6
Health Gaffes People Make Without a Clue
From gluten to weightlifting to Tylenol, you might be headed for a bewildered demise WRITTEN BY TAYLOR SMITH
THERE COME TIMES IN ALL OUR LIVES WHEN WE MUST TAKE AN INVENTORY OF OUR HABITS. Making that mental,
or sometimes literal, list of things we need to improve upon is an important part of living a healthy lifestyle. Whether it’s our workout routine, our eating habits, or more generally our lifestyle, we sometimes do unhealthy things without fully considering the ramifications, or because we actually think they’re beneficial. The following are six myths that might reveal a disparity between what you believe and what is actually true.
NUTRITION MYTHS
1 “GLUTEN IS THE DEVIL IN DISGUISE”
2 “SUGAR IS THE DEVIL IN DISGUISE”
Gluten has taken quite the bad rap lately. It’s not all for nothing, especially as we learn more about Celiac disease. Many people are cutting gluten out of their diet and claiming they feel better than ever, and even though I’m not one to burst anyone’s bubble (especially when it comes to trying to live a healthy lifestyle), there are some risks in needlessly cutting gluten out of your diet.
I could say, “return to point 1” and that would almost be enough. There are, however, a few things that need to be said about sugar. First of all, I’m not trying to redeem the health value of sugar because that wouldn’t end well for me. On the contrary, I’m simply trying to make a larger point about nutrition—it’s all about balance and moderation. We might (and probably do) consume too much sugar. But cutting sugar out of our diet entirely to reach our nutrition goals might not be necessary. Calories from sugar are no different than calories from fats and proteins. When it comes to weight loss or good nutrition it doesn’t have to be a miserable journey of self-denial, a veritable life in the wilderness living off of vegetables and little else. In the end it’s all about calorie input vs. calorie output. If you can watch how much you snack and try to limit the treats, your weight loss and general nutrition goals are still very achievable. Simply put, sugar can have a place in a healthy diet, as long as it’s in moderation.
“The major risk is that by cutting out gluten you’re also depriving yourself of a primary source of folate, which can lead to an increased risk of heart attack and pre-natal problems for pregnant mothers. Additionally, folate deficiencies can result in weakness, loss of appetite, headaches, heart palpitations, or even anemia.”
66 HEALTHY MAGAZINE 2018
Healthy-Magazines.com
