Isn’t it interesting that we hear a lot of the same health advice from different sources? Seems everyone is doling out similar guidance about well-being that the health community has deemed relevant.
Often, however, these pieces of advice are not particularly helpful. It isn’t so much that they aren’t true. It’s more a matter of them not being specific enough.
Why is this relevant? First of all, when advice is too overarching, it can be difficult to follow. Not everyone is at the same level when it comes to understanding healthy behavior, so advice that is too “pat” can either confuse them or set them on the wrong path completely.
Second, not everyone has the exact same health issues.
Applying general advice to a specific problem not only
may not solve the problem but may exacerbate it and lead to even bigger concerns.
The truth is one-size-fits-all answers rarely fit most people. It usually takes knowing the details of someone’s life situation to even begin to help them meet their challenges. This is exceedingly true when it comes to health and wellness. We must develop a deeper and understand our specific needs to find lasting solutions.
To that end, I’ve come up with five of the most-common generic advice about health that aren’t helpful. Let’s explore each belief and then turn it into advice that will truly help.
“Eat a healthy diet.”
Fantastic! What does that mean?
Let’s be honest here: metabolism and weight loss are incredibly complex processes. In addition, everyone’s metabolic issues are different. Without understanding what yours are, trying different diets and weight-loss schemes is like throwing darts in the dark. You might hit upon something that works, but you’re more likely to end up on a plan you can’t sustain or that doesn’t help—frustrated and worse off than you started because, once again, you “failed.”
A better plan? Talk to your doctor or a trusted naturopath about how to control your weight in light of your specific health concerns. Maybe your hormones are imbalanced, or your gut health is off. Once you address these issues, your weight may regulate itself.
All this to say, sudden or persistent weight problems can be an offshoot of another health condition. Delving deeper and discovering that condition can then solve the weight problem permanently, rather than jumping from fad diet to fad diet.
2.“Get 8 hours of sleep per night.”
Sounds like great advice—but is it really?
Yes, many people could stand to get more shuteye, but not everyone needs eight hours of sleep a night. Some of us get sleepier during the day or more irritable if we sleep too many hours. There’s a whole segment of the population that thrives on four to six hours a night, while others need nine, 10 or more hours of rest to function the next day.
More importantly, if you are trying to get more sleep, what’s the best way to do that? Are you simply not getting into bed early enough, do you have poor sleep hygiene, or are you dealing with a medical or hormonal issue that needs addressing?
The point is that everyone is different and must apply this advice to their own situation. First, discover if eight hours of sleep a night is really for you. If so, finding out the root cause of your sleep issues sets you up to solve them along with treating any potentially underlying health conditions.
3.“Reduce stress.”
These days, stress seems to be a universal concern. Who isn’t dealing with a multitude of situations that can cause anxiety and overwhelm at least some of the time?
Yes, reducing one’s stress level is important, but what does one do with that advice? It’s not like most people can (or would want to) quit their job, abandon their family, or give up all their obligations.
Reducing stress is complicated. The answer might be finding behavioral solutions or developing coping skills like deep breathing, meditation or exercise; taping a list of affirmations to your desk; taking supplements like maca or black cohosh root—or, potentially, finding a new job or partner if one of these is making you miserable. Only by exploring what is really causing the stress can you figure out which solution makes sense.
Once again, getting specific and digging deeper are essential to discovering the true causes of stress and devising a plan for reducing it that works—not just for a little while, but for the long term.
4.“Stretch!”
We all know how important stretching is, right? Probably because the health professionals tell us to do it.
While this isn’t necessarily wrong, telling someone to stretch without teaching them HOW to stretch isn’t particularly helpful. For example, did you know that dynamic stretching is recommended before a physical activity, such as running or plyometrics, while static stretches are best for improving range of motion? And overly forceful stretching can actually tear the muscle—and not in a good way?
There are certain commonly accepted stretches and movements that can actually be harmful if done improperly, like the Banded Y executed with too heavy of a band. The key is to follow the advice of a trainer or movement specialist who knows how do to stretches in a way that is both safe and effective.
5.“Expand your social circle.”
As health professionals increasingly realize the importance of addressing the whole human—physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual—we hear a lot more about the significance of having a healthy social life.
Also, as social media has become a stand-in for live interaction (a trend that the pandemic accelerated), some of us may not be spending as much time around other people as we should; therefore, expanding our social circle has become something we have to consciously work to do.
That’s all well and good—but how? Making friends can be … awkward, to say the least, at any age.
It’s OK to connect with people online, but why not extend those connections to the real world? Join a FB hiking group and get out there and hike with them! Try a new sport or activity you’ve been eyeing but maybe have been too shy to endeavor (pole dancing, anyone?). Make a concerted effort to go somewhere different or talk to someone new once a week (maybe that cute guy/girl you see at the coffee shop every morning?). The idea is to take that amorphous advice, figure out how and where you could apply it, and expand your horizons with some definitive action.