Health & Fitness
Navigating Information Overload
By Libby Whyte
With this recent trend of following wellness influencers, people often become innocent consumers of endless tips and tricks. From drinking olive oil to perineum sunning, these little trends can be enticing when promising a figurative ‘fountain of youth.’ Our social media, television, and health-minded friends and family are always promoting something more that we “should be doing” for our health. This can lead to information overload and leave us feeling completely inadequate.
We are all so radically different! Our bodies are made differently, time is managed by our circumstances, and tolerance levels vary. There is much power in taking over your health to realize the results you’ve been looking for, but let me assure you that acting on these borderline satirical health trends won’t get you any closer to that goal.
This is how you can take your power back: by simply knowing you are unique and your health needs are unlike all others’. I suggest spending time thinking about your goals and what results you’d like to see in yourself. Additionally, plan the amount of time you have available to put wellness practices in motion. Before you go out and buy the most popular supplements, get your hormone levels and blood tested for deficiencies. More importantly, be sure you are drinking filtered water, getting rest, eating whole foods in three well-balanced meals and moving your body outside in the fresh air.
Always remember that wellness is not a static state. There will be fluctuations in the Illness-Wellness continuum that will present challenges, making life interesting. It is inherently good for our souls to improve our wellness, especially when we keep a balance of our mental, emotional and physical health. These are the three pillars of transformation. With all three we are strong, but when one falters, imbalance begins. From something as simple as a stressful drive home after a long day at work, our dinner might not be digested properly and the gut will suffer the consequences. But taking time to joyfully prepare dinner and peacefully eat can restore your attitude and improve your digestion.
Above all, you are your own best advocate and expert on your individual health. Intuition has guided you well and leaning into it is valuable! So unfollow that account, change the channel, and learn that a “no, thank you” can be one of the best tools in your toolbox.
Libby Whyte is a personal nutrition specialist. You can contact her at [email protected].