Most people want to be as healthy as they can be so they can reach old age. Perhaps we're not as devoted as tech millionaire biohacker Bryan Johnson, but we make do with what we have. We try to eat healthier, exercise more, and cultivate healthy relationships.
Indeed, 59% of Americans say they're worried about their health. That sometimes leads us down rabbit holes about detox smoothies, intermittent fasting, HIIT workouts, and many more. The thing is, not all of them work. At least not for everybody.
There's no one-size-fits-all approach in life in general, but it's especially true for health, and more and more people are becoming aware of that. We've rounded up the health trends most people think are unnecessary or straight-up bogus from two recent threads on Reddit.
"What's the most overrated 'healthy' habit that people push on everyone, but you think is total BS and why?" the netizens asked. Turns out, people have lots of opinions about what a healthy lifestyle really looks like!
#22
I always laugh about the the people that convince themselves they are ‘creating a healthy gut environment’ because they gag down a few spoonfuls of sugary yogurt every day.
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17points
#23
Very restrictive diets don’t work in the long run. It’s better to just make small changes you can stick with.
I’m seeing videos insisting that you cut out all sugar, all carbs etc.
the best is when these fitness gurus finally come out and say they lied - Liverking for example.
I’m seeing videos insisting that you cut out all sugar, all carbs etc.
the best is when these fitness gurus finally come out and say they lied - Liverking for example.
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14points
#24
It's more of an extreme, but a lot of health bloggers push the idea of "If you can't pronounce it you shouldn't eat it". Obviously aimed at "chemicals", but still stupid. Water is a chemical
But as far as the "If you can't pronounce it..." BS. My wife can't/won't pronounce celery correctly, so she should *not eat it?
But as far as the "If you can't pronounce it..." BS. My wife can't/won't pronounce celery correctly, so she should *not eat it?
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13points
#25
You have to exercise to lose weight. Yes exercise is healthy it’s best to stay in shape but if there’s issues and you still need to lose weight you can. I was 275 I have chronic pain. I did start out with slow short walks on the treadmill until my back pain got to be too much. I had only consistently exercised around a month. Then I had to figure out how to lose weight without exercise. I mainly focused on how much I was eating I used moderation ate smaller portions and did high protein low carb and sugar. I changed all my eating habits and made them routine I eat at the same times everyday to stay consistent. I lost 115 pounds just changing eating habits and I overcame binging issues.
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13points
#26
Eating "natural" sugars. I see so many recipes on Pinterest that are self proclaimed as sugar free and then contain 1/2 cup of Maple syrup...
I hate that people still try to insist that they feel better/healthier etc when you tell them that their agave, rice, maple or whatever syrup won't help them with the downsides of sugar.
(Dates in small doses dont trigger blood sugar spikes though, contain antioxidants, but even here we talk about 3-4 daily not a whole box).
Natural sugars have only a Very slight decrease in blood sugar spikes compared to refined sugar, but it's not worth mentioning tbh.
Also: I do believe that people who consume natural sugars make more health conscious choices in their diet in general which makes them feel better, but not the replaced sugar.
MessyMaple:
Ok so hear me out. I think eating natural sugars is better, BECAUSE...I need less of it for better flavor. Straight up sugar has almost no taste, so to make a difference, you need quite a bit of it. But maple syrup and honey give a richer and more complex taste, so I just put a tiny bit! That's my take.
I hate that people still try to insist that they feel better/healthier etc when you tell them that their agave, rice, maple or whatever syrup won't help them with the downsides of sugar.
(Dates in small doses dont trigger blood sugar spikes though, contain antioxidants, but even here we talk about 3-4 daily not a whole box).
Natural sugars have only a Very slight decrease in blood sugar spikes compared to refined sugar, but it's not worth mentioning tbh.
Also: I do believe that people who consume natural sugars make more health conscious choices in their diet in general which makes them feel better, but not the replaced sugar.
MessyMaple:
Ok so hear me out. I think eating natural sugars is better, BECAUSE...I need less of it for better flavor. Straight up sugar has almost no taste, so to make a difference, you need quite a bit of it. But maple syrup and honey give a richer and more complex taste, so I just put a tiny bit! That's my take.
