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Healthy living myths
Opinion: Don't believe everything you're told about health.
I think every child in my neighbourhood was scared of eating watermelons, after a friend warned that the seeds could germinate and grow in the stomach! However, I hope we are now old enough to realise that the benefits of eating fruit far outweigh any risk associated with swallowing seeds.
That’s not the only myth about eating out there though, so the following article cuts through some common healthy living myths. Now’s the chance to double check that what your mother says is actually true!
Some people are of the opinion that smog will hurt your complexion. Little evidence proves that dirty air directly harms your skin. So people - don't use the excuse of protecting your skin as a reason to not go out for a walk! However, the exceptions are cigarette smoke and sun damage. It has been shown that cigarette smoke inhibits blood flow to the skin, retards healing and hastens wrinkles. Also, UVA and UVB rays from the sun can both cause skin damage and skin cancer.
Can steam detoxify your skin? Yes, saunas and steam rooms leave you radiant, but they don't give you a permanent solution. It is impossible to sweat out cellular debris and dirt because, guess what? The only thing in your sweat ducts is sweat. Your dirt and debris will have to come off with traditional soap and lukewarm water.
Some women tend to be afraid of weights because they think strength training gives women a bulky masculine physique. Look around, how many muscly women do you see in a day? Exactly. This is because it’s hard for the majority of women to build muscles. This is due to the fact that women have relatively low levels of the hormone testosterone, which influences muscle growth. Weight training (once a professional shows you how to use the weights correctly) can be a good way to tone up. Just be careful to build up slowly, and don't be afraid you'll turn into a man!
Are you one of those people who doesn't eat after 6pm because you were told eating late in the evening causes weight gain? The time you eat doesn't necessarily influence your weight. What and how much you eat, the state of your health and how much physical activity you do in a day are what determines your weight. No matter what time you eat, your body will store extra calories as fat. If you wake up and don't feel rested it might be because your body has been running on your last meal, which may have been twelve hours previously.
Thinking that low-fat or non-fat means no calories is silly. A low-fat or non-fat food often has fewer calories than the full fat equivalent. However, sometimes the non-fat or reduced fat version of a food product is simply a chemical Frankenstein (also known as a Frankenfood) of the original. The supposed healthier product may contain added sugar, flour or starch thickener to improve flavour and texture after the fat is removed. Chemical additives that are harmful to your body could be added too. The best approach is to compare the calories of the two types, found on their food labels. It may be healthier for you to have smaller portions of the normal product, rather than more of the 'fat-free' one!
Hopefully I haven't made you start questioning your friends! I have to thank the research team at Trinity for giving me the facts I needed to produce this piece for you. Well as long as you’re living, you might as well be healthy! Good Luck!
By: Laura Keogh
