10 Great Myths That We All Still Believe That Are Reality Shattering

Let’s take a look at some of these things you might still believe, shall we?

1. You need to wait an Hour after eating before going swimming. Of all the childhood myths out there, this one is most remembered, and questioned. The facts are that after a meal a lot of blood is diverted to the digestive system. This means less blood for the muscles and other organs. If you take it easy with any form of movement or exercise after eating, you will suffer no ill effects. You won’t die instantly if you step gingerly into a pool to cool off. Cramps occur not from going A good walk after a meal will do wonders for your entire body.
2. You can’t get sunburned on a cloudy day. A bright but cloudy day will still allow from 85 to 60% of the sun’s harmful rays to get through to your skin. Of course the more cloudy the less the sun will get to you. But don’t let the weather fool you. Even on a cold, windy day, the sun will still do a number on you. Use a sun block of at least 30 SPF, but don’t spend more money on anything more than 65 SPF. Studies show that there is no way to tell how effective any sun block is above 60, or even it if works at all above that level.
3. Always check your Halloween candy for razor blades and poison. This one is so old that there are television episodes about it from the late 1950’s. Here’s the facts. There has never been a single reported incident of a child being poisoned by their Halloween candy, or of anyone biting into an apple with a razor blade in it. Out of the hundreds of supposed incidents compiled since 1958, there have been only 2 Halloween-related deaths. Both of those were the result of homicides n t related to candy, but the killers used Halloween as a cover for the crimes. As for Halloween pedophiles, that myth is just that, a myth. In fact Halloween is actually one of the safest days for kids to be out and about.
4. Breathing in Helium will kill your brain cells. I am not in favor of abusing any kind of substance that can be inhaled. With that said, I can report that the occasional party animal who gets weird and talks funny with a little helium isn’t doing himself any harm. When you breath in helium, your vocal cords will react to the change in the air surrounding them. Our atmosphere is composed of numerous different gases, and one of them is helium. Too much of it will make you pass out because your lungs aren’t getting enough oxygen, but it’s not fatal. In fact, helium is used in hospitals regularly for patients who are having difficulty breathing. So take a deep breath and relax, will ya?
5. Too much sugar will make you hyper active. Ah, yes, the old children bouncing off the ceiling malarkey. We can trace this one back to a study done by a certain Mr. Feingold back in the 1970’s. His study had to do with keeping food additives such as artificial sweeteners and colors out of the diet of hyperactive children. He didn’t mention sugar as one of those ingredients, but it got mixed in with the other nasty substances and parents of all sorts of children ran with it. Let’s get one thing straight. Sugar does not make kids any more active than anything else they eat. Studies have shown that most parents have reported that their kids were more active than usual when they were part of such things as birthday parties and outdoor picnics. And it doesn’t take a study to show that kids are almost always a bit crazy during such events. But it’s the party, not the sugar, that makes them act up.
6. Alcohol kills brain cells. Alcohol has terrible effects upon the body, and I do not advocate abusing it. But you should not fear losing your brain, as the studies show that the brains of even heavy drinkers don’t lose any of their neocortex, where all reasoning is created. There was a shrinkage of the brain in the so-called white matter, which is a less crucial part of the brain. This damage was temporary, and the brain regrew once drinking stopped. Heavy drinking is responsible for bad behavior, memory problems and dementia, but there is no corresponding loss of brain mass. Once again, I advocate light alcohol consumption, if you drink at all.
7. If you eat too much before you go to bed, you’ll have nightmares. The big bugaboo for many, nightmares have many causes. Food is not one of them. In spite of many studies involving pizza, hot dogs, Mexican food and ice cream sundaes, fewer than 1% of test subjects succumbed to nightmares. The worst effect on them was that it took longer to fall asleep and their sleep was not as deep as normal. Hardly the stuff of nightmares.
8. It’s against the Law to kill a Praying Mantis. There has never been such a law passed in the United States. Even in Connecticut, where it’s the state insect, it’s not against the law to kill Mantises. It’s pretty stupid to kill such a valuable insect, but there it is. Be kind to one of our greatest allies against harmful insects.
9. Sitting up straight is good for your back. It’s less important how you sit as it is to keep your head level and your feet flat on the ground. A complete upright posture, as prescribed by most schoolteachers and parents, is actually the worst position for your back. Your best position? Sit at whatever angle keeps your back feeling relaxed, and take frequent breaks to stretch and walk around every few hours.
10. Don’t sit too close to the television. It’s bad for your eyes. See the entry on reading in low light. Okay, I’ll help you. Sitting too close to the television will only make your eyes tired. Other than that, no harm will be done. No evil ray emission. No nearsightedness.