Back in the day, we were told butter was bad for us and we should switch to margarine. Only it turned out margarine had unhealthy trans fat, so it was actually worse than butter.
That’s often how it goes, isn’t it? No sooner have we given up, say, chocolate, then we learn dark chocolate isn’t just the best mood booster ever after a breakup, it’s good for cardiovascular health. And maybe sunburn.
Here are 6 myths we'd like to pop a pin in.
You should work out every day of the week.
Your body needs some recovery time, so those muscle fibers you’re breaking down can rebuild stronger. A day or two of gentle stretching or walking per week can be better for you than seven days a week of intense workouts. And overtraining can lead to sleep issues (not that we really need another excuse to skip a day).
High-fructose corn syrup is worse than sugar.
The composition of high fructose corn syrup is about the same as table sugar, it has the same number of calories and has similar effects on blood levels of insulin, glucose, and triglycerides. So they’re pretty much equally bad for you. Stick to fresh fruit for natural sweetness. Or grab an organic cold-pressed Living Juice, which has no added sugar and is packed with nutrients, vitamins, enzymes and minerals.
Microwaving food kills nutrients.
Since it’s not the method of cooking that affects nutrients, but how long food is cooked and how hot it gets, the shorter cooking time of a microwave could actually minimize the loss of precious nutrients. And while we’re on the topic…
Raw vegetables are always healthier than cooked.
There are myriad benefits to a raw, organic food diet. But don’t feel guilty if you cook tomatoes – cooking can boost the amount of lycopene, a potent antioxidant. And heating up vegetables like carrots, spinach and mushrooms can supply more antioxidants like carotenoids and ferulic acid. Downside: cooking will zap precious Vitamin C.
Fresh vegetables are always better than frozen.
Fresh, organic in-season vegetables are indeed better (like the kind used in Living Juice). But “fresh” produce in the supermarket aisle is often picked before it’s ripe, so it hasn’t fully developed vitamins and minerals. Freezing vegetables causes some nutrients to break down but it also locks in others, so while it's not a first choice, it might not be the worst one.
Eggs with brown shells are healthier than eggs with white shells.
Don’t share this fun fact at brunch: the color of the eggshell has nothing to do with nutrition, but with feathers and earlobes. Generally, white eggs come from white hens with white earlobes, while brown eggs are laid by brown hens with red earlobes.
Which makes us want to never look at an omelet again.
