healthy lifestyle Archives - Page 29 of 54

What’s the REAL Scoop on Vitamins?

What’s on your list of things that are vital to your health? Exercising? Eating right? Getting enough sleep? How about taking your daily vitamins or supplements? According to a recent poll, a whopping 86% of Americans say that they take vitamins or supplements – that’s more than 4 out of 5 of us. Yet the same study shows that only 24% of those people actually have any kind of nutritional deficiency that would require them to take dietary supplements. Another study has found that we spend more than $12 billion a year on vitamins and supplements! It might be time to re-examine why you’re taking vitamins and supplements and whether they’re actually doing anything positive for your health. At best, some could be useless and a waste of money; at worst, some could actually be harming you.

Multivitamins

orange pill bottle laying on a table with long white pills spilling out of it — *Multivitamins are essentially useless because we get all the vitamins we need from food.*

If you’re going to find one type of vitamin in someone’s cupboard, it’s probably going to be a multivitamin. These pills have been touted as a necessity for everyone, claiming to pump you full of all the vitamins that your body needs, and that you’re probably lacking in. The truth is, though, that you’re probably not lacking in these nutrients. Most of us get all the vitamins that we need, like C, A, and B, from the foods that we eat.

Beyond the very doubtful necessity of taking a multivitamin, there might be even bigger drawbacks to these little pills or gummies. While many studies on them have produced mixed results, with some claiming slight benefits and others showing no benefits at all, some studies have actually found an increased risk of mortality and cancers in people who regularly take multivitamins. In addition, people who consume normal amounts of things like vitamin A and iron in their diets should be careful with supplements: too much of these things can be toxic.

Vitamin D

This is one vitamin that is difficult to get from foods. We also get it from sunlight, but because of where many of us live, or the lifestyles we lead, it can be difficult to get enough that way, as well. Because vitamin D is necessary for strong bones, teeth, and muscles, and because recent studies suggest that it may help fight off infections, you should consider talking to your doctor about adding this supplement into your routine.

strawberries on a chopping block with them split in half — *You are better off eating strawberries to get your vitamin C than taking supplements.*

Vitamin C

File this one under: complete waste of money. In the 1970s, chemist Linus Pauling suggested that vitamin C could help fight colds, and the idea stuck, eventually spawning a whole industry of “immune-boosting” products containing vitamin C. But study after study has found no evidence that taking vitamin C supplements helps with, well, anything. Eat your strawberries instead!

Zinc

So it turns out that taking extra vitamin C is pretty useless (you’ll just end up peeing out the excess, which could even lead to painful kidney stones), but zinc might actually be the one thing that can help you if you’ve got the sniffles. Studies have found that this mineral interferes with the replication of rhinoviruses, the bugs that cause the common cold. In fact, one recent study compared people sick with colds who were taking zinc versus those who were taking a placebo, and did find that the ones taking zinc experienced less severe symptoms and recovered more quickly than those taking the placebo.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E protects our body from free radicals and boosts our immunity, and for a while, many people were excited by the idea that taking it as a supplement could help ward off everything from cancer to heart disease. But the results of studies have been mixed at best, and the current recommendation is that healthy people should not be taking a vitamin E supplement.

Like vitamin A (which can be toxic in large amounts), and unlike vitamin C (which is water soluble) vitamin E is fat soluble, meaning it will be absorbed and stored by your body, so large amounts of it can build up. And high doses of vitamin E have been linked to an increased risk of bleeding, stroke, and even certain cancers, like prostate cancer. So skip the supplement and dive into some leafy greens instead! Don’t like getting your Popeye on? Then all you need to do is eat a handful of sunflower seeds and you’re good to go.

Folic Acid

The answer to whether you should be taking folic acid really depends on who you are. This supplement is important for pregnant women or women who want to get pregnant; in fact, the National Institutes of Health recommends that these women take 400 micrograms of this nutrient daily to support their bodies’ as they carry a growing fetus. In addition, several large studies have suggested that taking folic acid during pregnancy helps reduce the risk of neural-tube defects, and serious, life-threatening birth defects of the baby’s brain, spine, or spinal cord.

