With so many viral wellness trends and health information circulating online, it’s sometimes hard to keep track of what’s healthy and what's not. It can get pretty confusing when you start scrolling on TikTok and the first video you see is promoting intuitive eating, while the second is trying to sell you the 75-hard workout plan.
Seeing this way too often, redditor Soren-J reached out to the AskReddit community with a question: “What is actually healthy but people think is not?” In response, netizens provided a list of things that undeservingly get a bad reputation in the wellness department.
Scroll down to find the most popular answers deserving a healthy rebranding and a conversation with the person who started this discussion in the first place.
We also reached out to Uta Boellinger, a BANT registered nutritionist, who kindly agreed to tell us more about what leads us to believe some things are unhealthy when they are actually good for us.
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Doing literally nothing to decompress. Sometimes one just needs to breathe and look out a window.
Bored Panda contacted Soren-J, the person who started this discussion in the first place, who kindly agreed to share the inspiration behind it.
They told us they saw another thread where the opposite was asked. However, as interesting as the topic was, they were more curious to know what healthy things were labeled as harmful.
When asked what makes people believe something is bad for them when it actually isn't, they told us that it all comes down to each person. "Things that seem healthy or unhealthy to us will initially be seen from a subjective point of view based on what we already know and believe about the world.
Access to information is not the same for everyone, and neither is its processing. We all grew up in different contexts and have different ways of seeing the world. This means that two people can think differently about the same thing, with one seeing it as healthy and the other as unhealthy."
Frozen fruits and vegetables. The modern flash-freeze technique preserves almost all of the nutrients and they are always picked when they are in season, so they are as nutritious as their fresh in-season counterparts, and more nutritious if it is not the season.
Their advice on navigating misleading health information is to go to a professional when a person has any serious questions. "If you feel saturated with information, there is nothing like a doctor to clear up doubts, and although each doctor has their own opinions and approaches, at the end of the day, they look after the patient's well-being and will give their answer based on that.
But since we cannot take a doctor as a private consultant for any question of the day, we must look for reliable sources of information.
Using Google Scholar is a good option because it will take you to at least two official publications from scientific media, magazine articles, theses, and publications from universities that have been published on their websites."
They concluded by saying, "To be able to navigate contradictory information... you have to do a very honest job of research, not take anything for granted, and have a healthy minimum of disbelief in the face of new information, to question and verify it."
We also reached out to Uta Boellinger, a BANT registered nutritionist, who kindly agreed to tell us more about what leads us to believe some things are unhealthy when they are good for us.
She explained, "Over the years the food and diet industries have spread so much misinformation in an attempt to sell their products. This coupled with false information spread by fitness influencers and the media has left people brainwashed and confused."
Living life without religion.
Both ways can make people happy. It's up to you and what you believe in and what gives you happiness
Admitting when you don't know something. Its okay to not have the answer. Too many people would rather b******t an answer, than accept what they don't know.
Sometimes the hardest part is not even to admit it, it's to realize it. Too many people think they are knowledgeable on topics they hardly know anything about. Since you're judging your ignorance according to your knowledge, the more you learn, the more you realize you're clueless.
One thing I've noticed as a nanny is that people don't think it's okay for their infant/toddler to chill in their crib alone after a nap. It's actually really healthy and good for them to chill alone in their cribs after they wake from a nap, especially if they aren't distressed about it! The parents will run to get them the moment they pop their eyes open, which eventually makes the kids start crying when they wake, because they expect someone to get them the moment their eyes open. These are also the babies that won't let you out of their sight for a moment.
But the ones who are able to chill alone for 10-20 minutes from the time they are really small, usually just roll around and babble to themselves for 10-20 minutes before they get upset. And the kids who can chill alone are usually really chill during wake times too, and don't freak out when you leave the room.
It's perfectly healthy for your kid to be by themselves even as babies.
Thank you! Also... Legit playpens are safe spaces for littles. New ones aren't built the same way - the one my mom used had sides that could be raised and lowered. She left us in them with one side down, and that was our designated play space that she could move around in case of showers, doing art projects in her studio, working in the kitchen, etc. It wasn't treated like a baby jail. We played and chilled there by ourselves a lot.
One example of this is fat. "Far too many people still believe that anything high in fat is automatically unhealthy. This could not be further from the truth. In reality, we all need fat as our body is literally made from fat (cell membranes, our brain, hormones, etc. are all made from fat!).
