You should be waking up at 5 a.m. each day to maximize productivity. But a good night’s sleep is crucial, and you shouldn’t sacrifice it for anything. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! But if you’re not intermittent fasting until the afternoon, you’re going to gain weight. And don’t you dare put oat milk in your coffee if it has seed oils in it!
There’s a lot of contradictory information floating around health and wellness spaces. While being healthy was once as simple as eating a balanced diet, staying active and maintaining relationships with loved ones, people are constantly trying to complicate it to make a profit or simply confuse you. That’s why Reddit users have recently been discussing potentially harmful trends, behaviors and more that people often assume are “healthy.” Keep reading to find a conversation with Kevin Pho, MD, and be sure to upvote the things you don’t trust either!
#1
The rat race. We should really switch to a capybara or manatee race, slow things down a bit.
#2
Detox anything. Your body has organs literally for this purpose.
#3
I’m a yoga instructor and I constantly have to remind my students that doing advanced poses without proper form isn’t pushing yourself it’s just asking for injuries.
To find out more about what’s actually healthy and what’s not, we got in touch with Kevin Pho, MD. He was kind enough to have a chat with We and break down which trends we should be avoiding.
“One common trend is the overuse of supplements,” the expert shared. “Many people assume that because something is labeled ‘natural,’ it’s automatically safe and beneficial. But too much of certain vitamins or minerals—like vitamin D or iron—can actually be harmful.”
“Another example is extreme dieting or detoxes,” Dr. Pho continued. “These often promise quick results but can disrupt metabolism, gut health, and even mental well-being.”
#4
“Pain is just weakness leaving your body”
No, pain is you damaging your body in a bad way. It’s okay to be sore after exercise, but at no point should there be any pain.
#5
Cutting out all fats.
#6
Chugging a gallon of detox juice. congrats! you’re just starving with expensive pee 😂💁♀️.
So why is there so much confusion about what’s healthy and what’s not?
“The health information landscape is incredibly fragmented. On one side, you have doctors and scientists trying to communicate evidence-based recommendations,” Dr. Pho explained. “On the other, you have influencers, celebrities, and companies promoting products and lifestyles that often prioritize profit or virality over science. Add in constantly evolving research—sometimes with conflicting results—and it’s no wonder people feel overwhelmed.”
“Also, let’s be honest: fear and hope sell. A message that says ‘eat more vegetables and walk every day’ isn’t as flashy as ‘this superfood will change your life,'” the expert continued. “But the former is what actually helps. The challenge is getting people to see through the noise.”
#7
I still hear people talking about getting “a healthy tan” when they are actually (and quite obviously) burning their skin with UV radiation.
I’m not talking about general outdoor lifestyles (we all need Vitamin D), but the dedicated pursuit of a tan.
There is a cultural heritage in the UK where burning to a crisp on the beach/by the pool with no sun cream (or just low factor/oils) was a sign of social status when you got home and showed off your melanin infused skin (or even a nice bit of UV radiation scarring) in the pub or office.
“Look at my blistered arms, I can afford two weeks in Spain!”,
At best this is damaging your largest organ and prematurely aging your appearance, at worst you are drastically increasing your chance of melanoma skin cancer, but is somehow seen as wholesome and worthy of envy.
It’s sunny here today for once though, so I’m getting my shirt off!!
#8
Waking up extremely early for no literal reasons other than “being productive” I’m not saying this is the case for everyone but a lot of these influencers seem to be depriving themselves of quality sleep by waking up at 4am everyday and going to sleep at 12am.
#9
Biologically inappropriate fad diets.
We also asked the doctor for advice on how to spot what’s simply a harmful fad or trend. “Start by asking: What’s the evidence? Who’s behind this claim, and do they stand to profit? If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” he told We. “Talk to your primary care physician. They know your medical history and can help you assess whether something is right for you.”
“You can also look at reputable sources—like the CDC, Mayo Clinic, or trusted medical journals,” Dr. Pho continued. “On KevinMD.com, I try to spotlight voices from the front lines—clinicians who share what really works with patients, not just what’s trending.”
#10
Getting IV injection/infusion therapy at med spas can be dangerous!
In fact, most healthy people don’t need IV vitamins/nutrients and it can actually cause infections, or worse – electrolyte derangements and k**l them!
#11
Douching.