Probiotics

These bacterial supplements might be the priciest pills on the list: they can cost upwards of $1 per pill, and their wild popularity with people looking to support their gut health has spawned a $23 billion dollar industry. So are they worth the cost and the hype? For now, we’re going to have to say no. For one thing, there just hasn’t been enough promising research that suggests they actually do anything positive for everyone who takes them. As Carrie Daniel-MacDougall, Ph.D., M.P.H., a nutritional epidemiologist, points out, the same issue with most supplements applies to probiotics, as well: “More research needs to be done on probiotics in general and probiotic supplements, but it’s always better to get your nutrients from food rather than supplements. They just don’t deliver the same benefits as food.”

drawing of intestine on a blackboard with red and white pills inside of the drawing — *Probiotics can actually disrupt the bacteria balance in your gut.*

Daniel-MacDougall also points out that there’s a chance probiotic supplements could have a negative affect on your body. “Maybe a probiotic supplement will have a positive effect on your digestive system if you’re lucky, but it’s likely it will have no effect,” Daniel-MacDougall says. “And it could even disrupt or displace some of the good bacteria you already have.” These pills could disrupt the delicate and very personal balance of bacteria in your gut and you could end up with chronic stomach aches or problems with digestion and bloating as your body struggles to adjust. Our suggestion? Stick with plain yogurt (regular or Greek, jazzed up with fruit or honey if you don’t like it plain), or, if you’re into them, fermented foods like sauerkraut or kimchi.

When it comes down to it, with a few exceptions like zinc, vitamin D, and folic acid, which can be used in specific ways for specific people, most vitamins and supplements don’t seem to be worth the money we’re spending on them. There just aren’t studies that consistently prove that they live up to their hype, and there are even some studies suggesting that some could be harmful. Vitamins and supplements can also vary wildly in their quality and ingredients, since they aren’t as closely regulated as food and medications. Your best bet is to stick with eating a balanced diet so that you can be sure you’re getting all the nutrients you need – in their purest and most potent form! Oh, and don’t forget the exercising and getting enough sleep part! Too bad they can’t put those in a bottle…

Kids Bouncing Off the Walls? Don’t Blame the Sugar!

As parents, we know there are lots of reasons why we shouldn’t be overloading our kids with sugar. A treat now and then is no big deal, but a steady diet of sweets can lead to health issues now and later in life. But is hyperactivity one of the reasons that you consider sugar a problem for your kids? How many times have you thought, “Oh great, his grandma got him all hopped up on sugar and now I’m going to have to deal with it!” or “She’s never going to sleep again after all that cake and candy she ate at that party!” If you’re one of the many parents who have fretted over their kids having too much energy after a sugar-filled holiday or party, you’re not alone. But are you right to worry, or is it all in your head? And why do kids have so much energy anyway?

Why Do We Associate Sugar with Hyperactivity?

While it may seem like we’ve always intuitively associated eating too much sugar with overactivity in children, we didn’t always believe this. In fact, the whole idea that food affects behavior can be traced back to one doctor and his diet. In 1973, allergist Benjamin Feingold, M.D. created his “Feingold Diet,” which advocated for eliminating all additives such as artificial colors and flavors from one’s diet. Feingold believed that removing these additives could help to treat allergies and help reduce hyperactivity.

Although Dr. Feingold didn’t specifically target sugar as the most important thing to eliminate from a family’s diet, the idea that any type of food additive could be linked to behavior spread quickly. Refined sugar came under scrutiny as just another unhealthy thing added to children’s food, and parents began to associate it with exacerbating behavioral issues or overactivity in their children.

The Research

an assortment of different kinds of candies in bins — *An experiment was conducted in 1994 that shows sucrose and sugar has no effect on children’s behavior.*

The idea that sugar affects behavior has become ingrained in our collective consciousness, but the truth is that there is no science to support it. All of the claims from parents that cookies and candy led to wild behavior in their kids began encouraging debate in the scientific community, who began studying whether sugar actually has an affect on children’s behavior. The result: various studies over several decades have found no evidence that sugar or artificial sweeteners cause hyperactivity, or even any kind of behavioral changes, in children.

Scientists actually came to this conclusion in the mid-1990s. In a 1994 study, children (some of whom were described by their parents as “sensitive to sugar”) and their families were placed on a different diet for three consecutive three-week periods. For each period, the families consumed a diet either high in sucrose with no artificial sweeteners, a diet low in sucrose and containing aspartame (artificial sweetener), or a diet low in sucrose and containing saccharin (the placebo). Parents were asked to keep track of their children’s behavior throughout each three-week period.