There are of course good and bad fats and some fats can become unhealthy if they are heated at high temperatures but at the end of the day, high-fat foods such as avocado, oily fish, nuts & seeds are good for us.
Another reason foods can be seen as unhealthy is if they are naturally high in sugar (such as the poor old banana). The issue here is that statements are often taken out of context! Whether something is healthy or unhealthy depends a lot on when you are eating it, how big a portion is, and whether you are combining it with other foods or not. "
I keep hearing more and more people say that eating fruit is 'bad' because 'sugar'.
No, eating sweets made of processed ingredients is bad, fruit (as with everything, in moderation) is good. Fibre, vitamins and minerals, nutrition in something that just grows out there. Good. Eat fruit.
Shocked that no one has said potatoes. They're one of the healthiest foods we know of - packed full of nutrients and vitamins, and carbohydrates. They're nearly enough to live off of entirely on their own.
It's the oil we cook them in that's the unhealthy part .
Heck - an astronaut could live on Mars eating nothing but potatoes... You could make a movie about it.
Silence. We've gotten so used to noise pollution, real silence has become anxiety inducing. Silence improves sleep, helps your brain process what you're learning, reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, the list goes on.
I love silence. When my husband goes somewhere I turn off everything I can and just sit and listen to the quiet.
In order to help people be more cautious about conflicting information online and make the right decisions for their health, Boellinger emphasizes the difference between whole foods and highly processed foods, and how important it's to listen to your body and find reputable sources.
"For example, a banana may technically have the same amount of sugar as a chocolate bar but in reality, it is still healthier because it also contains fibre and vitamins and minerals.
Secondly, listen to your body. If you feel well, have great energy levels, good sleep, and balanced moods you are likely doing the right thing. Don’t let anyone tell you something is unhealthy just because it didn’t work for them.
Finally, find reputable sources! Follow the advice of registered nutritionists over that of a fitness influencer and don’t listen to anyone who is trying to also sell you products (such as weight loss shakes etc)."
Crying.
Occasionally, you just have to let it out. Nothing wrong with this at all.
Sunlight.
There are specific times of the day where the UV days aren’t as damaging.
You need vitamin D, you need sunlight. Just don’t be lying out there for 3 hours tanning/burning.
Nuts. Specifically unsalted nuts. Many ppl think they're not healthy because they only look at calories, but they're high in healthy fats, fibers, vitamins, so good to eat one or two hands per day of them (sure, not the whole bag at once ;-)).
A man expressing his feminine side occasionally without feeling “gay” about it.
Drinking coffee - it's loaded with antioxidants and has been linked to a lower risk of several diseases.
As an Italian, I approve this! :-) And drink it the way you like: with sugar, milk, whatever, as long as you enjoy it.
You know what, I'm going to say it. Calories. Everyone acts like calories are the worst thing in the world, but they're just the numerical amount of energy a food gives you. There's nothing inherently bad about calories.
I look at calories as my daily "food budget" for the day. Do I want to blow all those calories for the day on one meal or spread it out thru out the day ?
Saying no to certain social events even if you have the time to attend.
If you say no to everything long enough, people stop asking. It's fab!
Taking care of your mental health is not a weakness, it is a strength to recognize your problems and learn to overcome them.
Vaccines , but that is just a small parcel of people with 3 neurons. .
Genetically modified foods.
Everything is genetically modified, mostly naturally by Agrobacterium or normally occurring mutations throu misses in the genome. And more recently through selective breading. Then even radiations and others that causes random mutations and hoping any of the come out any better.. 🙈 then CPRISPR doesn't sound to bad? It's as always how the technology are used. If for good, then it could be beneficial. Based Everything living has genes, that have some way been genetically modified from the start some 4,3 billion years ago.
Saying sorry.
Maintaining work boundaries.
A lot of oldies and bootlickers would immediately gang up on you and call you lazy and have poor work ethics for even thinking about working only during your paid hours and utilizing your PTOs.
Remember kids! If you work hard, go above and beyond, do a lot of overtime, put your work above everything else and never take a day off, then one day, your boss may go to space!
Butter.
just pure butter.
while we're at it: lard, tallow as well.
Having a balance of being both negative and positive. Too much positivity is bad. You need to have a balance.
