To Your Health

Myth:High-fiber means high-calorie.

Truth: High-fiber foods like whole grains, legumes, and fruits and vegetables are actually lower in calories than most other foods because they contain very little fat.

Myth:All vegetable oils are heart-healthy.

Truth: It depends on how they are processed and the type of oil used in a dish. Unhydrogenated oils lower cholesterol more than hydrogenated ones. And monounsaturated vegetable oils, like olive and canola, are recommended over polyunsaturated oils, such as corn and safflower.

Myth:Vitamins provide energy.

Truth: Only calories from carbohydrates, protein and fat provide energy.

Myth:People who are out of shape sweat more than fit people.

Truth: The reverse is true. The more fit you are, the more heat you produce and the more your body becomes efficient at cooling itself--hence, the more sweaty you are.

Myth:The more out of shape you are, the longer it will take to see results from an exercise program.

Truth: Again, the reverse is true. The greatest gains come in the first few weeks and months.

Source: InteliHealth Inc.

Contact Sources

Active Wellness, (212) 496-3991, http://www.activewellness.com

AGKrakow & Associates Inc., (212) 343-3626, fax: (212) 343-3629

Altiga Networks, (877) 4-ALTIGA, http://www.altiga.com

ErgAerobics Inc., (800) 689-9199, http://www.ergaerobics.com

Jamba Juice, (415) 865-1100, http://www.jambajuice.com

The Phelps Group, (310) 752-4400, jp@phelpsgroup.com

This article was originally published in the October 1999 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: To Your Health.