A lot of lifestyle habits are beneficial to your overall wellbeing. However, some wellness advice is actually misplaced, and can do a lot of damage to your physical and mental health. Here are some health mantras that are actually myths.
1. Cardio Is All You Need to Do to Lose Weight: Joseph Ciccone, DPT, CSCS, a physical therapist at ColumbiaDoctors Eastside Sports Therapy in New York, warns, ‘If you only do cardio, your body will become so accustomed to the routine that you’ll start to burn less fat over time.’ Wellness expert Amanda Greene adds, ‘Plus, going through repeated motions on the treadmill or elliptical machine can create tight muscles and lead to injury. Trade in a few of your cardio workouts for circuit training, which involves doing a number of different strength training exercises with little rest between moves in order to keep your heart rate up while also working out your entire body, ensuring that you’ll burn the most calories — without burning out. Integrating resistance training into your routine will create muscle mass, which will help you burn more calories throughout the day, even when you’re at rest…Try doing 30 seconds of high intensity motion, whether you’re on the treadmill, elliptical machine or in the swimming pool, followed by 90 seconds of recovery at a moderate pace, working your way up to 10 repetitions. The bursts of intensity followed by recovery will effectively and efficiently blast calories and fat.’
2. Skip Your Meals to Save Up for Later: ‘Women have gotten into the habit of saving their calories for the fun stuff later on,’ cautions says Danine Fruge, MD, associate medical director at Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa in Miami. ‘Unfortunately when you don’t eat breakfast or lunch, you can develop cravings and irritability, which can lead to overeating later on in the day.’ Instead, Greene recommends a smarter approach to eating: ‘Fill up on protein-packed meals and nutrient-rich snacks that’ll keep your satisfied all day, so when dinnertime or cocktail hour rolls around you won’t be tempted to fill your plate with calorie-rich and high-fat foods.’
3. You Should Only Drink Bottled Water: Greg Diamond, DDS, a New York City periodontist, notes, ‘Bottled water contains no fluoride, and we’re seeing more and more adults suffer from a fluoride deficiency, which can lead to tooth decay. Instead, fill your glass with water purified by a Brita or PUR water filtration system.’ Greene explains this ‘will keep your water free from impurities commonly found in tap water, but still allow you to reap the benefits of fluoride.’
4. You Should Clean with Disinfecting Products: ‘These products haven’t been proven to be any more effective than regular cleaning products,’ says Rebecca Sutton, PhD, senior scientist at the Environmental Working Group. ‘And there is significant evidence that the chemicals in these disinfecting cleansers — called quaternary ammonium compounds — can lead to asthma… Your goal should be to clean regularly. That way you’ll get rid of dirt, so there’s no place for bacteria to grow.’ Greene details, ‘Other cleaning product chemicals to avoid include 2-butoxyethanol, which the Environmental Protection Agency considers a human carcinogen and has been linked to cancer; alkylphenol ethoxylates, which can disrupt hormones; and ethanolamines, which can cause asthma. But because cleaning product companies aren’t required to list most ingredients on their product labels (you can call or go online instead), it can be tough to know what to buy. However, Seventh Generation, an eco-friendly company, clearly lists their ingredients on their labels, so that’s one option. [As is] cleaning with a mixture of one part water and one part vinegar, or scrubbing surfaces with baking soda.’