Video Games, not to obsessive levels obviously. I run my own business, stressful and an uphill battle sometimes. Video games are a vent for the negatives.
Traveling. They think that it is unnecessary and not worth the money but it’s actually help me to be happy in life.
I have never heard anyone say that traveling is unnecessary, not worth the money, or unhealthy.
Boredom.
Boredom is great (to some extend). If you are not bored, your brain doesn't need to create new ideas.
Screaming. If you're frustrated, you can scream. You can go somewhere where no one can hear you. Screaming is better than taking your frustration out on others.
Healthy for your mental health, not healthy for your voice lol
Eating fats like avocados is actually healthy, despite what some think.
Cursing when in acute pain.
Me and my body get into arguments all the time. "KNOCK IT OFF BODY, I JUST WOKE UP ! WTF!" I lose the argument when my body goes, " OH YEAH, HOW DO LIKE THIS FEELING ! STOP IGNORING ME!" We're like an old married couple now. Lol
Sport during pregnancy. Actually a lot of things are healthy during pregnancy theres just too much misinformation. If your doctor explicitly says no sport then yes. Do that. But if doctor says ok then go ahead.
As an avid runner I was running almost 6.5 months into my pregnancy and everything was fine.
Salt.
I keep a big jar of pickles on hand for after a long run or workout. Pickle juice is great for restoring electrolytes quickly.
Plant-based diets. People think they're deficient in everything from protein to vitamins while in fact it's virtually impossible to be protein deficient if you get enough calories and vegetables are better sources of most vitamins and minerals than animal products. Also very easy to get calcium, iron, omega-3, etc etc from plants.
Not to mention, the best, largest studies on the subject (those that follow tens or hundreds of thousands of people over decades) consistently show that people who follow plant-based diets have better health outcomes and longer lives.
Bring on the angry downvotes...
No downvote from me, however, there are numerous ways of healthy eating that are not solely plant based. I am a believer (unless for religious or allergy/anaphylaxis reasons) that a varied and in moderation eating plan is of benefit to overall health. Including exercise, and positive mental state. I have now set myself up for the downvotes.....
Most tap water.
There is not necessarily anything wrong with the tap water itself, but with the pipes themselves. I just read how re-coated pipes release a chemical called bisphenol A into the water. It affects hormone function, reproduction and the immune system. Apparently it doesn't dissolve in cold water.
Salad dressing: the vitamins in leafy greens are oil-soluable, and if you don't include one you don't get the full benefit of your leafy greens.
Good olive oil and either red wine or balsamic vinegar makes a tasty salad. Ive avocado oil and grapeseed oil for a twist.
Knowing you’re different than your peers.
Psychedelics when used responsibly.
The key is the word "responsibly". Too many people just chase the high.
Any type of herbal "medicine" - like telling someone to drink tea instead of soda and they act like that's the stupidest s**t theyve ever heard in the world.
Lemons and honey wont cure cancer, but it sure as hell aint hurting your cold.
edit: many people are pointing out that the opposite take (absolutely no doctors or modern Healthcare) is just as bad and it *is*. Those types of people are evidently the source of the stigma around living healthier lifestyles.
I still get into arguments about eating fruit vs eating candy 🤦🏾♀️.
Carbohydrates.
Depends on what the carbs are. Fruits, meats, taters, cool. Corn syrup(proccess) infused carbs, not so much.
Sleeping 10-12 hours.
Idk... sleep is important, yeah, but 12 hours sound excessive to me unless it's after some extreme exertion.
Gluten for people with no medical issue with it and palm oil that we don't avoid cos it's not healthy but because palm cultivations tens to rob various animals of their natural habitat.
Lactose has ended up in a similar basket. Many people have decided that because there are lactose intolerant people, lactose is bad and should be avoided. If you're lactose intolerant, true. If you're not, it's fine.
Skipping breakfast.
Your blood sugar “spiking” after eating certain foods. That’s exactly what’s supposed to happen. Unless you’re diabetic, you need to spend zero time worrying about your blood sugar. Just eat healthy foods and go easy on the junk food and sweets.
? Source ? I thought that's make you crash after a shorter while that if you having shower ups and downs?
I'm continually surprised by how many people are eager to tell me how running is bad for me. .
Walking, running, and swimming are at the top of healthy things you can do for your body!
