We all want to be healthier or fitter than we were previously and to achieve this we try to follow what we’re told to do by the media/tv shows/magazines, however, this often leads to a variety of conflicting advice which then leaves people feeling confused & frustrated with trying to be healthy and therefore they simply stop.
There is no doubt that this is annoying, however as I’ve matured and taken more of an interest in studying health and wellness, I’ve learnt how to deal with this issue better than I would have previously, so on the off chance it may benefit others I thought I’d share my personal experience.
1) Accept that science is always progressing: and therefore new information will come out regularly which might turn what we previously knew on its head but as we’re always gaining knowledge this is something we need to accept
2) Dig a little deeper than the headlines: quite often newspapers will purposely write an eye grabbing headline to make you read it however the info it contains is a very simplified version of the science and quite often leaves out tons of details. A perfect example is a headline that a chocolate bar a day is good for you, what it does not mention is what type of chocolate was used in the study i.e a 40g portion of over 70% cacao solids dark chocolate made up of 3 or 4 ingredients rather than the Willy Wonka type that have an ingredients list the length of your arm and are 100g per bar.
Therefore go to the original source of the study/information and even if you are just reading the abstract of the study this can still give you better information than magazines as it summarises the whole study including the final results but it is preferable if you can read the intro, results & discussion too.
Therefore go to the original source of the study/information and even if you are just reading the abstract of the study this can still give you better information than magazines as it summarises the whole study including the final results but it is preferable if you can read the intro, results & discussion too.
3) Do your best: Do the best you can with what you know/have at this present moment as you can’t simply wait for the solution to fall into your lap. Trying to improve your health and putting in even half an effot is better than doing nothing at all
4) Don’t be put off: Some studies/stories are centred on a negative aspect of typically healthy foods e.g more arsenic in wholegrain rice, mercury in fish etc. This can be quite off putting however there can also be ways to minimise these impacts meaning you can reap the health benefits of the food whilst minimising the risk by doing a little reading yourself around the matter if you can.
Solutions include reducing your intake of high mercury exposed fish by choosing species unlikely to be exposed and only eating fish 1-2 times a week. Moreover, taking high quality, purity tested chlorella tablets with fish can be helpful as the high chlorophyll content can bind to toxic contaminants, preventing their absorption. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22008543
Regarding rice, you can rinse wholegrain rice under water for a few minutes then cook it in as much excess water as you can fit into the pot (usually 6:1 is good), then rinse again once cooked until the water runs clear, the tip on weekly consumption regarding fish is also applicable here.
Regarding rice, you can rinse wholegrain rice under water for a few minutes then cook it in as much excess water as you can fit into the pot (usually 6:1 is good), then rinse again once cooked until the water runs clear, the tip on weekly consumption regarding fish is also applicable here.
image:theguardian.com |
5) Let nature nurture: Mother nature knows best, no matter what you believe in, we are natural beings that are part of this planet and therefore the best way to keep ourselves healthy is to consume what nature provided, preferably in its most natural form. This means making your food from natural ingredients in their raw state rather than pouring it from a box and if possible choosing to satisfy
sweet cravings with fruit, as the saying goes “fruit is natures candy”
I hope this helps even a little,
much love, health & happiness to all xX
much love, health & happiness to all xX