When it comes to healthy living, there is a lot of advice on there — so how can you tell what’s real and what’s not in terms of solid advice? Several experts weighed in and helped compile this list of 7 seemingly smart health tips that are actually bad for your health! Check it out below:
1. Don’t eat after a certain point at night or you’ll gain weight. Your body is not going to turn into a pumpkin if you eat after a certain hour in the day. Sure, timing plays a part in how your eating habits impact weight loss, because unhealthy foods are the worst for you when you eat them at inactive times throughout the day, but a cookie at 3pm is just as bad for you as a cookie at 11pm. Apply the same rules of healthy eating twenty-four hours a day, and you won’t have any issues.
2. Stop snacking if you want to lose weight. Having a snack is not what is causing you to retain or gain weight — eating junk is. By eating between meals, you actually help keep your blood sugar up and prevent yourself from overindulging later. Try snacking on fruits, veggies, and lean proteins.
3. Cut fat from your diet because it makes you fat. Fat helps speed digestion, regulate your blood sugar and hormones, and keeps you full and energized. Do not cut fat from your diet — just make sure you are eating the right kind — fats from whole foods (avocados, coconut, eggs, nuts, etc.).
4. Cut carbs from your diet because they are terrible for you. Carbs are your body’s main source of energy; if you cut them completely you’ll feel sick! Get your carbs from the right places — whole foods such as sweet potatoes, bananas, whole wheat, etc.
5. No pain, no gain. There is no point in working out until you’re in pain. You do not need to, or should you, give your max effort in every workout. Instead, shoot for 85% of your max effort — this will help keep you safe, free from injury, and less likely to burnout.
6. Take Vitamin C when you’re sick. Start taking your health seriously and treating your immune system proactively. Chiropractic adjustments help make sure your nervous system is functioning as it should — keeping your body healthy! You can also boost your immune system by loading up on foods rich in vitamins and minerals.
7. Do cardio to lean out, and lift weights to bulk up. Listen up. You’re not going to become The Incredible Hulk if you start lifting weights unless you’re actively trying to bulk up (and it takes a lot more than just weightlifting to make that happen). Cardio will burn plenty of calories, but it won’t increase your resting metabolic rate — having more muscle will! In reality, a healthy combination of cardio and weight lifting makes the perfect workout.
What other “health tips” have you been told that are actually terrible for your health? Share them in the comments below so that others can learn!