The conclusion of all the tests performed by the scientists, as well as the reports from parents, was that sugar and artificial sweeteners had “no discernible behavioral or cognitive effects” on the children. In addition, in 1995, the Journal of the American Medical Association reviewed all the various studies done on this subject and also concluded that sugar does not lead to hyperactivity in children.

Parental Expectations

If scientists debunked the idea that sugar causes hyperactivity in children in the mid-1990s, then why do so many of us still believe it? Well, the one common thing that did change in all of these studies was the parents’ expectations of their children’s behavior. For example, in one study, parents who were told their 5-7-year-old sons were given large amounts of sugar (when they had actually been given a placebo) were significantly more likely to describe their children as very hyperactive than the parents who were told their children had received a placebo.

Parents who believe that sugar makes kids crazy are more likely to see a link between sugar and hyperactivity. In addition, you just need to think about where and when children tend to eat a lot of sugar to understand why they might seem overstimulated to parents afterwards. Birthday parties, holidays, visits to their grandparent’s house – all of these special occasions can be exciting and have relaxed rules, meaning that it might be the situation and not the food that is causing your child to act differently.

The Scientific Reason Children Have So Much Energy

Whatever the research says about children and sugar, there’s no denying that kids have a lot of energy. Besides the reasons mentioned above, there are also scientific reasons behind it that aren’t related to diet. For one thing, a study published in Frontiers in Physiology found that young children have muscles that can perform at a similar level to those of endurance athletes. Children were pitted against endurance athletes on stationary bikes and were found to tire less easily.

caucasian little girl on a stationary bike with wires connected and a man sitting down in the background watching — *Kids were put on a stationary bike against athletes and they were less tired due to less lactic acid.*

Not only that, but in these tests, their bodies bounced back faster after exercise. According to researchers, kids just don’t seem to have the same anaerobic system as adults. Anaerobic energy is burned during short, strength-building activities like jumping, sprinting, or weight training. It causes your body to produce lactate, which builds up in your muscles and makes you feel tired. Children don’t produce as much lactic acid, meaning that they won’t feel as tired after lots of activity the way you will after a session at the gym. All of this could explain why running them around at the park doesn’t always work to tire them out!

But it’s not only their physiology that makes them so energetic. Think about your child’s relationship to the world around them, and to their own bodies. Everything is new to them, and they are learning who they are and how they fit into the world. It’s natural that this will make them seem like they’re bursting with energy! As pediatrician Dr. Ken Haller points out, “At 4, a child has gained control over her body. This gives her a feeling of independence, and it naturally leads to more active behavior.”

Whatever the reason for your child’s high energy levels, it can feel exhausting to keep up with them! We totally get that. The take-aways, though? Don’t worry that the occasional sugar-fest is going to drive them nuts; instead, focus on feeding them healthy foods when you can so you can properly fuel their play, and sit back and enjoy the show as they come into their own!

Resolve to Ditch the Resolutions This Year

Now that New Year’s has come and gone, what’s on your mind? Are you reflecting on the past year? Or are you looking forward to the year to come? Or maybe you, like many people, made weighty resolutions in the last few weeks with the hope that they would magically transform you into a new you for the new year. Now maybe you’re either trying to muster up the motivation to get started on them or feeling guilty that you’ve put them on the back burner. Not to be a downer, but by March, those resolutions will probably have disappeared into thin air. Depending on the study you look at, anywhere from 88 – 92% of people fail to keep their New Year’s resolutions. So, you know what? Go with it! Ditch the whole idea of resolutions; instead, think outside of the box of traditional New Year’s resolutions and try some of these alternatives instead!

1. Choose a Word of the Year

cloud of different positive words — *Choose a word for the year and put it somewhere you will see it everyday as a reminder to live it.*

Discipline. Patience. Joy. Compassion. Action. Fun. What is going to move you this year? If you were to sit down and make a list of all the things you wanted for yourself this year, like working harder towards a goal, engaging in more community action or activism, or having more social time, you would probably find that there was a pattern or a theme. So try and distill your hopes for how you want to live in the new year down to one word. Post that word somewhere you look everyday, and strive to live each day with that word in mind.

