Who Should You Listen To?

First, welcome to all new readers who signed up this week!

I wrote about this topic last August, and from what I hear out ‘on the street,’ the confusion has only gotten worse.

So today, let’s break down ‘who you should listen to’ about nutrition or fitness advice as follows:

1. The Big Picture 🖼

2. Explain It To Me It Like I’m 5 🧒

3. Be Wary 🆚 Trust Worthy.

4. Clearings In The Jungle 🌴

5. Parting Zen 🧘‍♂️

The Big Picture 🖼

If someone tells you ‘what you should do,’ that’s a yellow flag.

‘Should’ is a slippery slope. It depends.

It opens the door to the mindset of ‘I know what’s best for you.’

You are the expert of your life; no one else is.

It’s OK …

… to test things that have worked for others …

… to discard things that don’t work for you …

… to change your position when new evidence is present.

Here are a few things I don’t think are OK:

It’s not OK …

… to be tricked, scared, or shamed into a decision …

… to ignore the evidence on either side of any issue …

… to blindly entrust your health decisions to anyone, including me.

It’s OK not to know everything.

The more experience I gain working with clients, the less I know with certainty.

Be wary of advice given in absolutes.

Explain It To Me Like I’m 5 👦

Today’s topic, as simply as possible:

“You can always trust yourself.”

Be Wary 🆚 Trust Worthy.

I posted this graphic in August of 2023:

It’s still valid.

Clearings In The Jungle 🌴

With all of that said, it remains a jungle out there.

I hate to tell you, but the deck is heavily stacked against you.

Trillions of dollars per year in algorithms, lobbying, marketing, industry, psychology, merchandising, and more vie for your attention.

That’s not all spent maliciously; there are good actors.

They may be difficult to find.

Here’s a list of people whose content I regularly consume with links to their Instagram pages. From there, you can find their other links:

• Alan Aragon (Researcher & Author of Flexible Dieting)

• Dr. Joey Munoz (Scientist & Educator)

• Dr. Adrian Chavez (Scientist & Educator)

• Ben Carpenter (Fat Loss & Nutrition)

• Dr. Karin Nordin (Behavior Change)

• Dr. Taylor Arnold (Children’s Nutrition)

• EC Synkowski (The Consistency Project)

• Dr. Layne Norton (Team Biolayne)

• Paul Chek (Known as the ‘godfather’ of holistic health)

• Ben Greenfield (Endurance Athlete, Author, Biohacker)

• Andrew Huberman (Huberman Lab)

• Zach Even-Esh (My Strength Coach)

• Josh Trent (Spirituality & Health)

You won’t like them all - and that’s good!

If someone doesn’t resonate, unfollow them.

I don’t agree with everything they say.

I do respect their approach.

Join either of my free, private nutrition groups to connect in person about anything nutrition or fitness-related:

Facebook Group | LinkedIn Group

I keep both completely free of judgment and absolutes :)

Parting Zen 🧘‍♂️

A simple word, phrase, or thought to take with you:

Be well,

Coach Matt

PS: Here are some other newsletters I recommend:

PPS: My common-sense disclaimer …

The advice I offer is not medical advice. If you have any medical issues, please consult your doctor first. The advice I offer should be personalized to your needs. I can help you make those personalizations or refer you out. Reply to this email if you need help.