Way Too Much Bad Information
Some sources are obviously not all that reliable in terms of providing the most accurate pieces of information.
A tabloid magazine at the checkout stand with an ad on it which features a product guaranteed to allow you to simultaneously lose weight and develop a deep, golden tan isn’t exactly the ideal resource.
Nor is the website which pops up first, thanks to paid advertising from a pharmaceutical company, which tells us why we simply need to ask our doctor for this latest prescription drug when we’re experiencing GI distress.
(Been there, done that, no thanks).
But how about the tried and true magazines we read and rely upon as valid sources of information?
Those which have regular columns by registered dietitians and western doctors, that tell us things like how those of us who are endurance athletes, should be sure to get at least 70% of our calories from carbs, to enjoy peanut butter on toast as a great snack before running and not to have fiber the day before the race.
Sometimes, even those published by sources which, for all intents and purposes, should really hold weight, like those coming out of our universities and medical centers?
How much trust can we put in those?
Sadly, in some cases, not too much.
Take, for example, a magazine I picked up at a health food store the other week.
Article upon article touched upon one erroneous piece of information after the other.
One in particular, which took the proverbial cake, stood out in particular and cited it’s references as having come from Tuft’s University Health + Nutrition Newsletter.
It was a one paragraph article focused on how to choose better fats and foods for arthritis relief.
In it, we are told that the following foods, all grouped into one broad category, are to be avoided:
butter, palm oil, margarine, any meats which are not lean, grain starch and sugar
Then, we are told to be sure to include the following foods, which are far healthier to prevent arthritis- related inflammation:
vegetable oil- based dressings and spreads, eating plenty of nuts and using olive oil to cook.
So a beautiful grass-fed rib eye is a food to avoid side by side with margarine and sugar?
And eating vegetable oils spreads and cooking with olive oil? Really?
How about something along the lines of eating an abundance of fresh, in season leafy greens, mindfully sourced wild proteins and a healthy dose of different types of coming from both plants and grass-fed wild or pasture-raised animals?
One more chance for us to read between the lies… err lines and make sure we’re turning instead to more reliable sources of information.
How to tell which are and which are not?
Use your common sense and keep on the lookout for where studies cited came from, who funded them and who may gain from sharing not so impartial information.
Food is food; food nourishes us and food either grew from the land where we live or it swam in the water, flew in our skies or ran across the plains.
If we can keep this spin on what we eat most of the time, we’re in good shape.
And it’ll make those times when fresh isn’t an option easier to recover from!
Read wisely, eat wisely, educate and empower!
