5 Health & Fitness Myths Busted

I’ve heard a bunch of crazy things lately about fitness. So before the summer diet craze starts, when some of you will make a last-ditch effort to fit into last year’s swimsuits, let’s bust some myths.

1 Eating foods rich in fat will make you fat and you’ll get heart disease.

This myth just won’t die. I just heard someone the other day say that they won’t eat avocado because it has too much fat and they don’t want to have a heart attack. Listen up, folks: Healthy fats that are rich in omega fatty acids are good for your body. Avocados are actually good for the heart.

2 Crunches and sit-ups will give you an amazing mid-section.

Sure, some muscles will be stronger, but if you don’t eat healthy, no amount of crunches will help your mid-section. Full-body exercises that challenge the entire body, including the core, are the best for fat-burning.

3 Carbs are bad for you.

People do not eat the right kind of carbs, so all carbs get a bad rap. Good carbs like fruit, veggies, brown rice and quinoa are all great for your body in correct portions. But Americans eat way too much.

4 If you starve yourself you will lose weight.

This is a health risk. Your body needs food to function normally. Eating too little can cause your hormones to go out of whack and create issues with metabolism. Starving yourself will swallow up muscle, and muscle is what burns fat. Eat multiple small meals a day to encourage healthy metabolism and get plenty of protein for muscle growth.

5 Cardio is the best way to burn fat.

I love cardio—I used to race bicycles. Yet while it’s a great addition to exercise programs, just doing cardiovascular exercise will also deplete lean muscle. Try a program that includes cardio as well as resistance moves to get a well-rounded workout.

Most important: Work out daily and eat foods that come directly from nature as often as possible. See you in the gym soon!