2519: Don’t Believe These Health and Fitness Myths by Marc Bilodeau of FitTrend on Sustainable Healthy Habits

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[00:01:43] This is Optimal Health Daily, episode 2519. Don't believe these health and fitness myths.

[00:01:49] By Mark Bilodeau, of fittrend.com and I'm Dr. Neil Malik, your host. Welcome back to Optimal

[00:01:56] Health Daily or welcome for the first time if you're new here. This is the podcast where I act

[00:02:01] as your very own personal narrator and read to you from some of the most popular health and

[00:02:06] fitness blogs online. All right, with that, let's keep this intro nice and short and get

[00:02:12] right to it as we optimize your life. Don't believe these health and fitness myths by Mark Bilodeau,

[00:02:22] of fittrend.com. There is no shortage of advice regarding your fitness and health.

[00:02:29] Unfortunately, not all of it is good. As a result, bad advice circulates and some of it can be

[00:02:36] harmful. So let's explore some common health and fitness myths in no particular order and set

[00:02:42] things straight. Myth number one, spot reduction. You may have heard that you can lose fat or tone up

[00:02:49] an area of your body like your stomach, thighs, or glutes through targeted exercises like crunches

[00:02:56] or squats. Unfortunately, the body doesn't work like that. Your body decides where it pulls fat

[00:03:02] to burn for energy, which is never where you want it to be. And it's basically written in your genes

[00:03:09] where this fat's going to come from. Instead, a balanced diet with a variety of nutritious foods

[00:03:15] and consistent exercise will help you achieve your weight goals. Myth number two, do cardio to

[00:03:22] lose weight. Cardio can burn extra calories, which can lead to weight loss. However,

[00:03:28] permanent weight loss combines a healthy diet and consistent exercise. In many cases,

[00:03:34] making minor adjustments to your diet and adding some modest exercise such as walking, yoga,

[00:03:41] and strength training most days of the week can help you lose weight and improve your overall

[00:03:45] fitness. Myth number three, the more exercise, the better. At face value, this makes sense.

[00:03:53] If you exercise more, then you'll burn more calories and improve your fitness.

[00:03:57] It's true that the fitter you are, the harder, longer, and more frequent you may be able to exercise.

[00:04:04] In reality though, pushing yourself to exercise more than your body can handle is a recipe for

[00:04:09] disaster. However, exercising too much can lead to burnout and injury. You may start to hate

[00:04:16] exercising, especially if you force yourself to do it just to record more exercise in your

[00:04:21] fitness journal. Instead, find exercises you enjoy so you look forward to exercising. Although,

[00:04:28] again, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Therefore, you should include rest days

[00:04:34] so your body can recover between workouts. Myth number four, no pain, no gain. While it's

[00:04:41] true you have to push yourself to reap the rewards of exercise, if it hurts, then you're

[00:04:46] doing it wrong. Pain isn't necessary to make progress. If you lift weights, you can work your

[00:04:52] muscles to the point they can't lift anymore, but it shouldn't hurt. Likewise, you don't have to run

[00:04:58] your fastest for all your workouts to improve your cardiovascular fitness. Instead, your exercise

[00:05:05] routine should be challenging but never painful. A balanced routine between cardio, flexibility,

[00:05:11] and strength training will provide enough challenge and diversity to improve your overall

[00:05:16] fitness. Myth number five, weightlifting will make you bulky. While this may be your goal,

[00:05:24] many that identify as female avoid strength training because they fear gaining too much muscle mass.

[00:05:29] However, bulking up for anyone is difficult because building muscle requires specific

[00:05:35] training and diet plans. Most individuals that were identified as female at birth lack the testosterone

[00:05:42] levels to gain significant muscle mass. However, strength training can help everyone with toning,

[00:05:47] functional strength, and fat loss. Myth number six, you won't build muscles as a vegan or

[00:05:54] vegetarian. This myth likely originated from the misconception that animal products are the

[00:06:00] only source of high quality protein. Protein is vital for helping repair and build muscles.

[00:06:06] Animal products are often referred to as complete proteins since they contain all the essential

[00:06:11] amino acids. Although some plant-based foods lack one or more essential amino acids,

[00:06:17] eating a variety of them can give you everything you need to build muscle. Many plant-based

[00:06:22] foods such as beans, lentils, tofu, nuts, seeds, and certain grains are rich in protein.

[00:06:30] Eating these foods as part of a well-balanced diet can give you the proteins needed to build muscle.

[00:06:36] Myth number seven, skipping meals helps lose weight. Weight loss is all about burning more

[00:06:42] calories than you consume. Therefore, skipping meals means you're consuming fewer calories,

[00:06:47] right? Not necessarily. Skipping meals can increase feelings of hunger. When you do eat,

[00:06:54] you may overeat or make unhealthy food choices. As a result, you may consume more calories.