12points
#27
Avoiding carbohydrates. 'Healthy' carbs are vital for energy, focus, mood, etc. and can come packed with other valuable nutrition. They are not evil. Also, fiber (a carb) is the single most consistently associated nutrient with reduced mortality risk across diverse populations.
12points
#28
Carnivore diet because it seems like a sure fire way to skyrocket your cholesterol.
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12points
#29
Juicing, just eat the fruit and get the fiber??
Effective-Arm9099:
On the note of juicing, can I mention a pet peeve? People referring to a smoothie as juice. I got the whole fiber in my smoothie because it’s just blended fruits. I did not juice them and remove any fiber. That’s all. I’m a smoothie lover so I get offended when smoothies get looped into the juice category.
Effective-Arm9099:
On the note of juicing, can I mention a pet peeve? People referring to a smoothie as juice. I got the whole fiber in my smoothie because it’s just blended fruits. I did not juice them and remove any fiber. That’s all. I’m a smoothie lover so I get offended when smoothies get looped into the juice category.
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11points
#30
Apple cider vinegar for everything.
InvestigatorGo:
There is actually scientific evidence for it in diabetes but I imagine it is in conjunction with dietary changes.
InvestigatorGo:
There is actually scientific evidence for it in diabetes but I imagine it is in conjunction with dietary changes.
11points
#31
“Body hacking.” I have a colleague that spends an ungodly amount of money annually on quack doctors to help him improve his metabolic age, and he now has a whole cult of other people we work with following the same things. Good lord it’s bs.
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11points
#32
I’ll start: drinking a gallon of water a day — super hyped, not needed for everyone.
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11points
#33
Intermittent Fasting.
What works for some, doesn't work for all.
Intermittent Fasting impairs my judgement.
What works for some, doesn't work for all.
Intermittent Fasting impairs my judgement.
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11points
#34
I have a friend that thinks coconut oil is the cure-all for everything. He's also anti-vax/medicine.
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11points
#35
Kale. Yeah, it’s fine, but it’s not a miracle. Stop pretending.
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10points
#36
Over hydrating your body.
It was never medically recommended to drink six glasses of water a day. It was recommended to consume six cups, as in a measuring cup. But because the word cup and glass was used interchangeably, and the standard size drinking glass was 16 oz, it was thought that we had to drink almost 3 liters of water per day. When in reality it was originally recommended that we drink closer to 1.5 L per day. And as long as the liquid you're consuming is not full of sugars or unnatural ingredients, that counts towards your daily liquid intake. So in conclusion you do not have to drink almost 3 L of water per day, you need to drink approximately 1.6 L of almost any freaking liquid you want.
It was never medically recommended to drink six glasses of water a day. It was recommended to consume six cups, as in a measuring cup. But because the word cup and glass was used interchangeably, and the standard size drinking glass was 16 oz, it was thought that we had to drink almost 3 liters of water per day. When in reality it was originally recommended that we drink closer to 1.5 L per day. And as long as the liquid you're consuming is not full of sugars or unnatural ingredients, that counts towards your daily liquid intake. So in conclusion you do not have to drink almost 3 L of water per day, you need to drink approximately 1.6 L of almost any freaking liquid you want.
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10points
#37
The idea that you need three meals a day.
Meal consumption should be based on activity. Chances are if you're eating three a day, snacks, and are heavy, you're eating too many meals.
It's a *very* convoluted topic, and this little blurb barely even scratches the surface. Like an ice cube to an iceberg.
userhwon:
I've eaten 3, 1, 6, 5, and 2, each over extended periods. The best are 2 and 5.
2 means you don't have to mess with it so often, and can have a bigger dinner, when you want that feeling. But don't expect to get health benefits from doing this.
