Everything You Think Is Wrong (Day)!

Happy Everything You Think Is Wrong Day! Yes, there is a special day for this.

In honor of this bizarre day you probably didn’t know existed (if you did, YAY YOU!), I have put together a list of 5 accepted truths that are actually false.

Spilling Salt is Bad Luck

Have you ever tipped over the salt and someone starts yelling “OMG THROW IT OVER YOUR SHOULDER BEFORE THE CROWS DESCEND!”? (Hmm, just me? Okay.)  Apparently back in olden days, salt was very expensive so if you frivolously spilled salt, your punishment was to throw away some more over your left shoulder. Why the left shoulder, you ask? Well that’s where the devil sits, so if you have good aim and the right timing, you might just hit him and he will leave you alone. Kind of sounds like good luck, doesn’t it?

Sitting Too Close to the TV Will Make You Go Blind

Well, maybe not blind, but it’ll make you need glasses. In reality, this warning was only valid in the 1960s, when television released so much radiation it was harmful for your eyes. Today, the only “damage” TV causes to your eyes is fatigue, something that can be easily corrected by resting your eyes!

Feed a Fever, Starve a Cold (or Feed a Cold, Starve a Fever)

This might just be because my grandma grew up during The Great Depression, but whenever we were sick, she would always say “feed a fever, starve a cold”, which meant, yeah, when we were sick, we just drank a lot of water and went hungry! Or at least I was hungry. But the original saying was actually “Feed a cold, starve a fever.” Translation: Eat food when you have a cold to prevent catching a fever. Funny how things like that get twisted.

Healthy Fat is Good Fat!

“OMG, you guys. Dieting is so easy!” I say to my friends while scarfing down a whole avocado and 7 handfuls of almonds. Sure, those foods are good for you because although they are high in fat, it’s healthy fat and healthy means we should eat a lot of it, right? Well, sort of! All that healthy fat equals lots of calories. So if you are trying to trim down or stay fit, snack on those healthy fats in moderation! Unless you’re at a Mexican restaurant, because there is no moderation when it comes to my love of guacamole.

7 Years Later, Your Gum is Still In There

There’s something about the number seven – we love to throw it around as warning to children not to do silly stuff, like break expensive mirrors or swallow their gum. I kid you not, I was convinced that gum took seven years to digest because I was a gum swallower as a kid and my mom would say that to me on the daily. Fun fact: it does not. Gum is digested like every other food you might swallow. But that doesn’t mean you should run around snatching up gum to swallow. If you swallow too much gum in a shot period of time it can morph together in your stomach and that, you can’t digest. Say hello to Mr. Surgeon!

Trust: There are plenty more things you thought were right happening all around you. Take today to explore those myths your parents always told you and find out if they are false. If they happen to be true, you’re in luck. Tomorrow is Everything You Think is Right Day!

Featured image via Amazon.com