2. Start a Monthly Goals List

You can also call this your personal list of 30-day challenges. Sure, the usual 30-day challenges can range from silly to self-esteem damaging, but these are your own personal sets of goals that you make up for yourself. They don’t require being competitive with anyone else, or even with yourself. Making a 30-day challenge, or a monthly goals list, is just a way to break down the usual huge, 365-day resolutions. All you need to do is establish one small goal to reach each month; you can set them all in January or make them up as you go.

For example, in January, you can plan to exercise three times a week, even if it’s only the 7-minute workout. In February, you can plan to get back in touch with at least four people you’ve been meaning to contact (one a week). In March, you can try to get on top of meal planning, in April, you can pick one closet to clean out or you can decide to get rid of 10 items a week, and so on.

3. Get Experimental

The problem with traditional resolutions might be all in the framing. They often seem so negative, harsh, or punishing – like, I really need to lose weight so I have to run on the treadmill everyday for 30 minutes even though I hate running. What’s the point in that, and where is the joy? Sure, wanting to improve your health is always a good idea, but if you deprive yourself of fun, you’ll never stick with any type of goal or resolution. Instead, decide to make this year a year of curiosity and experimentation.

Try conducting weekly “experiments,” and see where they lead – you might find some new habits that are worth sticking with. For example, decide to see what happens if you speak to five new people everyday for a week. You might find yourself coming out of your shell, conquering shyness, or making new friends. Or experiment with taking a brisk walk each morning for a week, and see if it energizes you. Try going vegan for a week and see how it feels! Most importantly, don’t beat yourself up if your weekly experiments end up not being right for you; simply find a new experiment the next week and see if that one works better!

4. Make a New Year’s Bucket List

The idea of a traditional bucket list might seem a little bit morbid, but you can reframe the idea as a joyful way to start your new year. Instead of making resolutions or setting goals to complete tasks or change your lifestyle, simply make a list of things you actually want to do in the coming year. You can pick 52 small things, like taking a dance class or trying your hand at a new cuisine, or you can try to plan 12 big things, like a helicopter ride or a big trip.

typewriter with the words "1 year=365 opportunities" written in the middle — *Create a year round project that you can partake in everyday.*

5. Create a Project 365

This is a great resolution alternative that you can really get creative with. Pick something achievable that you can do every day of the year, and see what you’ve got at the end of the year. For example, take a picture of the same thing (like a favorite tree, your child, your hair, etc), read one short story or chapter/essay from a nonfiction book, or write 500 (or more!) words every day. You might end up with a lovely photography project, a greater knowledge of a subject you’ve been interested in, or a small collection of writing that you can turn into a larger piece.

6. Be Practical

Another problem with New Year’s resolutions is that they are not only usually negatively framed, but they are also often too big and vague. Decluttering your house is a great goal, but might not be specific or practical enough. Instead, try something like a 100-thing challenge, in which you set a goal to get rid of 100 things that you don’t need throughout the year.

7. Find Things to Look Forward To

white notebook with black polka dots that says "enjoy the little things" in the middle, with a pink pen next to it. — *Make a list of things you are looking forward to this year, not resolutions to accomplish.*

If you’re reading this in 2021, then last year may have been a tough one for you, as it was for many people. But whether or not you had a rough year, now is the time to move on and start looking to the future. So instead of setting tasks for yourself, make a list of things that you are looking forward to in the new year. It can be as big as a wedding or a trip, or as small as a new novel coming out, a new takeout place that’s opening, or a new season of your favorite TV show.

It’s time to take the dread out of New Year’s! The start of a new year should be a time of hope and renewal, not of punishment and guilt. If making resolutions leads you down a negative path, then resolve to ditch those resolutions! You don’t need to tackle an overwhelming task or change your entire life, just start with small steps. You can make this time of year – and all year long – the time to find ways to live life to the fullest and to be as happy and healthy as possible!

Can Art Make a Difference in the Lives of Those Living with Dementia?

