由 home-healthhaven 
People do a lot to stay healthy. Some lifestyle choices, like regular exercise, eating fresh fruits and vegetables, and visiting the dentist twice a year, have stood the test of time. But many health fads have come and gone quickly, even though some folks still swear by them, no matter how silly they seem now.
**The Cabbage Soup Diet**
Just the name sounds like nonsense, right? The cabbage soup diet is a starvation diet. You can eat as much cabbage soup as you like—made with a recipe that has almost no fat or calories. Besides that, your food choices are very limited. Healthy foods like salmon, leafy greens, and even bananas are off-limits on some days. It’s no wonder people on this diet often complain of headaches and being tired all the time.
**The Tapeworm Diet**
This one is not just stupid—it’s downright disgusting. The idea is simple but gross: swallow a beef tapeworm (which, thankfully, isn’t sold anymore) and then eat whatever you want. After the meal, you take medicine to kill the tapeworm. This diet is banned now, which is good news. It makes the cabbage soup diet look like it was created by award-winning scientists.
**Ear Candling**
Think sticking a candle in your ear and lighting it sounds smart? That’s what ear candling involves. It’s supposed to remove earwax, relieve pain, and improve balance by creating suction in your ear canal. But that suction idea is just not true—there’s not enough suction to do any good. In fact, you’re more likely to burn yourself or damage your eardrum.
**Ionized Bracelets**
If you went to a health fair, concert, or county fair between 2005 and 2008, you probably saw ionized bracelets. They were said to improve balance, endurance, and overall athletic ability. Athletes endorsed them, likely with big paychecks. But these bracelets are just ugly accessories that do nothing and cost way too much. If you didn’t fall for this scam, good for you!
**Cooking with Margarine**
Remember when health experts claimed margarine was healthier than butter because it had less fat? If you’re born after 1960, you might not. But now we know butter is better. Margarine is made with hydrogenated and low-quality vegetable oils, which are worse for your body. Butter, in moderation, is the healthier choice.