Health myths are rampant and abundant. Some aren’t too harmful, while others are counter-productive to the healthy lifestyle you’re seeking.
First, let’s answer, “What is natural health?”
Natural health is exactly what it sounds like. It is health… naturally.
You won’t find me referring to natural methods of health as, “alternative health” on this site, because that’s not what it is - natural health isn’t the, “alternative” way to be healthy, it’s the ONLY real way to be healthy!
It’s not health through fad diets, or health through medications or surgery.
Optimal natural health comes through eating healthy food and participating in regular, beneficial exercise.
Let’s look at 10 of the most common myths about natural health:
Health Myth #1 – Being naturally healthy is too difficult.
Sure, you’re not going to achieve a naturally healthy state by doing nothing. But it’s not rocket science, and it’s not hard. It may sound hokey, but
your attitude will determine your success in changing your family's health, just as it determines every other aspect of success in life. I know you've got lots of excuses - and yep, that's what they are. They were my excuses, too. But once you've decided to stop relying on excuses and to take personal responsibility for your family's health, you'll be able to do it, slowly but surely.
(I need to qualify this remark by making a clarification: I am NOT a domestic goddess. I do not enjoy cooking or working in the kitchen, nor am I very good at it! I don't believe in spending hours on end doing food prep. I'm lazy: I'm constantly looking for ways to make household tasks easier or quicker. So don't start telling yourself that you just, "Don't have what it takes" for this sort of thing. If I can do it, anyone can)!
Health Myth #2 – It’s too expensive to be healthy.
I can certainly see why so many people believe that myth. Walk into a health food store and start calculating how much it would cost to buy an entire week’s worth of groceries there, and you’ll quickly become convinced that health requires mega bucks! And oh, how many folks I’ve heard echo some version of this idea. The latest such remark I’ve heard was along the lines of, “I guess if you want to live a long life, you have to have lots of money to buy expensive supplements.” It’s just not so. Buying your organic, whole foods in bulk direct from the source, and using only those few supplements which can truly help boost the health that you create primarily through your diet, can be at least as affordable as your normal weekly grocery trip.
Some healthy foods are more expensive than unhealthy ones, yes. But then, cardboard is less expensive than many foods, but would you feed it to your family? No, because it’s not real food. And neither is a lot of the cheap crap on grocery store shelves. Make your family’s health a financial priority, within reason, and you won’t regret it.
Health Myth #3 – Those folks who preach natural health concepts don’t look healthy themselves. So they must be wrong.
Sure, I’ve heard many a person espouse the virtues and traits of living a healthy lifestyle, when they are carrying around some extra pounds themselves. Although most folks don’t seem to mind taking their family doctor’s advice even if he/she isn’t the picture of health . . . but I suppose that’s beside the point.
The fact is, many people who appear to be fit and healthy are actually in poor health. Obviously being overweight is not healthy, and should be avoided. But a person who is overweight can actually be in better health than one who is thin – appearances can be deceiving. And then, the fact is that not everyone practices what they preach. I’ve been guilty of it plenty of times – it’s easy to study and learn how to be naturally healthy, but sometimes the effort to overcome cravings and old habits takes time for even those who have an avid interest in becoming healthy.
The examples I look to are those who have both researched AND practiced their methods of natural health for many years, and have achieved excellent results themselves. Those are the people I want to imitate!
Health Myth #4 – Bacteria are bad and to be avoided and killed at every opportunity.
This health myth is the thinking that has spurned regulatory practices mandating the pasteurization of everything in sight – from milk to almonds – and has caused so many of us to fill our homes with products like antibacterial soaps and hand sanitizers, to kill all the germs before they will supposedly kill us! Not to mention the proliferation of antibiotic treatments, and the potential health consequences from our massive ingestion & absorption of chlorinated water.
No doubt there are plenty of harmful bacteria and viruses in existence, but their harmful affects can be largely avoided by bolstering our immune systems and practicing common sense sanitation. The overuse of antibacterial products has caused more and more resistant strains of germs to form, and the elimination of beneficial bacteria (along with the bad) in much of our food supply has resulted in widespread digestive and other health issues, the negative effects of which may outweigh the risks of ingesting the harmful bacteria they were intended to eliminate.
Do you know parents who slather their children in antimicrobial products and keep them from touching anything that might have germs? Children who are overly-sheltered from germs in early years are more susceptible to allergies, ear infections and asthma, among other maladies. Our bodies’ defense systems can only learn how to protect us if we are exposed to the negative germs in our environment at a reasonable level.
And of course, there are a host of, “good” bacteria that many of our bodies are desperately lacking because of all of this overkill. Cultured foods and beverages are finally making a comeback, and probiotics receive increasingly more press these days for their beneficial properties, so perhaps in coming years this germ phobia will begin to wane.