It can be easy to focus on the things that we lose as we age. Energy, sleep, even taste buds! The possibility of losing one’s memory can be the scariest thing of all, and, unfortunately, it does happen to many people as they age. In fact, it has been estimated that 1 in 14 people over the age of 65 will be affected by some form of dementia. Researchers are working hard to find ways to slow down or even cure Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, but, unfortunately, as of now, there is no cure. However, there is definitely some very promising research showing that our brain’s capacity for creativity doesn’t diminish, and that using creativity can help improve quality of life for those with dementia.

Does Dementia Affect Creativity?

Many researchers are finding that programs teaching art or using art as a jumping off point for discussion can be more than just a way to pass the time for those suffering from dementia. They can rebuild confidence, as well as allow participants a way to express themselves and even communicate more effectively. Researchers are also finding that artists can continue to practice their art, whether it’s painting, music, or writing, no matter their diagnosis; their art may change, but that doesn’t mean it changes for the worse.

older hands holding a piece of construction paper with a person in blue scrubs sitting next to them — Researchers find that people with dementia can continue to practice art, and even become better at it.

According to Anne Basting, director of the Center on Age and Community at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, “People look at dementia as loss and deficit. They never assume people with dementia can grow or learn anything [but] that’s what we’re witnessing: growth and expression and skill-building.” Basting has pioneered writing and other arts programs for people with dementia; she has seen firsthand how the people she works with use art to bypass traditional ways of expressing themselves and get their point across in other ways.

When it comes to people who were artists before their diagnosis, neurologist Bruce L. Miller, MD, of the University of California, San Francisco has found that their work can actually become more original as their dementia progresses. In addition, he has seen dementia patients who were not artists before their diagnosis develop an interest in and a talent for art afterwards.

According to Miller, “We typically don’t think that something could be getting better, we only think about what’s getting worse,” he said. “Now I always ask if there’s anything patients are doing very well, or better than before. It’s a remarkable response to a dementing illness.” All this suggests that the way our brains deal with creativity may be different than the way they deal with our day-to-day functioning.

Artists’ Brains

Is it possible that art can have a long-term positive effect on the brain? Dr. Luis Fornazzari, a neurologist at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, Canada, has been trying to answer just that question, and he and his team have made exciting discoveries. They have found that the brain anatomy of musicians is different from that of others. Their brains had built special “neural networks” that were more resistant to the effects of stroke, dementia, and even traumatic brain injuries. The musicians they worked with could continue to play their music and even learn new songs even if they had been affected by dementia.

Fornazzari and his team also found that painters and artists who draw can continue their craft, and dancers can experience delayed progression of Parkinson’s; one renowned sculptor who was unable to tell time, name certain animals, and recall simple words was able to draw beautiful, detailed sketches of people from memory.

It’s definitely looking like engaging in any kind of creative pursuit can be beneficial to the brain. After looking at all of these promising studies, researchers now believe that art protects the brain and gives it an alternative way to function. “We noticed for instance that some of the artists lost their speech. They couldn’t talk,” he said. “But at the same time, the art was totally preserved.” For those suffering from dementia, tapping into their creativity could be a way to keep communicating with and connecting to the work around them.

The Benefits of Art on the Brain

So is there any evidence that adding more creativity into the lives of all people suffering from dementia is beneficial? Well, as we already pointed out, there are many programs that offer art classes to dementia patients, and many studies (as well as anecdotal accounts) showing that art is great for people as they age. Now, one study in Australia has even found physical evidence that art has benefits for the brains of even non-artists with dementia.

silhouette of a head in black with white puzzle pieces coming out of it — *Researchers saw that those with dementia remembered details of artwork from the museum they visited.*

Researchers at the University of Canberra studied participants in an Art and Dementia program at the National Gallery of Australia; these older adults with dementia spent time at the museum engaging with and discussing the artwork. The results? The researchers found that the program made a big difference in cortisol (the “stress hormone”) levels in the participants in the program; participants had lower levels after spending time at the program. High cortisol levels are often associated with more rapid cognitive decline, so this was very good news.

Not only that, but researchers were surprised to find that some of the participants could remember specific artwork, describe it in detail, and talk about what they liked about it after the program ended. They also said that they experienced less “sundowning,” or confusion that sets in later in the day.

