Beware the Snake Oil Salesmen

Okay, maybe that's coming on a little strong, but it goes to a point. 

The other day I was watching a video blogger interviewing a cardiologist about nutrition. Turns out he has a book and several products that he is hawking, and thus, the reason he is there.

One of the points that he made, while selling his philosophy of good nutrition, was to compare a bowl of berries to a bowl of skittles. As in, if you are eating a bowl of berries you might as well be eating a bowl of skittles. Huh? Let's take a look at this. If you eliminate the micronutrients, phytonutrients, dietary fiber, and water from the berries, add in some artificial chemicals and colorings and about 2/3 more sugar, then yes, they are equivalent. In other words, they are nowhere near equivalent.

So I had to ask myself, why was he making this comparison? Because it made his point, fit into his philosophy, and most importantly, helped him sell something.

What is the cautionary tale here? Look, I'm sure he did his research and wholeheartedly believes what he says. The problem is that he found information that fit into a box that he built. You can find studies and papers that back pretty much any idea you may have about something. Problem is it doesn't make it fact. My advice to you is this: Be aware of where you are getting your information and why it's being given to you. Is the source unbiased and practical in its point of view? Is the information broad and adaptable? Is it individualized or does it put every individual into one group? The fact is that no nutritional plan fits all. The sooner we wrap our brains around that the sooner we will start to approach our goals in a safe, doable, sustainable way.

There are a plethora of unbiased, informative, and science backed sources out there for good nutritional advice. I'll share a couple of our favorites here. Check them out. Look around. See how their information differs from a lot of what you see marketed to you on a daily basis. I think it will be eye opening.

examine.com- informational site. Do you have questions about anything food or supplement related? They find the unbiased studies to back the info they put up. As the science changes they will also publish the data as it changes.  An unbiased site just trying to dispense the facts, ma'am.

precisionnutrition.com- nutritional guidance at its best. Only interested in finding the nutritional plan that works for you. Every individual is different and that's where they start.

Check it out. Give us your thoughts. Do what works for you!

All the best.