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Throughout most of our lives, we’ve been told to do certain things in order to be “healthy.” Watch our calories. Work out. Eat more greens. We’re sure you’ve heard it all. But did you know that some of the common things we’ve been told can actually turn out to not be beneficial for us? Depending on your fitness goals, things such as eating a salad every day or reaching for “low-calorie” foods may not actually be the best option for you.
With this, many people feel frustrated with their lack of progress on their fitness goals. While not every point on this list should be followed to the tee (again, depending on your own fitness goals), they are points everyone should keep in mind. Here are 15 of some of the biggest misconceptions about “healthy” habits and how you can avoid and even counteract them.
1. Completely eliminating sweets from your diet
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Yes, we get it. Consuming foods that are packed to the brim with sugar probably isn’t the healthiest thing for you to do. However, before taking the extreme route of eliminating sweets or sugar entirely, one should reconsider. According to health experts, completely starving yourself of sugar and sweets will increase the likelihood of breaking and going on a binge. As they say, moderation is key.
Rather than eliminating sweets entirely, opt for small portions of your favorite treats. With about 200-300 calories worth, there is more than enough to fulfill your daily calorie requirements while also getting your sweet tooth fix. If you are trying to become more toned, it is actually important to receive the required amount of calories per day for your muscles to achieve this. Besides, do you really want to take away a nice treat for yourself at the end of a long day for the rest of your life?
2. Creating a strict “food rules” list
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Outside of medical reasons, there isn’t much need to create a strict “food rules” list (unless you simply just dislike the food. Sorry, mayonnaise). The more one obsesses about which foods they can or cannot eat, the more they will overthink and end up cutting out foods that they might need while overindulging ones that could be harmful. Putting yourself in this situation could just leave you with more stress and anxiety surrounding your health and even lead to an eating disorder. A healthy relationship with food includes one where you don’t have to constantly think about what you’re eating and not eating. As long as you are in line with your specific goal, let your stress guard down a bit.
3. Working out too much
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It can be easy to over-exert yourself at the gym or a workout class. If you are pushing yourself hard to work out 5, 6, or even 7 times a week — you are overdoing it. Muscles don’t grow at the gym, they grow during your rest days and in the kitchen. Not giving your body enough time to rest will ultimately stunt your growth. If you find yourself in this situation, experts want to let you know that it is more than enough to do upward of 3 or 4 workouts per week with rest days in between. Of course, this is as long as you’re pushing yourself sufficiently during your workouts. In between, increased protein intake and rest days (feel your sore muscles? That means your workout worked) will take you much further than yet another gym session.
4. Reducing or completely eliminating carbs
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It seems in recent years there has been a resurgence in carb-free (or heavily reduced carb) diets. “Carbs make you fat!” you may hear some people say. Well, carbs are not the problem. If one is aiming for weight loss, consuming more calories than you burn is the problem. Our bodies require carbohydrates, so they should hold a solid spot in our diet.
Don’t take this completely the wrong way. Simple and processed carbs are not great for you, as they are often packed with sugar and white flour. Whole grain carbs are a fantastic choice, as they give us the required carbohydrates without the overindulgence of sugar. Additionally, they often give a great source of fiber which helps keep things moving in our bodies and offer beneficial gut bacteria.
5. Juice cleanses
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We’ve likely seen this advertised before: juice cleanses are a great way to maintain or jumpstart a healthy diet. While these juices can certainly provide some great nutrients, they lack other vital ones such as protein and healthy fats. Unless you can see the ingredients being used in the juice and you know they are contributing to what you need, they are overall not great long-term options for your health. Additionally, they lack calories which will lead you to be even more hungry, potentially leading you to binge on unhealthier foods in order to feel full. While juices themselves are great options, using them as a detox or ‘cleanse’ should be reconsidered.
6. Brushing your teeth
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We all know that dentists recommend brushing your teeth twice a day — once in the morning and once at night. However, dentists recommend there are certain times when you should NOT brush your teeth. In fact, there are at least three moments where you should avoid brushing your teeth altogether.
Firstly, you should avoid brushing your teeth right after vomiting. Yes, we know that the last thing you want to do after vomiting is let the taste sit in your mouth. When our bodies regurgitate, there is a lot of acid that travels through our esophagus and lingers in our mouths. Its not the best idea to brush our teeth and spread the acid all throughout our teeth, potentially damaging our enamel. So, it’s best to wait at least 30 minutes after before brushing your teeth, or electing for a mouthwash instead.
The second time we should avoid brushing our teeth is right after consuming coffee. Similar to the first point, coffee is quite acidic — especially if using milk or sugar which can increase the acidity even more. Again, the best idea is to wait at least 30 minutes or just rinse out with mouthwash or water so you can rid yourself of most of the acidity.
Lastly, do not brush your teeth immediately after breakfast. Instead, brush them beforehand. When you wake up in the morning, there is a lot of bacteria on your enamel that should be brushed away before you eat your breakfast — otherwise, you will exacerbate the damage to your enamel.