These results are hopeful. They are showing that art can improve quality of life for many people and can help maintain connections. The words of some of the participants of the Art and Dementia program say it all: “I feel like me again,” said one. “It is good coming here because we all know we have the same problem so we are accepting when people … forget. I feel as though I belong somewhere.” Another participant wrote, “The only time I feel the purple cloud of my diagnosis lift is when I visit the Gallery”. Finally, one who wrote at the beginning of the program, “I feel as though I am disappearing,” ended it reporting: “It has been so positive, I feel intelligent again.”

All of this proves that we should value art and creativity, and encourage making it a part of everyone’s lives, no matter their age. “Art opens the mind,” according to Luis Fornazzari. “It should be taught to everyone. It’s better than many medications and is as important as mathematics or history.”

Do “Clean,” “Green,” and “Natural” Actually Mean Anything?

What do you look for when you’re shopping for food, beauty products, and cleaning supplies? Are the labels “clean,” “green,” or “natural” important to you, and are you willing to pay more for products with those labels? If so, you’re not alone: sales of products labeled with these descriptions have been soaring over the last decade. In fact, 50% of growth in sales of consumer packaged goods came from products marketed in this way. Not only that, but in a recent study, 86% of millennials and 59% of baby boomers said they would pay more for products with organic/natural ingredients. The percentage is 80% and 61% respectively for “green” or environmentally sustainable products. But what does it really mean when a company claims that their product is “clean,” “green,” or “natural”? Are you getting what you’re paying for, or are you being “greenwashed”?

“Natural”

Let’s start with this very common word. Why does it seem like it’s on every label these days? Because of all three of these terms, “natural” is probably the most meaningless. The word “natural” as it pertains to things like packaged food, skincare, or beauty products isn’t regulated – at all. The FDA pretty much stays out of making rules for labeling things as “natural” but it does offer guidelines in some cases.

For food: The FDA considers the term “natural” to mean that nothing artificial or synthetic, or anything that wouldn’t normally be added to food, is found in the ingredients of a product. But they don’t address food production or processing methods, and their definition doesn’t weigh in on any nutritional or (other) health benefit. The USDA also has guidelines for the term “natural,” but their definition ends up being pretty toothless. They define “natural” as “a product containing no artificial ingredient or added color” that “is only minimally processed,” meaning it’s “processed in a manner that does not fundamentally alter the product.” That means animals raised with hormones and antibiotics can still fall under the “natural” category, as can things like Cheetos and lemon-flavored Oreos.
For beauty, skincare, etc products: For cosmetics, it’s basically the wild west when it comes to defining “natural.” The USDA has no regulations in place and the FDA website states that the “FDA has not defined the term ‘natural’ and has not established a regulatory definition for this term in cosmetic labeling.” According to Perry Romanowski, president of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists, “Really, the term ‘natural’ could refer to almost any product. However, the [Federal Trade Commission] has said that if companies are going to make the claims ‘all natural’ or ‘100 percent natural,’ they can’t use synthetic ingredients. Of course, there is still a lot of wiggle room because they don’t define what qualifies as a ‘synthetic’ ingredient.”
For cleaning products: There are no federal regulations that dictate standards for products labeled as “natural.” In addition, manufacturers of cleaning products are not required to disclose all of their products’ ingredients on their packaging labels, so they could contain toxins or allergens.
Clean products can produce toxins in it.

“Clean”

The term “clean” is generally used for cosmetic items, like makeup, skincare, or other beauty products. It isn’t generally applied to food (unless you’re talking about eating a “clean” diet, but that’s a different topic!) or cleaning products (that would sound redundant!). But what does it mean when it’s applied to other products? Like “natural,” the term “clean” is not regulated by the FDA so companies can use it however they like; however, “clean” is a little more clearly defined than “natural”:

Clean products are defined as products that are formulated without any known or suspected toxins.
While “clean” isn’t regulated, there is generally a long list of ingredients that clean products claim to be free from, like sulfates and parabens. That doesn’t mean that they don’t contain synthetic (or lab-created) ingredients, like hyaluronic acid, but they do claim that any non-naturally occurring ingredients are safe. It is important to note that not all chemicals are bad and not all toxins are unnatural. We should also note that the FDA has only banned 11 chemicals in cosmetics, so it’s up to brands (and consumers) to define clean for themselves.

