No one would ever lead you astray when it comes to your health and fitness....

It can be very overwhelming to sort through all the fads diets, nutrition advice, exercise programs, and general information out there. Just because something seems appealing or "studies prove" it, doesn't make it good advice.

In my latest Nutrition and Health class, I read something that really demonstrated this point:


“The study was done in 1000 adult men and women that were recruited to participate in the study examining the side effects of statin drugs. To assess the frequency of chocolate consumption subjects responded to the question: how many times a week do you consume chocolate? The energy intake was estimated using a so-called food frequency questionnaire that looked at total food consumption. What was interesting is that the researcher found that the more often people eat chocolate, the higher their energy intake, which of course makes perfect sense, but the lower their Body Mass Index or body weight. Let me repeat this, the more often people eat chocolate, the lower their degree of overweight.
The authors concluded that although frequent chocolate consumption increases energy intake it does not lead to weight gain.
Really? Do you believe it? The authors of the studies admit that their study has limitations which may explain their highly curious results.
Unfortunately, those new answers are completely lost in the press release of UC San Diego where the study was done, which among other things, says, I quote: “In the case of chocolate this is good news, both for those who have a regular chocolate habit and those who may wish to start one.” Those who may wish to start one? Are you kidding me? Is UC San Diego insinuating that picking up a chocolate habit may be actually a good idea? Because it may make you thinner? If the press office of UC San Diego was already doing such a bad job, how can we expect other news channels to be more accurate? Indeed, BCC news wrote that chocolate may help keep people slim. Whereas CBS news reported that eating lots of chocolate helps people stay thin. What is surprising is that Elle magazine, of all sources, was actually the most responsible by including the disclaimer "But before you reach for that Mars bar remember chocolate bars contains high levels of fat and sugar. It’s best to stick to a little dark chocolate now and again to reap these possible benefits." What I want to convey with this little story is that there is plenty of bad science out there.”


Basically, don't believe everything you read on the Internet or in a book. Use common sense, see if other studies back it up, and be wary of anything that seems too good to be true. Just because the media say it, doesn't make it true :)

A new staple for my gym bag

So. Let's talk stinky feet for a moment. I know that your feet smell like roses after a workout sesh..... but mine don't. They smell like feet. And I hate that.

Working in the Fitness field, I do a lot of activities outside my own workout sessions. Demonstrating an exercise for a client, teaching quick ab classes, testing out equipment, and other activities can get my feet.... warm. Which doesn't bode well after a long day haha.

Luckily, I discovered these foot wipes that smell like peppermint!! Love!! I just throw a pack into my gym bag and can wipe my feet down whenever I need to. I also keep spare pairs of socks in there, so I can swap those out as well. I can use them throughout the day, post-workout when I'm no going to shower right away, or just whenever I want my feet to smell delicious :)

My gym bag just got a whole lot happier :)

Finding a Personal Trainer

Before working in the fitness world, I had a lot of misconceptions about what a good personal trainer should be like. As long as they look great, what they're doing must be working, right??

Unfortunately, not so much. I saw this great article and had some thoughts. There are so many people out there who got a little lucky genetically or who stumbled upon a good workout routine and worked their way to a rockin bod who still have no idea how to safely help people improve their lives and fitness levels.

First, many fitness certifications aren't regulated. You can take a little joke of a test online and print out your shiny certificate that says you're ready to train people. Even the ones that are legit often don't require more than a HS diploma and a little studying to pass a test. While this is a great educational opportunity, it doesn't necessarily prepare you for the ins and outs of taking someone's health and safety into your hands. So my first piece of advice would be to look into the educational background of a personal trainer you might be considering. Did they go to college for this? Just how many certifications do they have, and from which certifying body did they get those certifications? How long have they been doing this? Overall, just make sure the person knows what they are doing and has actual science to back it up.

Second, do they try pushing specific supplements, fad diets, or crazy workout regimens? If so, run for your life. While people are free to try these things (good luck with that), your personal trainer should stick to research-backed exercises, plans, and progressions... not magic pills and potions. And if they try to push ideas that they got out of a fitness magazine.... just don't.

Third, if your PT tries to write you a meal plan, get out. Only Registered Dietitians are legally allowed to do so, and any personal trainer who tries to pass that off is way out of line. Fitness (and a little bit of general nutrition advice) is the PT's domain. That's it.

Personal trainers can be an amazing tool in your health and fitness journey (people who use them lose more weight, on average), but just make sure you choose the right one :)

Fitness-isms (that are all too true)

There are certain phrases and ideas that are thrown around in the fitness world...... All The Time haha.

The thing is, though, some of them are true! (Shocking, I know.)

Here are some that I've been running into a lot lately.

If you're not losing weight, you're not burning more energy than you're taking in!

It's not just the gym that counts, it's how active you are throughout the day! Get up and move!

Just because you work out, doesn't mean you can eat whatever you want and still lose weight!

:)


Any little nuggets of fitness advice you'd like to share?