Do you ever feel confused by the latest and greatest health trend?
I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with them.
On the one side of the coin, I LOVE when a powerful health tool goes from fringe to mainstream. I’m such a cheerleader of empowerment and get so excited when mainstream catches on to something truly awesome!
But there is another side to that coin……. Ughhhhh, and I can’t stand it when this happens……..
What was once a powerful supplement, healing modality, technology, or perspective gets diluted, twisted, taken out of context, and simplified to the point it no longer works…
ARGHHH, I get a bit heated over this one.
And then “mainstream” experts say it was always just a silly fad.
Or your doctor says “see, that’s all hocus pocus, woo woo crap”.
First, I feel frustrated, then I feel sad because so many people who could have benefited now won’t.
Therefore, I thought I’d share a few health fads that you can become empowered about so you don’t fall victim to them. (The first one may shock you since I wrote a best-selling book on Holistic Keto for Gut Health!!!)
4 Health Trends to Avoid (and what to do instead!)
#1 — The Keto Craze
I actually love Keto when it’s done properly and individualized for your metabolism, lifestyle, and health goals. I have cycled in and out of keto according to my health needs.
What, may you ask, could I possibly hate about it?
Well, as it has made its way from “out there” to “every celebrity does it,” it’s been totally commercialized! Now there are tons of “keto” packaged cookies and snacks that are really just over-processed junk laden with industrial (inflammatory) oils and artificial sweeteners. And aside from the processed garbage, there are large amounts of dairy in the “standard keto diet” that are hugely inflammatory and gut damaging.
How can we get back to the basics of Holistic Keto goodness?
We need to go back to whole, simple foods naturally high in fat and low in sugar. For everyone eating lots of dairy on Keto – I challenge you to take a long hard look at if dairy is truly serving your body.
And if you’re going to continue eating dairy, at least ditch the conventional stuff and go for grass-fed and raw! And please take your enzymes and HCL to help you better digest and absorb your nutrients!
If you do need a snack? Choose something minimally processed and nutrient-dense like Paleovalley Grass Fed Beef Sticks, turkey jerky, or make your own Keto Butter Cups .
#2 — Collagen Peptides
Just a few years ago, very few people even knew what collagen peptides were – then they rose to one of the most popular health and beauty supplements in the world – and it happened fast.
What’s the problem? When a supplement gets popular so quickly, there are bound to be low-quality imitators flooding the market. And quality really matters when you’re talking about a product made from animal bones and hides!
Buyer Beware of cheap collagen peptide supplements made from non-organic cattle raised in other countries or exclusively made from hides.
Another problem with beef collage is that most “grass-fed” collagen is actually “grass-fed & grain finished,” – meaning you’re not getting the benefits of 100% grass-fed!
In my practice, I’ve found only a select few collagen products that really hit the mark for quality and fair price. Check your collagen to see that it has Collagen 1, 2, and 3. Yes, there are three types of collagens, not just one. I prefer to buy a product that has all three.
- Made exclusively from 100% U.S. grass fed & finished cattle
- Made exclusively from bones (no hides!)
- Minimally processed to maintain nutrients.
Real collagen has more benefits than I can list! But the cheap imitators don’t have the same effects and can even hurt your health.
Pro-Tip: You can make your own collagen bone broth. Try it with chicken or turkey. Find my recipe here.
#3 — Turmeric
This little-known spice you eat in Indian food has been practically ignored until just a few years ago. Now it seems to be the quick go-to fad supplement for everything that ails you.
Why is this a problem?
Well, people overstate the benefits and don’t understand the importance of quality and also how to properly take it. And then people think it doesn’t work……. It is an amazing root, but it’s not a magic pill.
There are no regulations or oversight, so you can’t guarantee that what you’re taking is even really turmeric in many cases. This is a big danger when a supplement gets really popular really fast – people looking to make a quick buck will throw anything in a bottle.
Another issue is taking extracts rather than the whole food form, along with other support foods, to aid in absorption and to potentize the supplement. Many supplements focus on isolated curcumin. But it’s always better to get your nutrients from whole foods, not extracts!
What’s the right way to use turmeric?
In its most bioavailable (non-isolated) form and combined with black pepper, which makes it work better.
#4— Endurance Exercise
Exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle; it makes my head spin when people exercise too much. Sometimes it’s actually an addiction or body dysmorphia that is driving the behavior. Other times people simply have no understanding of the damage they are causing by exercising for long periods of time.
Check out my blog on Free Radicals and Oxidative Stress.
Great news, you don’t need to ride your bike for 60 miles or run a marathon to be healthy. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Endurance athletes often age faster, have higher rates of inflammation, and are more prone to injuries than people who do moderate exercise.
Yes, it’s important to get off the couch, turn off the TV and Computer, and get outside to move your beautiful body!
A good rule of thumb is to get out of breath so you have trouble talking to your exercise buddy or partner. Do this for 20 minutes or so, 4-5 times a week and you’ll be on your way to a much healthier you.
I am grateful that new ideas, supplements, modalities, technologies, and ideas are reaching the mainstream public……. And I want you to be an informed consumer!
I hope I can do my part to keep the essence of what makes them powerful and effective so they don’t fade away into obscurity!
Let’s pass health down to future generations in a responsible and fun way.