Let’s never do that again: a decade of bad decisions

Detox juice cleanse promo
Detox juice cleanse promo

Let's never do that again: a decade of bad decisions

As the 2010s come to a close, itu2019s easy for us to look back on the way we lived. In the present, the decisions we made in the past can be questionable u2014 especially when it comes to advice about health and wellness.

Ah, wellness. Thereu2019s a word weu2019re going to ban from our vocabulary the moment the clock strikes midnight on New Yearu2019s Eve.

While u201cwellnessu201d may have started the decade as a way of optimizing our fitness routines, exploring alternatives cures, and investing in self-care, it has bloomed into a pseudoscience that promotes the myths of the diet industry. In the eyes of wellness, we need to invest large sums of money into dangerous, unproven cures and techniques that look great on social media and do nothing for our bodies. The wellness industry, from essential oils to extreme diets, prioritizes thinness as an outward display of health.

In the final days of 2019, letu2019s say NO to the irresponsible trends of the past decade.

But if we are rejecting so much, what should we be embracing? Here are some suggestions:

Nobodyu2019s life magically changes at the stroke of midnight and weu2019re all trying to get better. Letu2019s make positive steps by removing lies, hype, and hatred from how we get healthy this year and celebrate that we have as we get stronger, smarter, and kinder in the new year.

All the hype surrounding gluten-free eating? Forget about it

Gluten-free diets / image source: healthline.org

Gluten-free diets / image source: healthline.org

You know all the hype surrounding gluten-free eating? Forget about it

I think it’s fair to say that 2019 has been the year of the Keto diet. Keto products, apps that measure fat, cookbooks, and controversies have been top-of-mind in so many of my discussions with my clients. We talked about the keto diet and unpacked the way populate diets cycle through our culture. Coming behind the keto diet in terms of questions and interest is a gluten-free diet. Is a gluten-free diet the key to a healthier, happier you?

Gluten is found in grains such as wheat, barley, rye, and a cross between wheat and rye called triticale. Gluten is to be avoided or removed from your diet if you have been diagnosed with celiac disease, dermatitis herpetiformis, or a gluten-sensitivity. Celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis are both autoimmune disorders and affect those who cannot digest gluten. A gluten-sensitivity is an allergic reaction to gluten, and individuals diagnosed with this experience symptoms include diarrhea, constipation, bloating, and pain. For people who have these issues, a gluten-free diet will provide you with relief from the symptoms of these illnesses.

But what about the rest of us? Can we benefit from a reduction in gluten as well?

You know how we talked about trends like cleanses and detoxes that take your money and do little for you? Well, gluten-free is a $4 billion dollar business, being kept afloat by promises of wellness and weight loss. It’s a trendy diet and a quick fix. Why wouldn’t this industry promote the idea of gluten-free?

It won’t make you lose weight. Going gluten-free may mean that you will initially lose weight because you will be taking unhealthy carbohydrates (like cake, muffins, cookies, white bread, etc.) from your diet. There are far healthier and easier ways to lose weight than going gluten-free.

It isn’t a healthier way to eat. Cutting out wheat, rye, barley, and other grains that provide gluten eliminates some of the key sources of complex carbohydrates that we need in a balanced diet. You will also lose fibre, B vitamins, and folate. Gluten-free breads, cereals, and crackers may tend to be lower in fibre, are generally not fortified. Fortified products provide you with  iron, calcium, and vitamin D. Gluten-free products are often higher in sugar and fat to compensate for a loss of texture and flavour.

If you know anyone who suffers from a medically-diagnosed gluten issue, and finds tiniest taste of gluten triggering debilitating gastrointestinal discomfort, they will let you know that this is a time consuming, expensive, and restrictive diet.  Based on pseudo-science, trendiness, and consumerism, gluten-free is yet another way for us to remove important nutrients from our diets and celebrate quick fixes over long-term lifestyle changes.


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We Wish You a Merry Fit-Mas — 2019 Edition

We Wish You a Merry Fit-Mas — 2019 Edition

Last year we provided you with some fitness gift guidance as we headed into the holidays. Here’s our revised list as you prepare to pick up presents for your loved ones.

Tech gadgets Tech gadgets Nobody ever unwraps fitness technology and asks for a gift receipt. There are so many options available for the tech-loving fitness buff in your life. From smart watches to clip-on trackers, these devices track data and allow you to see trends.

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So, there’s our annual rundown of fitness-inspired gifts to keep everyone happy and healthy well into 2020!


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There are predators in the fitness industry. Who knew?

Bikram Chowdhury / publicity image from Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator (2019)

Bikram Chowdhury / publicity image from Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator (2019)

There are predators in the fitness industry. Who knew?

So, Bikram, right?

Over the past two weeks, I’ve had a number of clients ask me if I watched the documentary “Bikram: Yoga. Guru. Predator” which is currently streaming on Netflix. It’s a cautionary tale of worshipping false idols, extreme capitalism, and enabling the wrongdoings of a predator in exchange for career advancement. The film is eye-opening for some and recycled history for others.

I’ve previously written about yoga and the challenges it is currently facing. From the consumer culture that surrounds a yoga lifestyle to the measures studios are taking to ensure consent in a silent practice, yoga is changing. Podcasts like Yoga is Dead are exploring the toxicity that surrounds yoga from its appropriation by white women to the strict veganism that practically enforces eating disorders. Yoga is having its own reckoning, prompted by questioning devotees who are asking how this solitary form of reflection is now being marketed as a calorie-burning efficient exercise to tone and sculpt.

I actually attended one of Bikram’s classes years ago when I was in Los Angeles. Clad in that tiny speedo and weighed down by that huge Rolex, I joined other devotees in the Hollywood Bowl as he ran us through the set exercises. Starting every single sentence with “the problem with you Americans” and displaying more megalomania than I initially thought humanly possible, the 90-minutes was a sweaty ego-filled circus. I was bemused but others were entranced.

As a trainer, I know that different people respond to different approaches. There are those who want me to be a drill sergeant and those who expect me to be a supportive therapist. Over the years I’ve learned that cruelty is not synonymous with authority or expertise. I can think of other popular fitness gurus, (Jillian Michaels, anyone?) who have built their entire identity and success on a tough-love persona. The idea that you need to break someone down and then build them up to achieve results has more to do with the trainer than their students. They want to be seen as the only person who can create results. They want to be idolized and admired for being the single truth teller in a sea of complicity. And they do this by using their ego to manipulate their followers.

Until something breaks. Maybe they let their podcast audience know that it’s okay for a pregnant woman to have a glass of wine with dinner or encourage them to reject antidepressants because they cause weight gain. Maybe they pay special attention to the young women in their class and touch them inappropriately under the guise of an adjustment. Predators and bullies are everywhere and it’s up to you to detach yourself from them the moment you feel uncomfortable. If their behaviour is criminal, then report it. If it’s foolish then unsubscribe.

We all have the power to take care of ourselves and others. We don’t need investigative journalists and documentarians to confirm that icky feeling. If something feels wrong, it probably is. This journey is about self-improvement and self-presentation, so don’t fall under the spell of someone who fails on all accounts.