Can You Be Fooled?

At least a handful of times each week, I'll field a variety of questions from concerned clients. There's a new trend, fad, or phobia gaining momentum through the media. Perhaps a new product has hit the shelves or a new headline has caught someone's attention via their favorite blog or news source. 
I'd be lying if I said I didn't from time to time get caught up in some of the hoopla myself. Every now and then, what a client mentions may even be news to me, so I have to go and investigate a bit to get more clarification on a topic. 

But where do you turn for a trustworthy response? 

A cursory Google search can lead to more confusion and frustration. Not to mention, if you ever want to really entertain yourself go to Google and type in "dangers of (said topic)" and see what comes up. There will almost always be some detractor who is happy to instill the fear of anything into your consciousness if you allow them. 

Out of morbid curiosity, this morning I delved into: 

Dangers of chocolate milk
Dangers of mangoes
Dangers of walking

And my favorite:
Dangers of breathing

It appears there is an inherent problem with, well, everything! 

Keep in mind, I really tried to go for the mundane with my searches. So, imagine what happens when you start searching for really hot topics such as: 

Gluten
Fats
GMOs (genetically modified organisms)
CrossFit
Running
Dr. Oz
Santa Claus

Ok, the last one was a joke. Everyone knows Santa Claus is real and he is of no danger whatsoever. I just wanted to make sure you were paying attention!

For the same reason that you may likely surround yourself with people like financial advisors, accountants, attorneys, general health practitioners or even your friendly personal trainer, go to the people you feel you can trust. Don't be afraid to have your initial views and opinions on a given topic challenged. As I've been prone to say in previous newsletters, be flexible with your philosophy. While double-blind peer reviewed scientific studies can be a nice guideline, they rarely account for the exceptions to the rule who defy those results. 

If you're looking for people, concepts or ideas to simply agree with you, those opinions can be found. Just remember that the contrarian lurks behind every corner waiting to throw you off and make you think something better, faster or more effective is out there (you just haven't experienced it yet). 

Hence, there is a reason why things like raspberry ketones, garcinia cambogia, or green tea extracts haven't solved all of society's weight loss issues. 

If you would like a realistic and honest approach, we're here for you