Heartbreak! I think with the prevalence of dating apps, everyone seems to have become quite systematic about dating and compartmentalising things as fwb/situationships and any number of other labels. That's great and people should feel free to explore themselves this way and have different types of relationships, but you are a human being and shouldn't be surprised if things impact you emotionally sometimes. It's the risk you take, but it's worth it most of the time and it makes life exciting.
Strength Sports.
It got better, like way better.
But even when I started around 2009 with 14 years back then, people who probably couldnt finish an EKG were telling me up and down how dangerous going to the gym is and I couldnt list all the problems im going to get.
Add whey Protein on top of the Mix and you got alot of obese hobby nutrition scientist telling you, that your kidneys are going to fail, while their body doesnt even remember anymore what an Insulin Spike even feels Like.
Organic soy. People think it puts estrogen into your system when actually, soy contains phytoestrogen, a plant estrogen, that doesn’t affect humans. In fact, organic soy prevents diseases like breast cancer and is a great protein and calcium source.
What a load of dangerous horseshaite. Not only flavonoids like quercetin are endocrine disruptors (pHyToEstRoGenS), which excessive consumption directly leads to diseases like breast cancer and male reproduction system failure, they literally only exist so that plants could defend themselves from being eaten by animals. It's their sole purpose - being toxic to plant-eating animals, bacteria and fungi. Liver failure is the best thing you could get from having a pill a day with micronized flavonoids.
Playing in dirt. Low exposure to bacteria strengthens natural immunity. Kids who are shielded, not allowed (or able) to play outside on grass or dirt are more likely to have immunity problems later on. [ https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220929-how-outdoor-play-boosts-kids-immune-systems ]
I used to barefoot everywhere and my immune system is incredibly strong thanks to it.
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Consuming a liquid made of H20 is highly dangerous. Every person who consumed it will eventually die.
This post is the reason why you should never ever listen to what the Internet says.
Religion. Religious people score far higher on happiness, wellbeing and lifespan. Correlation or causation? If it were a matter of religion doing better at attracting healthy, well and happy people, or people losing faith when they face struggles, you'd expect that formerly religious people scored especially poorly, but in fact, the never-religious are those that score significantly worse. Funny how BPs fumbled over themselves to upvote "lack of religion," when BP is so filled with miserable, angry people bitterly awaiting some Thanos to put them out of their misery. (for whatever reason, the global surveys excluded most predominantly Muslim countries. Probably because it's too dangerous to acknowledge disbelief in those countries. No, not all religions are the same. But the benefit caused by religion did extend beyond traditionally Christian regions.)
I'm not trying to convert anyone; I think it's safe to say that those insincerely adopting religion for external benefits are a great harm to religions and secular communities alike. I am trying to say to BPs to back off the notion that all religion is generally harmful.
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This could be unhealthy, depending on which end of the weapon you're at :D
Load More Replies... Playing in dirt. Low exposure to bacteria strengthens natural immunity. Kids who are shielded, not allowed (or able) to play outside on grass or dirt are more likely to have immunity problems later on. [ https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220929-how-outdoor-play-boosts-kids-immune-systems ]
I used to barefoot everywhere and my immune system is incredibly strong thanks to it.
Load More Replies... Consuming a liquid made of H20 is highly dangerous. Every person who consumed it will eventually die.
This post is the reason why you should never ever listen to what the Internet says.
Religion. Religious people score far higher on happiness, wellbeing and lifespan. Correlation or causation? If it were a matter of religion doing better at attracting healthy, well and happy people, or people losing faith when they face struggles, you'd expect that formerly religious people scored especially poorly, but in fact, the never-religious are those that score significantly worse. Funny how BPs fumbled over themselves to upvote "lack of religion," when BP is so filled with miserable, angry people bitterly awaiting some Thanos to put them out of their misery. (for whatever reason, the global surveys excluded most predominantly Muslim countries. Probably because it's too dangerous to acknowledge disbelief in those countries. No, not all religions are the same. But the benefit caused by religion did extend beyond traditionally Christian regions.)
I'm not trying to convert anyone; I think it's safe to say that those insincerely adopting religion for external benefits are a great harm to religions and secular communities alike. I am trying to say to BPs to back off the notion that all religion is generally harmful.
Load More Replies... This could be unhealthy, depending on which end of the weapon you're at :D
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