Maintaining health and wellness is vital, and more people are engaging in better nutrition programs and beginning new fitness plans in an effort to enhance their well-being and extend their lifespan. Some struggle to accomplish what they deem the ideal body by eating diets consisting of foods that claim to offer all the recommended nutrients but often fall short. In many of these instances, as we strive to reach our goals, the recommendations that we’re following are based on myths relating to our well-being.
Weeding through the myths to find the facts about health and wellness can be challenging in our mission to develop good habits. Many of us tend to buy into the things that we hear mostly on channels such as social media despite the lack of scientific evidence or even particularly strong research. These notions are usually ideas that we may have already held some faith in, and the anecdotal successes pushed us into further belief, or the strong influence that is the social medium was enough to convince us.
Myths Concerning Our Health And Wellness
The market is full of ideas about what will make you the healthiest and strongest version of yourself. There is a multitude of different diet plans, each touting to be the ideal regimen for ‘clean eating.’ Exercise routines are promoting that regimens should be high impact, intense, and others claiming fitness should be peaceful, intentional, and slow. And then there are massive amounts of health and wellness supplements and nutritional aids to help with what you’re not getting on your own, each claiming to be the best. With the variety of conflicting information and all the competition, no one knows the difference between fact and fiction, with many buying into the myths being presented. Some follow:
- Myth: Nutritional supplements are always going to result in a healthier person. For as many supplements that you find on the market today, each promises its own potential outcome. Protein supplements tout as assisting in the process of building lean muscle as far as fitness goes. Others, such as dietary supplements, can help with nutrients, including calcium, and then there are vitamins. As with anything, however, research finds that there are instances for risk causing potential short-term or even long-term health issues making it essential to consult a physician when initiating a substance.
- Myth: Having food at nighttime will result in weight gain. As long as you are healthy in your eating practices, it isn’t relevant what time of day you have something. Those who keep track of their daily calories, engage in whole natural foods, and live an active lifestyle, can eat at any time that you’d like. Your choices should be low in sugar concentration to avoid spikes in blood sugar and try not to act on cravings.
- Myth: Enjoying a diet of fat is going to result in your being fat. It is necessary to have a moderate amount of fat for a healthy body. When indulging in a meal with fat, it has the potential to bring the feeling of being full, not to mention the flavor that it adds. We obtain energy from the macronutrients that it provides, making it an essential part of our daily diet. Other nutrients that we may not be getting in our diet that are essential come by way of supplements for which experts give advice at https://m.huffingtonpost.com.au/2017/01/09/these-are-the-supplements-health-experts-actually-use_a_21651291/.
- Myth: Hydration can be measured through a person having clear urine. You should keep watch of your urine as a measure of your hydration because any time it becomes darker than that of apple juice, it’s an indication that you need to take in more water. Clear urine touts as being excessive and not what you should expect but rather a pale yellow. The various foods and drinks that you consume will affect the shade, such as juices, coffee, as well as any type of diuretics.
- Myth: You can never have enough water. It is rare, but overhydrating is possible and is dangerous. Hyponatremia is one of many diseases that can result from drinking too much. The sodium concentrations dilute to the point that the cells begin to swell within the body. When this occurs, there is the potential for coma to set in with symptoms starting as headache, vomiting, and nausea. Every person is different as to how much water you should take in. Always drink when you’re thirsty, drink based on need, but don’t feel as though you have a required amount that you have to take in on a particular day. Do realize though that overdose takes massive quantities.
- Myth: You’ll get fat if you indulge in carbohydrates. Carbs make up the macronutrients along with fat and protein required for the body to function correctly. Any foods that deem rich in carbs are a combination of three types of carbohydrates, including sugar, starch, and dietary fiber. These work in conjunction with each other together with the protein and the fat. The fibrous carbs have the most substantial health effect meaning not all carbs are responsible for making you fat but instead need to be consumed for your well-being. For seniors to get their recommended vitamins and nutrients, supplements are sometimes critical, read here.
- Myth: Taking the recommended 10,000 steps each day means there’s no need to exercise. The suggestion of the steps is to assist in preventing disease for individuals who didn’t participate in regular activity. For those who start to do this from a point of being inactive, you will improve your overall fitness but it only counts as a very weak aerobics. It’s not intended to replace a full work-out, nor can it render the same type of results. It’s not ideal for sticking to the same technique with your activities regularly. Instead, you should mix it up with some resistance training, aerobics, and flexibility routines for more exceptional results.
Ideally, the best way to approach health and wellness is to research the theories to see if any scientific studies back them up. In this way, you’re not hopping onto the latest trend but participating in something that may genuinely be good for your overall well-being.