Yesterday we BUSTED healthy eating myths.  If you’ve recovered from having your MIND BLOWN then we’ll move on to some more….if you can handle them.  If not, stop reading this right now and go back to skipping breakfast and limiting your fruit intake because you heard that “sugar was bad”.  Today I will present to you 10 more healthy eating myths that have no basis in reality.  Remember them the next time you’re at your nearest grocery store or vending machine.

Myth #1: To drop weight as fast as possible, you should restrict the maximum amount of calories.

Truth: Losing more than 1-2 pounds a week is unhealthy.  Fine tune your calorie intake to gradually lose weight.

Myth #2: All fat is bad.

Truth: Saturated fat is harmful, however unsaturated fat (found in fish, nuts, sunflower seeds, and olive oils) actually reduces your overall cholesterol and provides essential nutrients.

Myth #3: By not adding extra salt to your food, you can limit your sodium intake to the right level.

Truth: Many foods come loaded with salt already, read the label! Try to limit your intake to 2,400 mg per day.

Myth #4: To get a slim figure, just cut out all carbohydrates.

Truth: If you eat less than 130 g of carbohydrates you run the risk of building up ketones in your blood. Ketones are partially-broken down fats. A buildup of these can make your body produce uric acid, which can lead to GOUT and KIDNEY STONES.  How scary is that?

Myth #5: Eating celery actually BURNS calories.

No food actually burns calories.  The only thing that can affect this is caffeine, which can increase your metabolism, which means the RATE at which you burn calories is faster.

Myth #6: Going “vegetarian”will make you lose weight and be healthier.

Truth: While vegetarians typically are leaner and healthier than the average population, they can still make similar bad food choices with high-calorie, low-nutrient snacks.

Myth #7: Cholesterol is bad.

Truth: Cholesterol is complex. Cholesterol in food is broken down in your body and is reassembled in the blood stream at the optimal amount in order to transport glucose.  So if you eat a lot of refined carbs and have high levels of glucose, your body will keep excess cholesterol on hand to transport it. THIS is bad.

Myth #8: Following a strict meal plan is the best way to lose weight and stay healthy.

Truth: Being flexible with your eating habits is the best method for being healthy.  For example, timing your sugar/carb intake to be right after your workout.

Myth #9: Chocolate is bad for you.

Truth: Commercial chocolate bars contain more sugar than the actual beneficial ingredient: cacao. Cacao is packed with antioxidants.  Avoid milk chocolate and buy dark, and you have yourself a superfood (treat yourself up to 3 times a week!)

Myth #10: Soy is an awesome protein substitute.

Truth: Soy products and tofu aren’t terrible, but keep in mind the high-temperature processing in aluminum vats and acid washes required to process soy beans.  This means that they contain decently high levels of carcinogens.  Do your research and keep soy intake at a reasonable level.

There you have it. That’s TEN more healthy eating myths BUSTED by yours truly.  There are hundreds more, but I think I’ll leave that up to you.  So today’s lesson: don’t believe the hype.  Get yourself some knowledge, son.

Aaaaaaaaaand we’re BACK with Part 2 of the Healthy Eating Tips Series.  Did you implement the tips from Part 1? If you didn’t, then go back and check it out and replace at least ONE SNACK A DAY with the suggestions that I made earlier.  In the last article we discussed how little changes in the short-run equal huge changes in the long run.  I gave examples of healthy snacks that can replace one snack a day, and now its up to you to actually do it. As you can see, changing your health is about changing your habits.  Anyone who has ever tried to quit smoking, stop cracking their knuckles, or tried to stop watching Everybody Loves Raymond knows that habits are HARD to break. So, let me drop some heavy words on you about habits from some very wise people:

Habit is habit, and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time.  ~Mark Twain

The second half of a man’s life is made up of nothing but the habits he has acquired during the first half.  ~Feodor Dostoevski

If Dostoevski is right, then apparently the second half of my life will consist of watching Shark Week while cursing like a sailor and cracking my knuckles.  Doesn’t bode well for me, but it can for you! Change your habits now so that your future self will thank you.  So you’ve already completed the first step, which is replacing a daily unhealthy snack with a healthy one.  This habit change requires that you make sure you have two things: 1) the access to healthy food and 2) the desire to always choose it over your old go-to.  Make this change every day and soon it won’t feel weird to bust out an apple instead of heading down to the vending machine for some chips.