Thankfully more and more women are receptive to the education that this is often more harmful than helpful.
#12
I´ve heard a fair few people say they switched from cigarettes to vaping and think they made a huge improvement.
It´s good to get off cigs, but not the best replacement?
“Give yourself permission to slow down. Health isn’t about extremes—it’s about sustainable habits. Walk more. Sleep well. Eat real food. Build relationships. Those don’t make headlines, but they build resilience. And that’s what real wellness looks like,” Dr. Pho added. “And finally, don’t underestimate the power of asking questions. Whether it’s your doctor, a pharmacist, or a credible online source—get curious. Empowered patients make better choices.”
#13
Learning to “take a joke”
No, conditioning yourself to just shut up and bottle your feelings when you’re upset over something that was “just a joke” is not healthy.
I’m not saying there will never be times where you feel upset by something that maybe shouldn’t have upset you, but instead of shoving those feelings down where they’ll get packed in like gunpowder ready to go off later, explore *why* you feel upset. Sometimes, it’s legitimate; somebody was mean to you and wanted to gaslight you into thinking you’re the problem so they could get away with it. Other times, you’re having a response based on your trauma/social conditioning and you have to treat it kind of like a phobia; an irrational response that you have to learn how to manage and communicate to others, with a reminder to yourself that nobody is trying to hurt you.
#14
Muffins. I used to bring donuts to meetings but was asked to bring muffins instead because they’re healthier. They are twice the calories of the donuts. .
#15
Entree salads at restaurants are deceptively high in calories and fat.
Using Chili’s to illustrate this point.
-The quesadilla explosion salad is 1,420 calories and 99g of fat.
-The surf and turf 10oz sirloin, shrimp, mashed potatoes, and broccoli is 750 calories and 33g fat
(sirloin and shrimp 450cal + mashed potatoes 260cal + broccoli 40cal) (Fat is 20g+13g+0g) nutrition info was sourced from Chili’s website.
#16
Fat free food.
#17
Protein bars/shakes. I get that they have their place for people working out, but I know way too many very sedentary office workers who are very overweight, do not work out at all, and yet eat multiple protein bars a day convincing themselves that it is good for their health.
#18
Activated charcoal toothpaste. It just wears down your teeth. Honestly I bet it’s better to just use water than charcoal. Same with those all natural no fluoride toothpastes. They aren’t good. It’s funny how much people hate fluoride when it’s just as natural as sodium which is salt. Both are just minerals. I don’t know much about the subject though.
Also people are so scared of scientific names. Like sodium is so scary to them when it’s just salt. They panic when they see acids in the ingredients. Thinking it’s toxic because acid. When lemons are acidic. Also just because something has a shorter ingredient list does not mean it’s healthier. Also from what I’ve heard European food labels don’t have to include as much infromation as ameircan ones and can often say stuff like “spices” and not name it. And can use more common vs scientific names for stuff. But I may be wrong about that. But a lot of people use that fact for fear mongering.
#19
Those weird “healthy” versions of junk food you see in organic grocery stores. No, chips don’t suddenly become healthy because you left the skin on the potatoes. I’m sorry. Plus, if you look at the ingredients list on that stuff, it’s often longer and has more weird ingredients than the basic version. I was shocked. My husband and I lived for a while near a place that sold itself as a “healthy food” grocery store. Their fresh fruit and vegetables (actually healthy stuff) was miniscule, half an aisle. The rest was weird supplements and processed junk. It shocks me people think that stuff is healthier than fresh whole real foods.
#20
Granola bars. Most of them are no better than candy bars.
#21
Getting only 4 hours of sleep and calling it ‘grind culture.’.
#22
The plethora of skin care and beauty products that are pushed on young people.
#23
Working yourself to death.
#24
One thing that many people believe is healthy but actually isn’t is fruit juices. While they seem like a great source of vitamins, most commercial fruit juices are packed with sugar and lack the fiber found in whole fruits. This can lead to blood sugar spikes and contribute to weight gain over time.
#25
Staying up to date on the news.
#26
Doing high impact exercise when they’re overweight. It doesn’t help much, and there’s a much bigger risk of injury. Taking a brisk walk and stretching are the best types of exercise to do when you’re overweight.
#27
Waking up early if you aren’t naturally a morning person.
