1. Eat more ‘natural’ foods

Natural doesn’t necessarily mean healthy. | iStock.com/organi

Sometimes, food labeling is confusing enough to trick you into thinking something is healthy when it isn’t. For example, foods with “all natural” ingredients — no artificial colors or flavors — aren’t necessarily healthier than foods without these labels. According to LiveScience, the USDA defines the term “natural” as any minimally processed food free of artificial or added ingredients. However, manufacturers can still get away with a lot under this definition due to loose FDA regulations. A natural label doesn’t tell you exactly how a food was grown, processed, or produced, so that “all natural” food isn’t as healthy as you’d like to believe.

2. Go organic — it’s better for you

Many organic foods still contain inorganic ingredients. | iStock.com/gpointstudio

Unlike natural food labels, certified organic foods refer to how farmers grow food and raise livestock. According to Mayo Clinic, organic farming prohibits the use of certain fertilizers, antibiotics, and genetic modifications. But some processed organic foods still contain non-organic ingredients. Research also suggests organic food isn’t necessarily more nutritious than conventional food — it’s just grown differently. If you’re concerned with where your food comes from, and want to eat more fresh produce, buy local. That matters more than organic labels.

3. Avoid microwaving your food as much as possible

Is microwaving your food really that bad? | iStock.com/Rostislav_Sedlacek

When you zap your food in a microwave, does it also zap that food’s nutrients? According to Harvard Health Publications, heating food in your microwave is one of the most effective ways to preserve nutrients. Cooking foods for long periods of time and heating them in liquid, as with boiling, promotes nutrient loss. Microwave cooking is short, and doesn’t require liquid for heating the way boiling certain foods in water does.

4. Cleanse your body of toxins

Do these things actually help you? | iStock.com/AntonioGuillem

Detox teas, smoothies, and foods with magical cleansing powers one day invaded the diet industry, and have yet to leave. Despite so many health enthusiasts and celebs claiming they work, Authority Nutrition notes the absence of credible human studies on detox diets. The idea that you can cleanse your body of harmful substances if you only eat certain foods — or nothing at all — isn’t scientifically sound. You’re likely doing your body more harm than good.

The problem is, many detoxes involving juice, tea, or smoothies just fill your body with sugar and empty calories. Besides, certain foods don’t clear your body of waste. Your liver, kidneys, and sweat glands do that. Any weight you might lose during a detox — mostly water weight — you’ll likely gain back quickly. If you want to avoid harmful chemicals in your body, cut out processed foods — a much more effective, but healthier, detox.

5. Avoid foods high in cholesterol

Go ahead, eat eggs for breakfast. | iStock.com/jarabee123

For decades, doctors and nutrition professionals have tried keeping you away from foods high in cholesterol. Outdated research simply assumed cholesterol and heart disease were related. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, more recent studies suggest dietary cholesterol isn’t directly related to heart disease. Basically, food doesn’t raise your LDL (bad) cholesterol or lower your HDL (good) cholesterol as much as scientists used to think. As long as you have enough HDL cholesterol to clear out excess LDL cholesterol, you’ll be perfectly healthy.

6. Overeating is fine, as long as it’s healthy food

Too much of a good thing is definitely bad. | iStock.com/Magone

As long as a food is healthy, you can eat as much of it as you want — right? More people believe this than you might think. While it isn’t the sole cause of the world’s obesity problem, it may definitely contribute to it. One study found people perceived healthy food as less filling than unhealthy food, and tended to eat larger portions of healthier foods as a result. It’s possible to over-consume calories and nutrients, even when you follow a mostly healthy diet. Portion control is an essential, yet often neglected, part of weight loss and management.

It often helps to choose foods high in fiber and protein when eating meals and snacks. These foods tend to fill you up faster, discouraging you from eating too much.

7. Eat more often to increase your metabolism

Your metabolism isn’t a fire — stop poking it. | iStock.com/evgenyatamanenko

Food and metabolism are related, but not in the way many people still believe. Overall, research thus far fails to support a connection between metabolism and smaller, more frequent meals. One small study suggests more frequent meals has little to no effect on weight, and may actually increase hunger. Though many people who eat smaller meals more often tend to lose weight, it’s not because of an increase in metabolism. It’s more likely because eating smaller meals discourages overeating.

8. Food cravings are a sign of nutrient deficiency

If you’re craving carbs, it’s not because you need to eat more carbs. | iStock.com/LuckyBusiness

Though food cravings aren’t fully understood, they’re definitely a brain problem, not a nutrient deficiency problem. Scientific American says the majority of research on this topic does not support the idea that craving a certain nutrient means you need more of it. Food cravings seem to originate in areas of the brain associated with memory and emotion. If you suspect you’re deficient in a certain food, make an appointment with your doctor before drastically changing your diet.

9. Stop eating saturated fat to keep your heart healthy

You’re hurting sat fat’s feelings. | iStock.com/Arijuhani

Standard nutrition advice in the late 1900s urged people to avoid saturated fat to protect their hearts. Reviews of dozens of studies, however, show there is no evidence that saturated fat causes heart disease. Some foods that contain saturated fats, like meat and dairy products, also contain protein and essential vitamins and minerals. Avoiding saturated fat altogether might actually be harmful. However, limiting your saturated fat intake leaves room for plenty of healthy fats, protein, and carbs. Limiting your intake of processed foods — usually high in sugar and sodium — is likely a better idea.

10. Eat more low-fat foods to lose weight

A low-fat cookie is still a cookie. | iStock.com/CuorerouC

When food companies noticed people’s wariness of high-fat foods, they started making low-fat products. Yet you’ve probably never eaten a low-fat food that tasted like cardboard — because they’ve since fixed that problem. Manufacturers might not add as much fat to certain foods, but they usually make up for that by adding sugar and other flavorings. Dr. Robert S. Bobrow, in his Huffington Post article about low-fat diets, also noted low-fat foods tend to be less filling, prompting you to eat more. This makes total sense — processed foods are often made up mostly of empty calories, and most lack essential nutrients like