Top 10 Health Misconceptions

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America has a problem. We’re constantly being fed lies. I just turned down an advertisement from a lectin-free diet brand - no beans, nuts, tomatoes, potatoes.

My friends get their health advice from Instagram. Everyone is looking for the answer to this question: What’s good for me?

This week, I scavenged from the depths of the web to find you the biggest conspiracies in health. I even clicked page 2 on Google search, so you know I’ve been thorough.

10) Breakfast Is the Most Important Meal of the Day

Guess who started this whole "breakfast is king" narrative? None other than the breakfast behemoth Kellogg's. But dude you couldn't possibly start your day without a bowl of cornflakes.

Breakfast is beneficial because the calories you consume in the morning are less likely to be turned into fats and will give you lasting energy for the day.

But for some, skipping breakfast can align better with their body's n

atural rhythms and even improve insulin sensitivity. 

• John Harvey Kellogg (yes, that Kellogg) promoted bland diets to curb passions. I’m also guessing his favorite position was missionary.

9) Cracking Your Knuckles Causes Arthritis

Socially obnoxious? Yes. Gives you arthritis later in life as karmic punishment? No.

That satisfying pop is gas bubbles collapsing in the synovial fluid that lubricates your joints.

A doctor once cracked the knuckles of his left hand every day for 60 years and left his right hand alone. No difference in arthritis between the two hands.

• The world record for the loudest knuckle crack is 83 decibels—about as loud as a lawn mower. 

8) Tap Water is Bad but Bottled Water is Good

If you live in a paradise free from government regulations like, say, Somalia, then you might have good reason to prefer bottled water over tap. But in modern countries, both are regulated.

US tap water is amazing 🤩. But you should always question and research.

What can you do?

Go to this site, and check your zip code. Your tap will be fine as long as it’s coming from a water treatment plant that services more than 10k people - regulations for water treatment plants serving over 10k people are stricter.

If you’re below 10k in population, contact a lab and get your water tested once. Or buy a home filter - it's cheaper and greener than bottled water.

7) Gum Takes Seven Years to Pass Through Your Digestive System

This is pretty easy to disprove yourself but it’s understandable why most people don’t try the experiment.

Chewing gum is pretty immune to the digestive process but your digestive system is efficient at moving things along—even stuff it can't fully break down.

But swallowing any fruit’s seed WILL grow a tree in your stomach.

6) The Food Pyramid We Were All Taught in School

The 1992 Food Pyramid told us to eat 6-11 servings of bread, cereal, rice, or pasta per day. Every. Single. Day. That aged like milk.

Kellogg's 2 || 0 You

Big Ag—aka Big Grain, Big Meat, and Big Dairy—lobbied their hearts out to become staples of the American diet, at your expense. 

Since this carb-heavy pyramid debuted, obesity rates in the U.S. skyrocketed from around 12% in 1991 to over 42% in 2020. Thanks, Big Ag.

MyPlate tried to clean things up, but it's still got lobbyist fingerprints all over it.

For a less biased guide, check out Harvard’s Healthy Eating Pyramid—it focuses on whole grains, healthy fats, and plant-based foods. Revolutionary, I know.

But Wait, There's More!

No way more!!

^{aahhhh more!}

These were just appetizers. The top 5 health misconceptions are so shocking, they deserve their own spotlight.

Stay tuned for next week—Question, research, stay informed.

Jacob & The Renewal team

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