With a wealth of information on social media, not only is it easy to get lost in the weeds of the latest health trends but your list of wellness and weight loss hacks could also be mounting at rapid speed.
Now whilst some of these tips and recommendations may be helpful, there are a couple of questions worth asking yourself…
Firstly are the sources of these ‘cure all, life changing recommendations’ a little dogmatic about their particular method or product? The science of health and exercise is ever evolving, so I’d be sceptical of any sources telling you that their method is the only way to reach your goals.
And secondly are you adopting some of these seemingly helpful recommendations as rules rather than tools?? What I mean by this, is that your approach to applying these methods may have become somewhat inflexible and actually be exacerbating a negative relationship with your body, food, exercise and lifestyle.
A very common example of this would be caloric restriction. You may have seen a recommended daily amount for your age and gender and could be applying this in a regimented manner. First up, there is so much more to your caloric needs than just these factors, but also this tool can soon morph into quite a restrictive habit, with no flexibility.
You might have also seen an advert for a new app to track your dietary intake, again this could be used intermittently to see where you’re at, but if you’ve got to a point where this has become quite restrictive, then this could be a slippery slope. For example if the tracking element is dictating your social life to the point that you can’t ever eat off plan, this probably isn’t creating a great relationship with food.
Whilst we’re on the topic of food restrictions, doing a food intolerance test (there’s limited science to back up the accuracy of these tests) will often result in you seemingly being intolerant to everything you eat regularly, and before you know it you’ve whittled down to less and less foods you deem suitable to eat. Again the tool may have created too many rules.
Fasting is another method that should really be approached with a level of flexibility. If you’re getting stressed about anything that may break your fast too early, then again this tool may have escalated to another restrictive behaviour.
Next up, exercise, which is undoubtedly beneficial for everyone, but the most beneficial type, frequency and timing of exercise is so individual. If you’ve found yourself getting into an exercise regime which leaves little time for anything else, this isn’t necessarily a great place to be mentally or physically. Taking rest days and listening to your body is no bad thing. And if the thought of taking a day off training fills you with anxiety then it’s probably time to review your training schedule and your relationship with exercise.
Another area of health which is getting a lot more publicity lately is our exposure to toxins, which can also become overwhelming. It’s near impossible to eliminate all forms of toxins from your life. So if you’ve got to a point where you’re avoiding eating out for fear of the toxins you will be exposed to, again this seemingly healthy tool may have morphed into limiting habits.
There are many more examples of health interventions which even with the best intentions could escalate towards more restrictive behaviours. So there’s two key pointers to remember:
Aim to apply recommendations as tools that you can use with flexibility rather than rules that you live by
There is no one size fits all for health, exercise and nutrition. Don’t take everything you read as gospel.
As always, I hope this article has been helpful. Please feel free to reach out if you’ve found yourself a bit tangled in some more restrictive behaviours and need some support in navigating the endless recommendations out there!
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The content in this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your health.