#28
In the early 1900s it was thought smoking could open the lungs, and early Tour De France racers would often smoke a pack of cigarettes during the race to enhance their performance. Of course, this never worked.
#29
Jumping into CrossFit & other intense workouts if you’re older or out of shape.
It’s an endorphin rush & it’s awesome to see your body start getting into shape so quickly. Combine those two, and it’s difficult to not just push your limits every time you go in. However, that sort of intensity takes a toll on joints, ligaments, muscles, and tendons that are unaccustomed to it. Eventually that wear & tear causes injury, which (among other things) makes any exercise at all more difficult.
Some folks can do those sort of intense workouts, but for anyone looking to get into exercise, it’s best to just focus on establishing a sustainable routine. It might take longer, but if you can stick with that, then results will come & you’ll be more likely to keep your positive gains.
#30
Being surrounded only by people who share the same opinion. .
#31
Drinking as self care 😭😭.
#32
Vitamin Water. Coca-Cola won a lawsuit claiming the branding was misleading. Their argument, iirc, was that they’re Coca-Cola; nobody should expect things they make to be healthy, and it isn’t their fault people are stupid.
#33
Trying to do a calorie deficit but just eat minimal amount to survive .
#34
Pushing your body and overtraining. You can get serious injuries.
#35
Too little or not enough of many things. Extreme cutting for extended periods of time or very specific diets have side effects usually.
Unregulated words on food packages. Natural or non-processed have no actual meaning when it comes to health. The same with Fresh. You still have to wisely select foods as those words can be easily slapped on unhealthy food.
Exercise even. There is a reason why they suggest consulting with your doctor before doing vigorous exercise. Doing the same exercise over and over can be bad for you even. My dad lost 90 lbs, then one day passed out on a treadmill, hit his head and died. That doesn’t mean I don’t think people should exercise. Just that you have to be careful. .
#36
Chiropractors.
#37
“Drinking lemon water every morning doesn’t detox anything — your liver already does that.”.
#38
Taking a bunch of random supplements.
#39
Wine.
My dad heard 2 drinks a day is healthy. So he was at his cardiologist and they asked how much he drinks a week and he said 14 drinks. The cardiologist was flabbergasted and told him to cut out drinking.
#40
Working 40 hours a week.
#41
Being religious.
#42
Circumcision.
#43
Excessive protien intake. Its a complete cult.
#44
Margarine.
#45
Getting up at 03:30 to do 100 pushups, drink 30 egg whites, listen to an audiobook at x2 speed etc. all for the #hustle.
#46
Used to not think this, but self medicating with weed while having certain mental illnesses. The way my therapist and psych both explained it was they didn’t care if I used, however they would advise me not to self medicate with it. It’s harder to know what dosage youre consuming and there’s so many different strands. Medication works best when it’s taken consistently at the same time and same amount everyday, and it’s near impossible for that to be the case with weed, even if bought from dispensaries. Dont get me wrong though, I think weed is extremely helpful for certain disorders and diseases, and it should be 100% legal, however it should just be used with caution when dealing with mental illnesses!
#47
Essential oils.
#48
Juice “cleanses”.
#49
Orange Juice. It’s amazingly hard on your stomach.
#50
Natural flavors, its very obscure and there are thousands of things it can actually be.
#51
Carnivore diet.
#52
Ironically enough being overly health conscious especially food wise.
#53
Fat-free yoghurt. Often full of sugar instead.
Stop worrying about fat, it’s the sugar that’ll get you.
#54
Agave.
It’s nature’s high fructose corn syrup 😂.
#55
Taking ozempic to lose weight.
#56
Raw milk.
#57
Repeatedly catching covid. You aren’t building last immunity, you’re just increasing your chances of long-term ill health.
#58
Thinking about what other people are thinking about and then also concluding that you are right about the fact that they have thought what you thought they had thought based on a loose theory that only works if described by yourself.
#59
A glass of wine a day.
#60
Can we remember the Nutella craze? How obsessed the world was with how healthy it was to have hazelnuts in the morning (but ignore it’s half sugar).
#61
Milk.
Its such a misconception that “it gives you strong bones” Yes, it has calcium in it but the amount you would have to drink daily to actually absorb enough “calcium” you need would be sooo much lol we need calcium and its in other foods but a good ol American dinner with a glass of milk growing up wont do much other than give you unnecessary mucus.