As promised, I am going to give you 10 easy changes to your routine that will leave you feeling, looking, and living healthier in the long run:

1.  Take the stairs. Ever notice in an airport how escalators are jam-packed with people slowly waiting for it to carry them to the top, while the stairs next to them are almost completely empty? It always baffled me why after sitting in a metal tube for several hours barely able to move that people wouldn’t want to stretch their legs and walk up a couple flights of steps.  Think of all times you are faced with the choice of stairs versus escalators or elevators in your life, then think of how many steps per year this would add up to…you’ll be surprised at the extra calories you’ll burn by just adjusting this simple choice presented to you all the time.

2.  Replace ONE unhealthy drink per day with water. I’m not asking you to abandon all sodas, shakes, and mocha-frappa-schlappa-chino’s from your day.  I’m suggesting that you replace ONE of these per day with a glass of water.  This will cut out at least 100 calories a day (calories that are devoid of nutrients, too!)

3. Park your car at the far end of the lot. Force yourself to walk further.  You’ll reduce your chances of dings to your paint job too!

4. Replace white bread with whole grain wheat bread.Trust me…it tastes better any way.

5. Do easy exercises on commercial breaks. All that couch time adds up. Break up your down time with jumping jacks, calf lifts, stretching, situps, and pushups (if you’re really motivated).  Don’t go crazy, just remember that all of the little efforts you do add up.

6. Eat at least one raw vegetable a day. Make it a daily checklist item: eat one serving of raw carrots, broccoli, or celery a day.  View it as a rite of passage for you…once its over you can enjoy other food!

7. Cut one TV show out per day. Do you really need to watch that re-run of Full House? Replacing 30 mins a day of TV adds up to 182.5 HOURS a year! Think of what you could accomplish in that time to improve your health.

8. Leave the serving dishes on the counter instead of the table. Research shows that you will be less likely to get seconds this way.

9. Talk the dog for a walk. Fido will thank you. Your body will thank you. Your wife/husband will thank you. The neighborhood WON’T thank you unless you pick up his crap though. Just a little FYI for ya.

10. Cut one dessert out. Do you REALLY need a dessert for lunch AND dinner? C’mon, you’re grown up now. Cut one out and the next will be all that more tasty.

Of course doing all 10 of these changes seem like a lot. So PICK ONE that you think you can handle and integrate it into your daily routine. When you no longer have to think about it, pick another, then another, etc.  In the long run you’ll be one habit-forming son of a gun.

I read somewhere recently a rule of thumb that was simple and profound at the same time: “Short term actions and long term results are often opposite.”  I think this principle can be applied to many aspects of our lives, especially healthy eating.

Think about it: If I sit on the couch and dig in to a gallon of cold, sweet, flavorful cookie-dough ice cream while watching TV for 8 hours instead of going outside (Hey, sue me, it was Shark Week) then what happens? In the short term I am happy as a pig in mud.  I am comfortable, content, and my tongue is LOVING it. What happens in the long term? I become physically weaker, fatter, and less healthy.  I am lacking in Vitamin D from not getting sunshine.  My wife eventually finds me unattractive and leaves me for the mailman, who plays volleyball on the beach in his spare time instead of watching great white sharks rip the living CRAP out of seals. MAN, I LOVE SHARK WEEK. Sorry.

So let’s flip this equation on its head.  Instead of sitting on the couch watching the greatest cinematic endeavor ever known to mankind that is Shark Week, I decide to eat a can of tuna fish and a huge handful of raw carrots.  When I’m done eating I walk down to the pool and swim laps for a while (after waiting 30 mins of course).  Short term: I am craving some sweet, cold ice cream. The tuna and carrots taste barely adequate.  Swimming is less fun than watching shark week.  Long term: I am lean, healthy, and I feel great.  My wife doesn’t even NOTICE the mailman because I’m a chiseled STUD.

See how this works? Doing the hard thing now means life will be easy later. This Master Your Life series will consist a lot of simple short-term changes you can make to see some dramatic long term results.

Just to whet your appetite, I’m going to give you your FIRST task of the week. Your mission: replace one unhealthy snack per day with these healthy alternatives:

Unsalted pretzels
Applesauce
Low-fat yogurt with fruit
Unbuttered and unsalted popcorn
Broccoli, carrots, or cherry tomatoes with dip or low-fat yogurt
Grapes
Apple slices with peanut butter
Raisins
Nuts
Graham crackers
Gingersnap cookies
Low- or reduced-fat string cheese
Baked whole-grain tortilla chips with salsa
Whole-grain cereal with low-fat milk

Do this daily until it becomes a habit.  Check in tomorrow for Master Your Life: Part 2…where I’ll reveal 10 easy changes to your routine that will shed pounds and leave you feeling healthier and happier in the long run.  Now, turn off Shark Week and GO OUTSIDE!