it with a proper diet, it won’t help you lose weight. Remember the weight loss only occurs when you burn more calories than you eat.



4. FRUIT AND SPORTS DRINKS ARE GOOD REPLACEMENTS FOR WATER – Although fruit and sports drinks contain water, they are not replacements for it. Sports drinks overdose in sodium (to replace loss by excessive sweating) and sugar (to supplement depleted carbohydrate reserves). These drinks should be reserved for athletes who endured extended strenuous workouts. Sports and Fruit drinks add countless calories along with flavour.



5. WHEN FOODS ARE “LOW-FAT” OR “FAT-FREE” YOU CAN EAT AS MUCH OF THEM AS YOU LIKE – Most low-fat and fat-free foods are highly processed. And while they boast less fat, they don’t supply much nutritionally. They contain too many calories because manufacturers add-sugar, flour and starch to replace flavour lost through fat removal. Don’t get duped by a label: Just because a food is lowfat doesn’t mean it’s calorie-free. Eat foods naturally low in fat like vegetables, fruits and whole grains.



6. AVOID LIFTING WEIGHTS BECAUSE THEY WILL MAKE YOU BULK UP – This is a myth that is probably the number one excuse by women looking to avoid weight training. While men gain bulk when they lift, women can weight train to increase muscle definition without looking like a bodybuilder. The reason for the difference is that females have one-tenth the amount of testosterone levels that males have. Women who weight train help themselves lose body fat and build lean muscle. They become stronger, firmer and can strengthen bone density which will help prevent osteoporosis.

Funk Roberts







1 comment:

  1. Nice list, i hear all these (or see them happening) all the time, and it's easy to fall into weird mindsets like these...

    the most confusing of it for me is the high protein/low carb route... I mean, weren't we always told carbs were essential for active/exercising lifestyles? this approach is just a shortcut to avoid the hard parts of diet and exercise and in the end it really does not work out all that well in the general health sense (didn't atkins die of a heartattack?)

    Here is nice guide to safe and truly healthy weight loss approaches... It's more vital that the body receives what it needs rather than just receiving the appearance it desires

    ReplyDelete

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