“Green”

The term “green” is generally used to describe products that are considered “environmentally friendly”, which can be a very subjective idea. This term also seems to be everywhere these days, as it is also unregulated and can have a huge amount of meanings – possibly even more than the murky term “natural.” “Green” is usually applied to cleaning and common household products; companies might also use it to describe how they operate. Companies use this term very loosely (like “natural”), often using it even though they do the bare minimum to be eco-friendly. It’s generally agreed that “green” products should be:

Grown without the use of toxic chemicals and in hygienic conditions
Recyclable, reusable and biodegradable
Packaged in an eco-friendly way
Manufactured using the least resources possible

green leaf in the middle with words earth friendly around it — *The term “green” is used loosely on products.*

Companies might tout their products as green simply because they’ve used post-consumer recycled materials, they only sell locally to reduce their carbon footprint, or they use a carbon offset program if they sell nationally or internationally. Some companies might go so far as to claim they are “green” because one of their products contains a “sustainable” ingredient, or they use less packaging. When it comes to verifying the “green” claim, you really do need to do a lot of research into how a company operates.

So is it worth it to seek out products that are labeled as “clean,” “natural,” or “green”? We’ll answer with a very tentative yes, but with lots of caveats. If it is important to you to purchase products that are better for you and better for the planet, then be brand and ingredient aware. Check out the companies you’re purchasing from, and check out every label. Take it a step further and check out the ingredients on those labels: there are lots of great websites and apps that rate the safety of ingredients. There are also sites where you can research companies that are making claims of safety and environmentally friendliness.

If you’re really committed to using “natural,” “green,” and “clean” products in your home and on your body, then consider making them yourself! With the internet, we’ve got a never ending source of information, including fabulous recipes for beauty and cleaning products. And when it comes to your food, it’s probably best to ignore those “natural” labels on packaged foods, and follow the wise advice to do most of your food shopping on the outer edges of the store – the produce and dairy aisles. That way, you can make your own, genuinely natural meals and snacks! But if you do end up with a package of lemon-flavored Oreos (huh?) once in a while, you’ll probably be ok.

7 Popular Health Myths Debunked!

There are some things that we know aren’t true. “Old wives’ tales” like eating bread crusts will make your hair curly, shaving will make your hair grow back thicker and darker, or making silly faces will result in a permanently silly face seem ridiculous to us now. But there are actually a lot of popular health myths still floating around out there, and many of us still believe them. In fact, more than 51% of Americans admit to believing in at least one health myth. After all, some of them just sound so logical! In addition, according to a recent study, the average American feels “perfectly healthy” less than half of the year, so it’s no wonder we’re willing to turn to any possible solution for better health. It’s important, though, to be able to tell the difference between fact and fiction, so read on for the real scoop on some popular health myths.

glass of water being poured with water around the cup on the table — *You don’t actually need 8 glasses of water a day!*

You NEED to Drink at Least 8 Glasses of Water a Day

This is probably one of the most commonly believed health myths out there. But there’s actually no science behind the need to drink a random amount of water per day; there isn’t even any scientific evidence that drinking more water improves skin appearance or makes your kidney work any better. This myth may have started with a 1945 Food and Nutrition Board recommendation that said that people need 2.5 liters of water a day, but even that 75-year-old advice came with the caveat that “Most of this quantity is contained in prepared foods.”

Your body is very good at telling you when you’re thirsty and will do so long before you’re dehydrated; if you’re drinking water when thirsty, eating a varied diet with fruits and vegetables, and even drinking tea and coffee, you’ll be plenty hydrated.

All Fat Is Bad

For years, the Dietary Guideline for Americans recommended a low-fat diet and we just can’t seem to shake our belief that fat is bad for us in multiple ways. However, it’s simply not true, and it’s time we got out of that 1990s way of thinking that a low-fat packaged cookie is better for us than nuts or avocado. Most of the myths about fat have been completely debunked, and we know that:

Our bodies do need fat – even our brains are 60% fat!
Fat does not raise blood glucose levels
Not all fats raise cholesterol – monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats don’t raise total cholesterol or LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol). They can help to reduce LDL cholesterol and increase HDL (good cholesterol). Trans fats do raise cholesterol and should be avoided.
Eating fat does not necessarily make you gain weight. In fact, research shows that people who eat a moderate or high-fat diet lose just as much weight or more than people who eat a low-fat diet (especially if they’re replacing healthy, higher fat foods with processed, high-calorie, or sugar-laden replacements). While it is true that fat has more calories per gram than protein or carbs, dietary fat doesn’t automatically convert to body fat. Not all calories are created equal, and excess calories from carbs and protein can also be converted to fat. Fat slows down digestion and helps you to feel more satisfied after a meal.

