Call me lazy, but I love it when I find out that there are things that I thought I should be doing but don't have to. Follow that? Anyway, there was an article from Men's Health called "9 Health Habits That Are a Waste of Time" which debunked a few myths that have been perpetuated for many, many years. Here are a few of my favorites:
1. See your dentist twice a year. From childhood, the dentist was my least favorite appointment and my sisters and I went twice a year. : p Well, guess what? That information came from an old toothpaste ad! There have been studies done that show no evidence that going twice a year has any greater benefit. Once a year is plenty and the article does say that you should go every year as a study by the American Heart Association has shown it reduces risk of heart attack and stroke.
2. Don't eat after 8:00 p.m. In the past I have ignored it. Glad to know I am not doing any horrible damage. I sometimes get hungry before I go to bed. And, if I go to bed hungry, often I can't sleep. I am not crazy, the Assistant Director of Human Nutrition at UCLA, confirmed this point. She told that going to bed hungry can disrupt sleep patterns. And, for people over 60, it can help combat muscle loss. The recommended snack is something with a lot of protein, like a protein shake.
3. Starve a Fever. Nope,you shouldn't do this. "A high temperature boosts your metabolism, causing you to burn calories. If you're weakened, the illness will hang around longer. So try to replace calories any way you can, says Ben Ansell, M.D., director of the Comprehensive Health Program at UCLA." And, he mentions that your body needs more than the normal intake of fluids during a fever.
And, Feed a Cold? There is no scientific basis for this either.
For the other five health habits that are a waste of time, you can check out the rest of the article, here.
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