[00:07:00] It gets worse. When you skip meals, your body slows your metabolism to conserve energy.

[00:07:06] As a result, it may be more difficult to burn calories to lose weight or find the motivation

[00:07:12] to exercise. Instead, eat when you're hungry, eat balanced meals, and make smart choices.

[00:07:19] Myth number eight, low-intensity cardio is best for fat loss. It's a common belief that exercising

[00:07:26] within a fat-burning zone strictly burns fats over carbohydrates for energy. The fat-burning

[00:07:33] zone is associated with low-intensity workouts such as walking or yoga. Low-intensity exercises

[00:07:39] can be done for a prolonged period, especially for beginners, resulting in potentially more

[00:07:44] calories burned. Although a higher percentage of calories burned may come from fat for lower-intensity

[00:07:50] exercises, the total calories burned tend to be lower than in high-intensity workouts such as

[00:07:57] cycling or running. Regardless, your overall calorie deficit comes from a balanced diet

[00:08:03] and any form of consistent exercise no matter how intense. Myth number nine, you can detox your

[00:08:11] body. It's a popular notion within the health and fitness communities that detoxing your body

[00:08:16] of waste products can help improve your overall health. However, your liver, kidneys, lungs, and

[00:08:23] digestive system are already working together to neutralize or eliminate toxins. Therefore,

[00:08:29] you don't need a specific diet or cleansing product marketed to detox your body. It's important

[00:08:35] to be cautious with any detox diet. Many require extreme restrictions, fasting, or consuming specific

[00:08:42] foods or supplements. However, it's worth noting that there's limited scientific evidence supporting

[00:08:48] these approaches. In fact, some detox diets can be harmful and lack essential nutrients. Instead,

[00:08:55] ditch the notion of a quick fix detox and focus on improving your overall health by eating a

[00:09:00] balanced diet with a variety of foods and consistently exercising most days of the week.

[00:09:06] And myth number 10, all carbs are bad. This myth likely originates from low-carb diets and trends.

[00:09:14] In truth, carbs are essential. Carbohydrates, fats, and proteins are the three essential

[00:09:21] macronutrients. They are critical to providing energy for your body to function properly.

[00:09:27] Carbohydrates cover a wide range of nutrients that include simple sugars, complex carbohydrates,

[00:09:33] and dietary fiber. Not all carbs are equal, of course, and the quality of the source matters.

[00:09:39] Consuming whole, unprocessed carbs from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is,

[00:09:44] of course, better than cookies, cakes, and chips. The takeaway

[00:09:50] There is a lot of information regarding the best ways to improve your health and quality of life.

[00:09:55] Although there is good information, there is also bad advice that can lead to injury.

[00:10:00] You can't rush your way to fitness. However, you can reach your goals by eating a balanced diet

[00:10:06] and consistently engaging in exercises you enjoy. Everyone is different,

[00:10:10] so what works for one person may not work for you. Therefore, research and tailor your

[00:10:16] workout routine around your specific goals. As a result, you'll improve your chances of

[00:10:21] achieving and maintaining your goals as you age.

[00:10:28] You just listened to the post titled, Don't Believe These Health and Fitness Myths by Mark

[00:10:33] Bilodeau of fittrend.com and I'll be right back with my commentary.

[00:10:39] Dr. Neal here for my commentary. I want to go back to the idea of consuming

[00:10:44] plant-based proteins. Today's author, Mark, said that many plant-based foods like beans,

[00:10:49] lentils, tofu, nuts, seeds and some grains are rich in protein. And eating these foods as part of a

[00:10:57] well-balanced diet can give the body the proteins it needs to support muscle growth. And Mark is

[00:11:03] absolutely right. There was also this myth going around that in order to make sure we really

[00:11:09] support muscle growth, we have to eat combinations of plant-based proteins in the same meal.

[00:11:15] And if we didn't eat these plant-based proteins in the same meal or at the same time,

[00:11:20] then we wouldn't build muscle. Again, this is a myth. For example, you might have heard that you

[00:11:27] have to eat beans and rice at the same time, otherwise your body won't get the right amount

[00:11:32] of protein. Again, this is not true. As long as we're eating a variety of plant-based foods

[00:11:39] throughout the day and most days of the week, we're going to get all the protein we need

[00:11:44] to build muscle. The body magically knows how to combine these amino acids together

[00:11:50] to support optimal muscle growth. Alright, that's another edition of Optimal Health Daily.

[00:11:56] Thank you so much for listening and thank you for sharing this show with someone.

[00:12:00] I hope you're having a great weekend and I'll see you back here tomorrow as usual

[00:12:04] where your optimal life awaits.