Medical Myths your Mom May have Mentioned.

In honor of Mother's Day, let's talk about some lies your mom may have told you.  To be fair, these are all floating around in our culture - so it's not your mom's fault.  In any case, I hope one of these topics strikes your interest and gets you doing some more reading about your health.

Your Face Will Freeze Like That

No it won’t.  But if this were true, it would be pretty funny.  Also, I would be pretty disfigured.  Well, MORE disfigured.

If you swallow your gum it will stay in your stomach for 5-7 years

Don’t make me laugh.  When Hercules swallows a LEGO it always finds its way out the other end – why wouldn’t a piece of gum?  There ARE parts of gum that don’t really digest, but it isn’t going to make you sick and it isn’t going to stay in your digestive track.  In my thinking, swallowing your gum is much better than spitting it out on the sidewalk.  YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!

Sugar Makes Kids Hyper

Wrong!  Sugar makes kids FAT.  Not hyper.  Sugar is calories.  There is nothing about it that would make a kid hyper.  In fact, sugar in small amounts can prompt serotonin production which can have a calming effect.  It’s not the sugar making your kid hyper, it is likely the circumstances.  Where does your kid get lots of sugar?  Parties, sleepovers, holidays, etc.  Those are situations where EVERYONE lets loose a little.  So it's not surprising that kids get a little wild.  In addition, kids can have a sugar crash just like adults.  If your kids have mood swings after eating sugar, stop feeding them go-gurt and fruit snacks and get them something with protein in it.

You lose 90% of your body heat through your head

I have been hearing this since I was a boy scout and it is completely wrong.  The only way it could be more wrong is if a republican said it.  If you want to hear the scientific low-down on this, check out Why Bald People Don’t Freeze To Death.

You Need to Stretch before Your Workout

Nope.  This is OLD info.  We used to think this was true, but it has been shown to be false.  In fact, in some cases stretching before a workout can increase your risk of injury. Warming up is a great idea.  Stretching AFTER your workout, also a good idea.  Stretching before – nope. 

Homeopathy is a Natural Remedy

Nope.  Homeopathy is not a remedy.  It’s diluted so far as to be absolutely useless as a medicine.  And let’s not be confused into thinking that being “natural” is the same as “good for you”.  Tons of terrible things are natural.  And tons of fantastic things are “unnatural”.  Just think Pop Rocks.  Need I say more?

Eating Fish (taking fish oil) Makes You Smarter

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.  Well, kind of.  It is true in small kids.  Their brains are developing, so get them some tilapia on the double.  But for grown-ups, the best way to make yourself smarter is to USE your brain.

Warm Milk/Turkey Will Make You Sleepy

At least every Thanksgiving, I hear some genius tell everyone that they are tired because of the tryptophan in turkey.  Last year I almost sprained my eyes from rolling them so hard.   I hate to break it to you, but you are tired because you just ate your body weight in white rolls, pie and stuffing.  It has NOTHING – NOTHING – to do with tryptophan.   The effect of tryptophan is SO TEENY that you would have to eat a LOT to have even a small effect. 

The whole warm milk story is the same lie.  Milk has tryptophan.  It does nothing.  There is trypotophan in milk, cheese, chocolate and oats.  When was the last time you heard someone say they were sleepy because they just had some oatmeal?  Do people sometimes feel more sleepy after drinking it?  Maybe.  It’s called the placebo effect.  Give them a warm glass of ANYTHING and they will probably go back to sleep.

Your Body Needs to be Detoxed

There are a zillion “detox” gimmicks.  They are all a ridiculous waste of money, and potentially dangerous.  Your body knows how to get rid of waste and bad chemicals and does not need your help.  (Unless you have certain SERIOUS medical conditions).   If you want to read more, see “Colon Cleansers are a Load of Crap”.

You Can Spot Tone a Target Area of the Body

If people really could spot tone a specific area, then why is it that no one but Ben Faux has a Thigh master?  First of all, there is no such thing as “toning”.  You are either building muscle or losing muscle.   Second, the key to looking more fit is: (drumroll)  diet diet diet.   If your problem area is your arms, then you are going to have to lose weight on YOUR WHOLE BODY.  Depending on epigenetics and other factors, a proportion of your weightloss will come off your arms, making them appear more defined.  So throw away your out dated machines in favor of eating right and exercising the whole body.