Health Myth #5 – If I take the right supplements, I can eat whatever I want.
I had a dear family member who was interested in natural health concepts. He took a handful of natural supplements nearly every day, and spent thousands of dollars on natural health remedies in his quest to become healthy. However, his diet remained that of an average American, including few if any beneficial fats, or raw fruits and vegetables. He died in his late fifties of a heart attack.
My own father has also had an interest in natural health for many years, and has used many natural remedies and taken many daily supplements, but never significantly modified his diet in a positive way. The single most terrifying event of my life was looking straight at him as he nearly died in front of me at the age of only 55, from a massive heart attack.
Expensive supplements are not the way to attain or maintain natural health. The addition of a few natural supplements to a healthy diet can be very beneficial, but supplements are just what their name implies – a supplement to a healthy lifestyle, not a replacement.
Health Myth #6 – Natural health means a steady diet of tofu, salad, and rice. Bo-ring!
Definitely not! The traditional concept of a, “healthy diet” is grossly inaccurate, and is killing many would-be healthy people. Of course, as you grow in your journey towards living a healthy lifestyle, your ideas and beliefs about what constitutes a, “healthy” diet may change, as mine have. And you may be surprised to find that many of the foods touted as, “healthy” (such as whole grains and soy products) aren’t really good for you.
But in my opinion, a truly healthy diet will include plenty of pastured red meat & poultry; plenty of clean (grass-fed, anti-biotic- and hormone-free) animals fats like unpasteurized butter and cream; animal-based omega-3 fats; and beneficial saturated fats like coconut oil. Does that sound boring to you? Yes, your diet should also include plenty of raw fruits and vegetables, but there are many ways to prepare these foods that make them taste a lot more interesting than just gnawing on a raw carrot.
Natural health can be more delicious & interesting than you’ve ever imagined!
Health Myth #7 – The chemicals in many foods / household products can’t be too dangerous, or they wouldn’t be legal.
The belief that governmental regulations have made our food supply & household products safer is a misconception that is gravely dangerous to the populations of developed countries. In an effort to protect us from ourselves, governments have banned or made it difficult to obtain many of the whole, unprocessed foods that our bodies need to thrive (raw milk is a good example). The influence of corporate interests on elected officials is another way in which healthy foods have become more difficult to obtain (for instance, small family farms find it increasingly difficult to survive under the heavy burden of regulatory costs they face). Food additives like MSG and BHA are legally used by food manufacturers, despite the fact that scientific studies have linked them to cancers, heart problems, and other serious illnesses.
Don’t believe that just because it’s legal to sell something makes it safe for you to consume. Don't just believe every health myth - be a thinking consumer – do your research!
Health Myth #8 – Saturated fats cause heart disease. A diet low in saturated fat, but high in polyunsaturated fat, is the way to go.
The faulty quasi-science behind the myth of, “saturated fats = heart disease” was based on premises which have since been disproven. The most dangerous fats for you are processed vegetable oils – not butter and coconut oil, like many still seem to mistakenly believe. You can find out more about this concept by Googling, “saturated fat myths.”
Health Myth #9 – Sun exposure should be avoided
Many modern health issues are caused by the severe deficiency of vitamin D from which approximately 85% of Americas suffer. And the primary way in which our bodies create vitamin D is through our exposure to sunlight. The proliferation of sunscreen use in recent years has done nothing to alleviate the number of skin cancers that occur each year in the U.S., and vitamin D actually serves to prevent some types of skin cancer.
Proper sunlight exposure is a necessary and positive aspect of natural health.
Health Myth #10 – I need to get 30-45 minutes of aerobic exercise per day to be healthy
Most people seem to assume that running a mile or two per day will go a long way towards improving your health. But while it may help you feel better short term, over time long sessions of aerobic activity can actually be very detrimental to your health. Short bursts of intense aerobic activity are far more beneficial, both for long-term health and for weight loss.
Scientific Name: Brassica aleracea
Aging is the progressive decline over time in physiological functions, including reflexes, vision, hearing, short-term memory and learning, physical strength and endurance, digestion, cardiovascular function and immunity. Two well-supported theories have been proposed to explain the biological cause of aging.
Scientific Name: Ananas cosmosus
Scientific Name: Citrullus Vulgaris
Diabetes is a disease of the metabolism, disturbed in the way the body makes use of digested food for development and vigor.
You may notice that a lot of my recommendations include the word, “raw.” Generally speaking, the less your food is cooked, the better. And some foods, such as milk, may not seem cooked, but when you buy them in a normal grocery store, they have been heated to the point of damaging their nutritional value. 
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Starting your own garden is a great way to start eating healthy on a budget! Even if you don’t have much space, you can grow “bush tomatoes” on a patio, herbs on window sills, even many vine plants can be grown in containers.
