If you’ve ever tried to get healthy and stay that way, then you know how hard it can be. Our society is inundated with myths about nutrition and exercise, so it’s no wonder why people struggle so much with their health. Luckily for all of us, some common myths are so far off the mark that they deserve a good debunking. Here are five of these myths.
1. No pain, no gain
It’s a common misconception that you must push through the pain to get results. The truth is, exercise is good for you and can feel great—as long as you’re doing what’s suitable for your body. If an exercise hurts or seems like too much work, it may be time to stop or switch up your routine. On the other hand, if you don’t feel any pain at all in a movement but still want more of a challenge? Go ahead—keep going!
2. Your genes dictate your health
Many people believe that their genes determine how healthy they are, but this isn’t always true. Your DNA may set the stage for specific health issues, but it’s up to you to act—or not act—in ways that keep your body happy and healthy over time. If you eat right and exercise regularly, then your genes will thank you for it!
Also, remember that genes are not set in stone. Although your parents might have a specific condition, you may be able to prevent it from happening to you. For example, if your parents have high blood pressure, nothing is stopping you from eating right and exercising regularly so that their fate doesn’t become yours.
3. Detoxification can improve your health
Detoxing is a popular trend these days, and many people believe it’s necessary to detox the body regularly. The truth is that your body already has its own built-in detoxification system—it’s called your liver! Your liver does an excellent job of removing toxins from your bloodstream daily. You don’t need to do anything special to help it along; just eat right and exercise regularly so that your body can continue functioning well.
4. Food labels can be misleading
This may come as a surprise to you, but nutrition facts on food labels are not always accurate. Food manufacturers can use marketing tricks and loopholes to make their products appear healthier than they actually are. For example, some foods with high sugar content will have “no fat” listed in their nutrition facts box.
This is because most of the carbohydrates in these foods come from sugar, which has no fat or protein and therefore doesn’t count towards the total carbohydrate grams in each serving. In addition, nutrition facts on food labels do not tell you about the nutritional value of the food you are eating—they only tell you how many calories are contained within one serving size of that food item (and sometimes only per 100 grams).
5. Supplements are a key part of maintaining good health and fitness
Supplements are not a substitute for a healthy diet. Taking supplements won’t magically make you healthier and certainly can’t replace exercise. Supplements are meant to augment your diet and lifestyle, not act as a replacement for either.
An essential factor to consider when taking supplements is that they may have side effects and interact with other medications or health conditions you may have. In some cases, you should also be wary of what’s inside the bottle because some ingredients can be dangerous (such as ephedrine). Take time to learn about how each supplement works before using it regularly to know how best to integrate it into your life while avoiding potential problems down the road.
6. Medical checkups aren’t that necessary
The last and most important myth to be dispelled is that medical checkups aren’t necessary. You should get a checkup at least once a year, and you might need to go more often if your lifestyle puts you at risk for certain diseases or conditions.
However, there are many people out there who believe that they don’t need to go because they are healthy. While this may be true in some cases, we would argue that most people do not know how their body works from the inside out. We all have different bodies—some of us more naturally resilient than others. And everyone can benefit from getting tested for potential diseases like diabetes or high cholesterol levels, even if we’re feeling great! On top of all this, new technologies like blood tests make it easier to detect certain illnesses early on before they become serious health problems later down the line.
This also goes for regularly visiting your dentist and checking if your dental health is in prime condition. When you visit the dentist, make sure to take a full-mouth X-ray. This way, the dentist can check if there are any cavities or problems with your teeth that you may not have been aware of. Impacted wisdom teeth are a common issue that an X-ray can detect. If not detected, they could cause pain, infection, and damage to other teeth. Therefore, wisdom tooth extraction may be recommended to prevent these problems.
You may have a wisdom tooth that needs to be pulled out, or your teeth may need to be cleaned and whitened, but you’re far better off knowing about these things before they get out of hand.
Final thoughts
These myths can make it hard for you to reach your health goals. By avoiding these common misconceptions, you’ll be able to focus on what matters most: living a healthy lifestyle that keeps you happy and healthy for life. As a result, you’ll be able to make better decisions about your health and feel better too.
