It's always a good idea to keep an eye on your health so you know how your body is doing. Like getting an annual inspection for your car, you'll have a longer and healthier life if you make smart decisions about things like what you eat and how much you exercise.
Some people take this to the extreme by following unhealthy diets or trends to get the health or body image they want. It's just as dangerous to focus too much on your health as it is to not focus on it at all.
So what health trends can you trust? It's hard to know which trends will actually be good for you and which ones don't really do anything at all, but have been picked up by a lot of people. If you're trying to decide what's right for your body, read on to hear about seven health trends. You'll be able to make more informed decisions about your health and get on track to reach the lifestyle you want to achieve.
1. Caffeinated Lotions Can Make Skin Look Younger
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Fact.
No matter what the topic is, people are always looking for an easy way out of their problems. If there's a lotion or pill that says it'll help make that happen, it can quickly become a new fad. It'd be nice if some of these were true, but the reality is that you have to do your research to know the truth.
Celebrities endorse health products all the time, and one of the products they pitch is caffeinated lotion. The idea is that your skin will absorb the caffeine to appear younger and feel softer. Studies haven't been able to measure how much caffeine can actually be absorbed by your skin, but the benefits have become more than clear.
When your skin comes in contact with caffeine, it softens the skin cells and makes your appearance more youthful. It'll give you a natural glow that many look for in cosmetic products. It may also help fight cancerous cells if used regularly, so if you are prone to skin cancer, you might consider switching your lotions.
2. Zero Carbs Means More Weight Loss
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Myth.
Diets pitch the idea of minimizing or eliminating your carb intake to maximize weight loss, but in the long run, it doesn't work that way.
Carbs provide your body with energy, which means if your body doesn't get enough, your metabolism will slow down and weight loss will stall. Balance carbs with lots of veggies and protein to better lose weight.
3. Mineral Water Is a Healthier Option
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Fact.
People need to drink lots of water during the day to stay hydrated, which means there are trends concerning what kind of water you should drink. Is tap water better than filtered water? Should you only drink imported water?
Mineral water is another fad that people have picked up on, but it turns out that mineral water is actually beneficial for your body. You'll get essential minerals that regular water lacks, like magnesium, iron and calcium that will strengthen your body and help fight bacteria.
4. No Pain, No Gain
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Myth.
Those who visit the gym often like to say the phrase, "no pain, no gain." It's meant to encourage you to keep pushing through exercise routines where you feel exhausted and sore. It's good to have that encouragement to keep your routine up, but pushing beyond the pain could leave you hurt.
When you work out, you use muscles in ways you don't normally outside the gym. It causes muscle tears to happen, which lead to that post-workout soreness. If you don't stretch and rest your body, you'll keep reopening tears and never let your muscles heal. The healing is what leads to the gains you're looking for, so take breaks occasionally to reach your fitness goals.
5. Lifting Weights Makes Women Bulky
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Myth.
Fitness goals for men and women generally differ according to social expectations. Men might work out to get more buff, while women generally want to lose weight. This leads women to avoid lifting weights, since it's easy to assume that doing so increases your muscle mass.
While that's true, having more muscle mass makes you burn calories faster. Lifting weights to gain lean muscle mass will help you lose weight and tone up at the same time, but won't cause you to beef up like your male friends.
That said, if putting on muscle is a woman's goal, she can work her way up to being bulky, but she will have to work much harder than her male coutnerparts. Basically, while you can bulk up as a woman, it doesn't happen naturally, so don't shy away from those weights, ladies!
6. Drink Eight Glasses of Water Each Day
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Myth.
Another common health myth is that you have to drink eight glasses of water each day at a minimum to keep your body hydrated and functioning, but that's just not the case. It's a good idea to drink more water than you think you'd need, since it will help your body function normally, but don't feel tied down to a certain number of glasses.
In reality, everyone's water needs are different. You'll need more water than the average person if you have a job where you're on your feet all day. If you work out and sweat a lot, you'll need to rehydrate with lots of water. People who work at a desk or sit in classes don't need to worry about that as much.
Health trends always start somewhere, whether they're true or not.
People are always looking to find ways to accomplish goals like lose weight or bulk up, and it leads to common misconceptions about how to do that.
Only you and your doctor know what's best for your body, so gauge which health trends are right for you by talking about or researching the ones you're interested in.
Some trends mean well but don't accomplish much, so don't get stuck in one of them. Always know what you're doing and why.
If a trend doesn't have solid research to back it up, it's probably in your best interest to try something else.
