WHEN it comes to our health and wellbeing, some conventional wisdom is actually highly questionable.
It might sound reasonable, but have you ever really thought about why you do these things? Here are 7 supposedly healthy habits that are actually wasting your time.
1. Choosing low-fat or no-fat products
Ever wondered how they get low-fat biscuits, rice crackers and ready meals with labels boasting 99% fat-free, to taste so good? The answer is sugar and/or salt.
Many processed foods that are marketed as ‘low-fat’ have more calories than their full fat equivalents, due to large amounts of added sugars. It is very important to read labels carefully.
So while that low-fat choc-chip cookie you’re wolfing down guiltlessly may have little to no fat, it probably contains just as many calories, if not more, than the full-fat version.
In addition, fat promotes satiety, so you’re less likely to overeat at the next meal. And we need some fat in our diet for various body functions.
2. Assuming sugar-free means guilt-free
Just because products that contain artificial sweeteners, such as diet soft-drinks and cereals, are sugar-free, doesn’t mean they’re calorie-free.
The “ultra sweet” taste of sweeteners desensitises our tastebuds to sweetness to the point where we can’t detect the natural sweetness in foods like fruits and vegetables.
And even if your food product of choice is very low-cal, it’s probably also lacking any nutritional value — a waste of your eating time! Real food is always the best choice.
“Use the natural sweetener xylitol in baked goods and drinks instead of adding sugar,” suggest body+soul Nutritionist, Lisa Guy, “Xylitol is very low in calories and won’t send blood sugar levels soaring.”
3. Avoiding eating after 8pm, because you won’t be able to burn off the calories
“Your body burns calories at the same rate no matter what time of day it is,” says body+soul Personal Trainer, Kirsty Welsh.
If you’re on the couch mindlessly eating chips while watching TV, then it’s likely you’re taking in unnecessary calories. On the other hand, it’s far preferable to have a healthy dinner after 8pm than to go to bed hungry.
Changes in weight depend on the energy equation. If you stick to a balanced plan and do not exceed our total calorie needs, there should be no cause for weight gain.
Anything we don’t burn off before heading to bed, we will burn off in our sleep or the next morning.
4. Refrain from snacking between meals
“It is important to graze, eat smaller, healthy meals more often, including snacks,” say Lisa.
A couple of snacks throughout the day will provide ongoing energy. A healthy snack between meals can also decrease your hunger and keeps you from overeating at meal time. Just ensure you’re snacking on the right types of foods and not overdoing your portions or calorie intake.
If you are choosing healthy snacks, you are not only topping up on the nutrition you get from your main meals, but you are helping to keep your metabolism stoked.
5. Brushing your teeth straight after meals
Brushing your teeth directly after meals can do more harm than good.
“Fruits, particularly orange or lemon juice, vinegar, sport drinks and soft drinks, all have a very high level of acidity in them and what they do is soften the enamel,” says Dr. Peter Alldritt, Chairman of the Australian Dental Association’s oral health committee.
“If you then go and brush your teeth straight away you’re going to damage the softened enamel.”
It’s best to wait 30 minutes before brushing, or try eating a piece of cheese to neutralise the acids.
6. Drinking 8 glasses of water a day
The truth is, there’s no one-size-fits-all rule here. How much water you need to drink depends on your environment, your size, your diet and your level of physical activity.
“Drink at least 2 Litres of water daily, in-between meals,” says Lisa.
Eight glasses of water is about 2L, but don’t forget we get about 20% of our water intake from the food we eat. Other beverages, such as fruit juice, milk and tea, also count towards your water intake. Also that amount needs to increase if it’s a particularly hot day or you’re working out.
Apart from thirst, the best way to tell if you’re a bit too parched is the colour of your urine. If it’s pale, you’re well hydrated. If it’s a dark yellow, you need to top up your fluids.
7. Eating celery because it has ‘negative calories’
Various foods — mostly fruits and vegetables — attract the claim that they are “negative calorie”, meaning you burn more energy consuming them than you gain by eating them.
According to Dr Karl Kruzelnicki, 100g of celery will give you about 11.5 calories. And the energy needed to process all these carbs will be about 1 calorie — which leaves you with about 10.5 calories. It’s not a huge amount, but it’s definitely not negative calories.
And even if eating celery did create a tiny calorie deficit, this really would only have an impact on your weight if you were replacing other more calorific foods with celery. And how much celery can one person eat?
This story originally appeared on Body + Soul
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