10 Supposedly Healthy Things That Are Actually Hurting You

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Now that the New Year is here, my Facebook feed is full of friends' 2015 resolutions. Not surprisingly, a lot of my friends are vowing to live healthier this year, by making changes in their diet and other behavior. What is surprising: The number of "healthy" pledges people make that have zero positive impact on their health, or could even be harmful.

No one likes a resolution troll, so I won't be calling out well-intentioned friends if they pledge to make pseudo-healthy changes in 2015. But maybe if I post this to my wall, they'll learn a little something and choose truly healthy changes instead of any of these.

1. Juice Cleanses

Number one on my list combines two useless health trends — juicing and cleansing — into the trendiest waste of money of recent years, the juice cleanse. Embraced by celebrities and fueling a burgeoning retail trend, juice cleanses are touted as a way to rid the body of impurities, feel energized, clear your skin, make your hair shine, and cause fairy wings to sprout out of your back.

OK, I made up one of those claims. But the others are quite common on the web sites of commercially-produced juice cleanses.

The truth is that your kidneys and liver do just fine at removing toxins from your body, without any special diet. Vegetable juice can contain plenty of vitamins, but drinking juice is not as healthy as eating fruits and vegetables whole, because carrot juice, for example, lacks the fiber of the whole carrot. Sure, you may lose weight while doing a juice cleanse, but that has more to do with the low calorie count in most juice regiments. And drastic calorie reduction is bad for you.

2. Antibacterial Soap

Especially during the flu season, no one wants to spread germs. But according to the Food and Drug Administration, buying antibacterial hand soap is not a good way to stay healthy. The agency says that products marketed as antibacterial are no better than regular soap and water at preventing the spread of germs — and more worrying, they may contain chemicals that pose health risks with long-term exposure.

3. Vitamin Pills

It seems like a dietary insurance policy: Take a tablet every morning to avoid worries that you didn't eat enough leafy greens. However, several studies have shown no health benefit to taking multivitamins or mineral supplements — so you might as well save your money. (See also: Multivitamins Aren't as Good as You Think)

A more serious concern is taking megadoses of vitamins without a doctor's prescription. Doctors warn that overdosing on vitamin supplements can cause neurological problems, liver damage, vomiting and a host of other ills, and can interfere with prescribed medication.

4. Teetotaling

This is a touchy subject, because alcohol abuse is extremely unhealthy and often fatal. However, moderate drinking has been shown to confer a health benefit over abstaining from alcohol. If you don't drink, it's not recommended that you start just for your health, because the risks of over-consumption are too great. But if you are a true moderate drinker (defined as just one drink per day for women and two for men), you needn't feel like it's ruining your health.

5. Low-Fat, High-Protein, Raw Food, and Other Fad Diets

Dietary trends — usually aimed at weight loss — come and go. For the most part, reducing a certain food category is not going to hurt you, but beware of going to extremes. For example, overloading on protein can damage your kidneys.

Raw fruits and veggies are good for you, but those who restrict themselves to eating only raw foods miss out on nutrients that are unlocked in the cooking process.

6. "Wheat" Bread, "Natural" Chicken, and Other Confusingly Labeled Foods

Healthy-sounding labels are big on packaged foods nowadays, but be aware that a healthy-sounding label doesn't guarantee a healthy product. For instance, some shoppers mistakenly believe that any bread labeled "wheat" contains whole grains; to ensure you're buying whole-grain bread, which is indeed healthier than white, look for "whole-wheat flour" on the ingredient list. Even if a product is labeled "whole grain," if it is also packed with sugar or other unhealthy ingredients, it's not necessarily very good for you.

The word "natural" means basically nothing on product labels — the FDA has not set out rules for its use. So the "natural" chicken, cereal or other product isn't necessarily any better for you than the one without that label.

7. Extreme Exercise

Pushing yourself is in nowadays, with marathons more popular than ever and the cardio/weight lifting program CrossFit growing like crazy. Exercise is great — but experts warn that too much, at too high intensity, is not great.

"Chronic extreme endurance" training, such as for long-distance runs, can damage the heart, research has found. Another consequence of pushing too hard can be injuries — especially for child athletes.

Severe exertion can even lead to a scary condition called rhabdomyolysis, wherein muscle tissue breaks down and releases its contents into the bloodstream, potentially damaging the kidneys.

8. Energy Bars

Once used mainly by distance athletes, energy bars are everywhere nowadays, and many people use them as a convenient meal or snack on the go.

But just because they are associated with sports, don't assume that energy bars are health food. Dieticians warn that many of them are packed with sugar. Another concern is that if you fill up on bars of any kind, you may not have an appetite for the fresh fruits and veggies you need. (See also: 20 Healthy Energy Bars You Can Make at Home)

9. Extreme Cleanliness

There's nothing wrong with taking a shower, or with washing the kitchen floor. But it's not necessary to maintain a daily cleaning schedule, for either body or home. In fact, excessive cleaning of either can be harmful.

For the body, excessive showering can damage the skin, and certain areas of your body are too delicate to be lathered up, ever. Babies, in particular, can get dry skin from daily baths.

When it comes to the home, recent research suggests that removing all bacteria from the living environment — previously thought to be the healthiest way to live — could actually contribute to allergies.

So while there's no need to be stinky, it's healthy to relax a little when it comes to soap and scrub brushes.

10. Sports Drinks

Americans have figured out that soda is not good for you, but when sugary soft drinks are replaced by sports drinks, there's no real health improvement. That's because many sports drinks contain just as much or more sugar than sodas. Most people — especially kids — can rehydrate just fine with water without the need for a specialized beverage. (See also: Healthy Homemade Energy Drinks)

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