Health & Nutrition: facts & myths – part 1

1. The sun is bad for you.

Myth!
Vitamin D is essential for good health, and regular sun exposure is the best place to get it. Guess what? Chemical sunscreens cause more cases of skin cancer than tanning. Avoid sunburns, as too many BURNS can cause melanoma type cancer, but by all means, expose your bare (not-slathered-in-sunscreen) skin to the very healthy sun on a regular basis. Oh, and this includes children. Most children with mental disorders (& various other disorders) have been found to be deficient in vitamin D. Live in a sunshine-deficient place? Do the next best thing and take an all-natural vitamin D supplement.

2. Low calories = healthy

Many times, this is a myth!
Check the labels on your foods!! Changing the type of food you eat to natural foods filled with essential vitamins and nutrients (think fruits and veggies!) and getting rid of the processed foods promotes weight loss and good health! If the ingredient list on your Weight Watcher’s meal, or whatever low-calorie food you are thinking is helping you, is full of chemicals and preservatives, it is low in calories because IT IS NOT REAL FOOD! It might help you achieve a temporary weight loss, but will cause severe damages to your long-term health. Switching to a balanced, real-food diet and engaging in moderate, regular exercise are the best things you can do for your body.

3. Sugar is evil!

Myth!
The bags of “white sugar” they sell in your average grocery store – and include in many processed foods – is bleached, toxic crap that can cause severe health problems from fatigue to cavities to diabetes. I would probably label that stuff as “evil” too. However, your solution of artificial sweeteners??? Even worse than the white sugar! That stuff can cause health issues from cancer to Alzheimer’s! Use organic, natural cane sugar in moderation! Use Stevia! Use raw honey! The options for sweeteners from real food sources are plenty, and when combined with other nutritious foods in a healthy, balanced diet, are not bad for you! In fact, a moderate amount can be GOOD for you!

*** disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor. Do your own research (from sources not funded by pharmaceutical companies or the ridiculously crooked FDA). Talk to a physician who promotes natural healing and promotes taking preventive measures in the form of healthy lifestyle changes. But by all means, stop killing yourself because you blindly believed whatever the mainstream, all-about-money (and return customers!) medical profession is currently touting! ***