The beginning of a new year is a great opportunity to make positive changes to your lifestyle. That’s why many people make health resolutions and attempt to change their diet or develop a new exercise routine in January.
However, when it comes to improving your health, it can be difficult to know which changes are most beneficial. There is a wealth of information available and while some of it is useful, much of it is misleading. Picking out the accurate insights and forgetting the misinformation could make it easier to create lasting improvements to your health.
Here are five health misconceptions you might want to leave behind in 2025.
1. “You need to drink 8 glasses of water a day”
It’s no secret that hydration is important. Not drinking enough water can lead to headaches, fatigue, dizziness, and in some cases, severe illness. You may have heard that you should drink eight glasses of water a day to avoid dehydration and remain healthy. However, this isn’t necessarily true.
According to the Guardian, everybody’s ideal water intake is different. The optimum amount you should drink each day depends on your size, the temperature, and how active you are.
Fortunately, your body has a simple way of telling you when you need water – thirst. Instead of drinking water constantly throughout the day to hit the target of eight glasses, simply drink when you feel thirsty.
You may also need to increase your intake when the weather is warm or you’re exercising.
2. “Low-fat foods are always better for you”
Reducing your fat intake could be a relatively straightforward way to improve your diet and overall health. Despite this, it’s a myth that low-fat foods are always better for you.
Certain foods that are naturally fat-free, such as fruits and vegetables, are typically good for you. Yet, foods that are labelled “fat-free” because they have had fat removed from them might not be a sensible choice.
This is because, according to BBC Food, manufacturers often add sugar to low-fat foods to improve the taste. Consequently, although there may be less fat, these foods could still be unhealthy as excess sugar is a significant contributor to weight gain. Too much sugar could also increase your chances of developing certain health problems such as diabetes.
As such, it may be better to eat standard, full-fat products and consider reducing the amount you consume, rather than assuming the fat-free option is always healthier.
3. Detoxing makes you healthier
Detoxing is a popular health trend that often involves fasting for extended periods of time, or limiting your diet to one simple item, such as juice. The belief is that these detoxes give your body time to flush out toxins and can promote weight loss and overall wellbeing.
In truth, there is no evidence to suggest that detoxing is beneficial for you. According to the British Heart Foundation, toxins do not build up in your body because your liver, kidneys, and lungs remove harmful waste products. Additionally, when you detox, you’re not giving your body all the essential nutrients it needs to function properly.
The reason that people report benefits during a detox could be that they were overindulging beforehand, so they initially feel better when they cut out unhealthy foods. Unfortunately, detoxing can encourage a counterproductive mindset as you might feel that you can eat and drink whatever you like, provided you detox afterwards.
You might find more success if you make incremental improvements to your diet and activity levels, instead of relying on detoxing to undo unhealthy habits.
4. Frozen fruits and vegetables are less nutritious than fresh
Getting more fruits and vegetables into your diet is one of the key ways to promote good health and potentially reduce your chances of illness. Keeping frozen fruits and vegetables in stock is an excellent way to increase your intake, because you always have them on hand to add to dishes when you’re cooking.
However, you might not do this if you have heard the common misconception that frozen fruits and vegetables are less nutritious than fresh produce.
While there may be some small differences in vitamin content, they are negligible. For example, according to BBC Food, frozen peas contain 12mg of vitamin C per 100g, while fresh peas have 16mg per 100g. That said, the frozen peas had higher levels of Calcium than the fresh alternative.
Typically, the freezing process locks in nutrients, so there is no reason to believe that frozen foods are less nutritious.
5. Running and walking too much can damage your knees
Regular exercise is also an important part of a healthy lifestyle, but you may be reluctant to take up running or walk too much because you’ve heard that it can damage your knees.
While you can sustain injuries during exercise, this normally happens because of incorrect form, overworking, or unsuitable shoes. As such, if you start out slowly and gradually build the intensity and distance of your walking or running practice, you can reduce the chances of injury. Purchasing good quality running shoes is also crucial.
Provided you do it safely, walking or running can actually improve your joint health. Research reported by Stanford University shows that recreational runners experience knee and hip osteoarthritis at levels three times lower than non-runners.
This is likely because walking or running can strengthen the muscles around the joints, and regular movement promotes flexibility. So, don’t let this myth discourage you from staying active.
That said, if you have an existing injury or health condition, consult your doctor before starting a new exercise routine.
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Please note
This article is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at retail clients only.
All information is correct at the time of writing and is subject to change in the future.