5 is for when you're exercising and trying to get healthy. You eat 10-15% more calories than you need when you want to gain more muscle than fat, and between 10% and 900 calories less than you need when you want to lose more fat than muscle. The large number of meals spreads them out evenly and keeps your insulin system from driving calories into adipose tissue so hard; food comas are the worst thing for your plans. (The hard limit at -900 calories avoids starvation mode in which your body shifts to a higher muscle/fat loss ratio to spare fat because it thinks you're in a famine and less muscle lowers your metabolism and lets you live off the fat longer.)
Meal consumption should be based on activity. Chances are if you're eating three a day, snacks, and are heavy, you're eating too many meals.
It's a *very* convoluted topic, and this little blurb barely even scratches the surface. Like an ice cube to an iceberg.
userhwon:
I've eaten 3, 1, 6, 5, and 2, each over extended periods. The best are 2 and 5.
2 means you don't have to mess with it so often, and can have a bigger dinner, when you want that feeling. But don't expect to get health benefits from doing this.
5 is for when you're exercising and trying to get healthy. You eat 10-15% more calories than you need when you want to gain more muscle than fat, and between 10% and 900 calories less than you need when you want to lose more fat than muscle. The large number of meals spreads them out evenly and keeps your insulin system from driving calories into adipose tissue so hard; food comas are the worst thing for your plans. (The hard limit at -900 calories avoids starvation mode in which your body shifts to a higher muscle/fat loss ratio to spare fat because it thinks you're in a famine and less muscle lowers your metabolism and lets you live off the fat longer.)
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10points
#38
Ik I will be downvoted to hell but honestly imo BMI. I think weight may not be as personal as a wake up time or whether breakfast makes you sick or energized but I still very much so believe there are certain weights where some ppl will be at their maximum. And for people that are curvier there will always be that extra weight that clings to certain body parts just based on genetic instructions than some other ppl that will easily get that weight otherwise. I think it’s still good to be around those weights just not married to them. They’ve already said that healthy habits aren’t just bc you are skinny. Then ofc ppl who weigh more due to muscles ofc are their own example too. Either way I ignore BMI. Am I healthy (blood work, energy, etc) and do I like how I look.
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10points
#39
Collagen powder.
awnawreally:
Those powdered collagen supplements are just everywhere right now and are total horses**t. The topical collagen creams and most other anti wrinkle lotions are grifts as well.
When I was a teen, I watched a news segment where a dermatologist said most beauty creams were useless because nothing can penetrate beyond the outer layer of skin. The purpose of skin is to protect your body from outside irritants.
Anything that claims to do more than resurface the outer layer of your skin is just snake oil. That stuff never works but people will believe in and buy anything that promises to prevent death or slow aging. That’s why the beauty industry is so massively profitable.
Water, nutrition, and sun protection are the only things that can make any difference internally but I guess there’s not enough money in that.
How do they even synthesize collagen and turn it into powder anyway? Since supplements aren’t regulated, I always wonder if the people ingesting powdered collagen aren’t just drinking ground plastic or something lol.
awnawreally:
Those powdered collagen supplements are just everywhere right now and are total horses**t. The topical collagen creams and most other anti wrinkle lotions are grifts as well.
When I was a teen, I watched a news segment where a dermatologist said most beauty creams were useless because nothing can penetrate beyond the outer layer of skin. The purpose of skin is to protect your body from outside irritants.
Anything that claims to do more than resurface the outer layer of your skin is just snake oil. That stuff never works but people will believe in and buy anything that promises to prevent death or slow aging. That’s why the beauty industry is so massively profitable.
Water, nutrition, and sun protection are the only things that can make any difference internally but I guess there’s not enough money in that.
How do they even synthesize collagen and turn it into powder anyway? Since supplements aren’t regulated, I always wonder if the people ingesting powdered collagen aren’t just drinking ground plastic or something lol.
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10points
#40
Exercise to the point of burnout. You have people trying to mimic the routines of fitness influencers/athletes who are clearly on PEDs in an attempt to get a physique like theirs, only to end up injured because the body can’t sustain that amount of volume without chemical assistance.
The “no days off the grind!” mentality is damaging. Rest and recovery are extremely important and underemphasized.
The “no days off the grind!” mentality is damaging. Rest and recovery are extremely important and underemphasized.
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10points