Exercise
5 common health and wellbeing myths it’s time to stop believing
We’re all about keeping things simple and balanced here at Liz Earle Wellbeing, prioritising our physical and mental health with the right nutrition and movement.
But with so much information out there, deciphering what’s worthwhile for your health and wellbeing can be difficult. What’s more, health fads can make it even more challenging to know what’s best.
Over the years, many wellbeing myths have been peddled, causing confusion over whether they’re fact or fiction or if they could do more harm than good.
With this in mind, we’re here to debunk some of the biggest wellbeing myths we’ve come across over the years.
Health and wellbeing myths it’s time to stop believing
Low-fat is healthier
For many years, fats were seen as the demon of the dieting world. But they actually play a vital role for our health and wellbeing.
Fats help to keep us fuller for longer, help the body to absorb fat soluble vitamins such as A, D, E and K, and help to keep our energy levels more stable.
In fact, low-fat products, such as yoghurt, tend to be higher in sugars to retain the taste.
The takeaway? It’s time to stop being scared of fats when it comes to healthy eating and instead see them as an important part of a well-rounded diet.
Yoni steaming
Known as yoni steaming or vagina steaming, this technique involves squatting over a pot of hot water with herbs to ‘cleanse’ the vagina.
Yoni steaming surged in popularity after actress and wellbeing fanatic, Gwyneth Paltrow, said she did it. Some salons and spas offer it as a treatment for stress, haemorrhoids, infections and more.
Not only can it result in burns and scalds to the sensitive skin down there (especially if you’re trying at home), there’s no scientific evidence to suggest it has any benefit for our health.
Plus, your vagina is a self-cleaning organ so needs no help from a herbal steam session. In short? Please don’t steam your vagina.
All calories are equal
It’s true that keeping count of your calorie intake can be effective and a helpful guide when trying to lose weight, especially to start with.
But it’s important to remember th
at all calories are not equal. What do we mean? Well, while two chocolate digestive biscuits have around the same amount of calories as half an avocado, nutritionally and metabolically they aren’t the same.
Avocado is teeming with healthy fats and fibre to help keep you full. On the other hand, a couple of chocolate digestives are high in sugar and can spike your blood sugar. This means they might not fill you up for very long.
So, while a couple of chocolate biscuits might fit in with your calorie intake for the day, they have little beneficial nutritional value overall. That being said, a little of what you fancy sometimes can do the world of good!
It’s time to stop letting those little numbers dictate too much of what and how much you eat. Instead, focus on what it is you’re eating.
Waist training
An hourglass figure has long been seen as a ‘desirable’ body shape, with many celebrities pushing waist trainers to shape up our waistlines.
Similar to a corset, the idea of these is that they make your waist smaller and more ‘cinched’ when worn regularly.
But many experts say that these won’t make any drastic changes to your body shape. Any hourglass figure formed will be short-lived.
If you really want to trim up your tum, focussing on the right nutrition and exercising will be far more beneficial than any waist trainer.
Weights makes you bulky
If you avoid adding weights into your workouts over fears of becoming bulky, you’re not alone.
While it’s true that weight training will increase your muscle mass, you won’t end up looking like a bodybuilder if you lift heavier weights.
One thing that lifting heavy will do is make you stronger and help to tone you up – a health and fitness goal for many of us.
You can read our guide to adding weights into your workout routine here.