Adding fats to your diet can actually be beneficial, as long as you add the right ones. Think about eating whole foods and including nuts, nut butter, seeds, fish, avocado, eggs, olives, and olive oil.

Being Cold Gives You a Cold

Your grandmother always told you to bundle up, and scolded you for going out with wet hair, right? While she had your best interests at her, we hate to say that she didn’t really know what she was talking about. Being cold doesn’t actually give you a cold. One study has found that healthy men who spent several hours in temperatures just above freezing had an increase in healthy, virus-fighting activity in their immune systems. In fact, you’re more likely to get sick indoors, where germs are easily passed.

Breakfast Is the Most Important Meal of the Day

dish with an egg on toast and a cup of tea next to it on the table — *Many studies show that skipping breakfast can actually be more beneficial to you.*

Do you know where that saying comes from? A 1917 article in Good Health magazine, which was edited by none other than Dr. J.H. Kellogg – yes, that Kellogg. In fact, most of our beliefs about how important breakfast is continue to come from studies funded by companies that make breakfast foods! Most independent, reputable studies point to the fact that breakfast isn’t more important than any other meal. Not only that, but many scientists are also beginning to agree that people who skip breakfast tend to eat fewer calories and weigh less (just ask any devoted follower of intermittent fasting!)

The problem with breakfast, at least in this country, is that the foods marketed as traditional breakfast foods tend to have more sugar in them than most desserts. So, if you’re a devoted breakfast eater, consider this the next time you’re choosing between a protein-filled egg dish, a cup of granola, or a fruity Greek yogurt cup: the latter two probably each have more sugar in them than a serving of ice cream or a store-bought mini pie.

Feed a Cold, Starve a Fever

Want to live like you’re in the Middle Ages? Then stick to the old “feed a cold, starve a fever” saying. All the way back then, people believed that there were two types of illnesses – those that lowered your body temperature, and those that raised them. The ones that raised them (fevers) needed to be starved to be deprived of energy. Now we know that all viruses need to be treated the same way: with rest, proper nutrition, and, most importantly, fluids.

Toilet Seats Can Make You Sick

We know, public restrooms are the worst. But don’t worry, it’s extremely unlikely that you’re going to catch anything from a toilet seat. Most germs, like viruses, can’t survive for long on the cold, hard surface of a toilet seat and sexually transmitted diseases need actual sexual contact to be passed along. What you do need to think twice about? Those faucets and door handles: the icky norovirus can survive on them for quite a while, so remember to always wash your hands!

“Detoxing” Is a Necessary Way to Jumpstart a Healthy Lifestyle

Do you know people who swear by doing some sort of “detox” or “cleanse” to get rid of “toxins” in their body? They fast, then stick to only juices or water spiked with cayenne pepper, and claim they are on their way to better health and/or weight loss. But there is no evidence that “detoxing” actually removes any of those undefined “toxins” from the body. As Edzard Ernst, emeritus professor of complementary medicine at Exeter University says, “The healthy body has kidneys, a liver, skin, even lungs that are detoxifying as we speak. There is no known way – certainly not through detox treatments – to make something that works perfectly well in a healthy body work better.”

Unfortunately, detoxes are mostly hype and marketing. You might lose weight if you drink only water-based concoctions, but you’re bound to gain it back when you resume eating. And if you’re feeling better after your “detoxification”? It may be partly because a detox diet eliminates highly processed foods that have solid fats and added sugar. Simply avoiding these high-calorie, low-nutrition foods for a few days could make you feel a little better.

Health myths are tough to defeat, whether it’s because of marketing or the pure stubbornness of the human race. The best ways to combat misinformation? Keep yourself well-informed, and stick to the basics when it comes to your health: eat a varied diet of healthy foods, get plenty of sleep, take care of yourself when sick, and always wash your hands!