7. Sleeping in on the weekends
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Ok, we know you are guilty of this (because we certainly are!) The reason why it is advised to not sleep in during the weekends is due to recent studies that have found sleeping in during the weekends many lead to poorer heart health than those who had a consistent sleep schedule. According to experts, we should be having between seven to nine hours of sleep per night. If we’re not getting that amount of sleep during the week, we tend to make it up over the weekend. This denies us a consistent sleep schedule for our bodies to get used to, which throws our brains and bodies out of loop and makes them work overtime. By making a habit of having a consistent sleep schedule each night (between seven to nine hours), we signal to our bodies when and when not they can rest and relax in a consistent manner.
8. Forcing yourself to eat vegetables
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“Huh?” we hear you say. You mean my parents forcing us to eat our greens when we were younger was overdoing it? Obviously, consuming vegetables in and of itself isn’t a bad thing. However, it starts becoming a problem when one forces themselves to eat vegetables in order to convince themselves that they are being healthy. If you find yourself regretfully gulping down your greens with a sour face, that will not build a healthy relationship with proper food and nutrients. Instead, try a little flavor. A tiny dash of salt and pepper, paprika, or some sauce goes a long way in building our relationship with the food that our bodies need. Have a salad? A dressing that is low in salt and sugar can make all the difference.
9. Unwinding at night with a glass of red wine
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It’s difficult to go wrong with a glass of red wine after the end of a long day. We’ve heard for what feels like decades that having one glass a night may even be healthy for our hearts. However, a 2022 study found that drinking any alcohol — not just red wine — isn’t good for your health. When consuming alcohol, the risks attached to it can manifest in somebody long before anyone would suspect they have an issue with alcohol. So, casual drinkers beware. According to these studies, there are potential problems even within lower consumption levels, which increase the risks of cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
10. Consuming tea before bed
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Speaking of drinks to avoid before bed, one should always be conscious of the tea they are drinking before bedtime. We know that tea is one of the most popular drinks in the world, and there is nothing better than the feeling of a nice, warm cup right before the eyelids start getting heavy. However, when choosing the right tea, it’s always best to go caffeine-free. Drinking a tea laden with caffeine will just interrupt our sleep schedule. So, herbal tea may be your best option. It’s always recommended to examine the tea packaging before purchasing to ensure that it is caffeine-free. Some great options for this are peppermint or licorice tea.
11. Buying flavored yogurt
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Yogurt may seem like a great option for healthy eating. Most of the time it actually is. The problem lies with yogurt that is packed to the brim with added sugar. Typically, this means flavored yogurt (vanilla, fruity or otherwise). When looking for yogurt to eat, look for the yogurts that are unsweetened. Additionally, you can try to be fancy by adding fruits, granola, or seeds to get even more nutrients. Or opt for Greek or dairy-free yogurt.
12. Eating a salad every single day
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We know that eating a salad is an easy way to make yourself feel like you’re being healthy. In reality, you aren’t completely wrong. Overall, salads can be hit or miss and it completely depends on what you make of it. If you top your greens with nothing but a sugar-loaded dressing and a few other nutrients, then you are missing out on important nutrients that your body needs. However, if it contains important proteins like chicken and other nutrients and vegetables, then it could be a great alternative for a lower-calorie meal. As mentioned, it is what you make of it.
13. Getting a tan — even a light one
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At this point, we’re sure many of us are aware of the link between sun exposure and skin cancer. It is true that exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation has the potential to damage the DNA in skin cells which can lead to skin cancer, due to the damage in the mutations which cause uncontrollable skin cell growth. Additionally, UV rays have been known to accelerate the aging process by breaking down elastin fiber and collagen which can lead to wrinkles.
Don’t take this the wrong way. It is not advisable to completely avoid sun exposure. Sun exposure enables vitamin D synthesis which is extremely important for bone and immune function. So, if you go outside, it is highly advisable to wear sunscreen or wear clothing to protect your skin.
14. Prioritizing Cardio Over Strength Training
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Many people who aim to lose weight are led to believe that all one needs to do is run a lot and nothing else. While cardiovascular exercise is very important for promoting a healthier you, neglecting strength training is often a common mistake that one can make. Weight training and sufficient protein intake is vital for building muscle mass and ultimately promoting a healthy metabolism. Since metabolism naturally declines as we age, we need strength training to help curb the decline.
This is also true for your joints and stability. Since weight training promotes strong posture and bone density, it can help prevent osteoporosis. The perfect scenario is for one to balance their cardio and strength training to ensure optimal health.
15. Thinking Positive Too Often
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Being positive all the time is often viewed as a great quality in a person nowadays. Why wouldn’t it? Why would someone not want to spend their time around positive people? In reality, everybody experiences stress. Stress is often our body trying to send us a message, and it is up to us to decide if it is worth listening to or not.
The downside of ignoring our stressors too often is that we might ultimately ignore genuine emotions that might help us be healthier. If there is a disconnect between what our body needs and our emotional well-being, then it could lead to a toxic relationship with our own bodies.
