Old wives have a lot to answer for. These elderly so-called experts have been handing out advice for centuries, yet when it comes to our health, they’re very often wide of the mark. Here’s ten ways you’ve been led astray by the gap-toothed crones…
Myth One: Chewing gum sits undigested in your stomach for seven years
Truth: Gum passes unimpeded through your digestive tract in a couple of days.
Myth Two: The cold causes colds
Truth: You can sprint naked directly from your shower into the Siberian winter air if you fancy, it won’t make it any more likely that you’ll catch a cold. Colds are caused by germs, not temperature. Hypothermia, on the other hand…
Myth Three: Excessive hat wear leads to baldness
Truth: Hipsters rejoice, your trilbies won’t leave those follicles in tatters. This strange little myth can be safely ignored, unless you wear either painfully tight hats that rip the hair away, and/or hats filled with glue.
Myth Four: Swimming after eating is asking for trouble
Truth: Any strenuous exercise is tricky after a big meal, but rumours of stomach cramps that lead to death by drowning are misguided. In fact, if you’re set for a long dip, a pre-swim snack is a useful energy boost.
Myth Five: You can target fat loss
Truth: It’s intuitive to think that sit-ups will kick your spare tyre into touch, but it’s wrong. The fat broken down during exercise comes from all over the body, you can’t just work on those love handles alone.
Myth Six: “Feed a cold, starve a fever”
Truth: As a human, it’s generally wise to eat, especially when your body requires the energy to fight illness of any stripe.
Myth Seven: Cracking your knuckles will give you arthritis
Truth: Clicking your joints in public may generate all manner of disdainful scowls, but is not the fabled fast-track to joint agony.
Myth Eight: You must never start a workout without stretching
Truth: Warm up, by all means, but there’s no evidence that static stretching prevents injuries. If you’re a runner or a cyclist, it might even slow you down.
Myth Nine: Unwashed hair is unhealthy hair
Truth: Steady on with the shampoo. It’s actually squeaky-clean hair that’s crying out for help, as you’ve stripped away its natural oils to leave a dry thatch.
Myth Ten: The popular Chinese-food additive MSG is the devil’s own food, responsible for virtually all the world’s ills
Truth: Monosodium glutamate is only guilty of making even the most gruesome Chinese takeaways taste fantastic.
For more like this, check out Coach magazine. Click here to find out where you can grab your free copy.
No comments:
Post a Comment