Health Tips You Might Want to Ignore

I try to stay up on the latest fitness and nutrition trends.  I read online articles just to see what is out there, because the advice being given is often being written by people with no background in health or nutrition.   I read an article last week that nearly caused me to fall off my chair.  If this is the latest advice, I can see why our country continues to struggle with obesity, diabetes and other weight related issues.

The article was discussing health rules you can break.  The #1 rule to break- 8 glasses of water a day.  The author's suggestion- eat your water.  Now, I get what they are saying- fruits and vegetables have a high water content and can help with hydration.  However, why on earth would someone substitute a healthy, calorie-free practice for one that contains calories?  An orange is a great source of water, but it also has 62 calories.  No where in the article did it discuss offsetting the 62 calories by eating less.  PLEASE EAT THE ORANGE, just not as a substitute for a glass of water.  Eat the orange with a glass of water.  Water helps you to feel full and will keep your hunger more in check.  When dehydrated, the body will trigger hunger in addition to thirst.  Why risk the confusion?  There is such a thing as too much water, but we are talking gallons, not glasses.  Stick with the water.

The #2 rule to break- Eat 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day.  The new recommendation-fill half your plate with fruits and veggies.  Honestly, the new rule is OK advice, but the old rule is much more specific.  The vast majority of the population does not get enough fruits and vegetables (french fries don't count!), so I think it is extremely important to keep stressing the actual amount.  If people followed this rule, we would be a lot lighter, have fewer heart attacks, lower incidence of diabetes and less cancer.

Why attack these two wonderful pieces of advice?  Some things do not need updating.  Especially when the "updates" can be so easily misunderstood or manipulated to make bad habits seem healthy.  Looking at the top rule makes a smoothie seem like a better idea than a water bottle.  Rule number two is vague and will result in a person eating less fruits and vegetables.  I will stick with the outdated advice!