Bad advice surrounds us.
You only have to look at Facebook for five minutes to get bombarded with it – have you noticed that? You can’t take anything at face value anymore.
I find that the most common pieces of bad advice (and some of the most harmful!) surround what we put into our bodies every day – food!
Every few months, there’s a new miracle food that’s guaranteed to whip you into the best shape of your life. Here are some of the worst:
Celery Juice – Gullible folks are claiming that juicing celery and drinking two cups of the nasty green liquid every morning is the answer to most of your health woes. Yes, celery is good for you and helps you feel full and lose weight, but any green vegetable can accomplish the same thing. And probably taste way better.
Not only that, but you’re missing an incredibly important component of vegetables when you juice instead of eat them – fiber. This is what keeps you full, aids in digestion, and helps lower cholesterol and blood pressure.
Activated Charcoal – Foods made with this ingredient have popped up everywhere. It turns foods to a rich black color without an overwhelming taste. Charcoal has been praised by natural health advocates for its anti-aging, weight loss and detoxifying benefits. What is not well known by enthusiasts is that this ingredient can cause malabsorption of nutrients (for example, active charcoal as an ingredient in ice cream can prevent absorption of the vitamins and minerals found in the dairy base).
What’s worse is that activated charcoal can also interfere with prescription medication. On the website Drugs.com, this warning applies to more than 200 drugs from headache-blasting ibuprofen to albuterol (used to stop asthma attacks). Even birth control is not exempt. How’s that for an unpleasant side effect?
Oh, and my favorite:
Raw Water – yes, this is exactly what you think it is. Water that has not been treated for illness-inducing contaminants like bacteria and parasites. It’s then bottled up and sold at a premium price. This is a ridiculous trend with no benefits whatsoever.
We’ve spent generations making drinking water safe for as many people as possible and this is a slap in the face to all the progress we’ve made, and to those who have suffered because of a lack of access to clean water.
If you’ve fallen for any of these trends, don’t feel bad. You’re not alone.
I hate to pick on Facebook, but it’s particularly bad for spreading around these trends because people assume that what they’re seeing is factual. Your aunt Cindy would never intentionally spread around something that’s harmful, but people seldom take that next step and research what they see.
My advice to you? Always be skeptical and do your research before taking health advice from a 2-second blip on the internet.
That’s a practice we take to heart in all areas. We always do our research before we give you financial advice. Give us a call today at 513-563-PLAN (7526) or book online. Let’s have a free 15-minute chat to talk about it.
Regards,
Nikki Earley, CFP®
