These days it seems that everywhere we go we’re spoilt for choice. Just look at your weekly food shop with new products appearing every week – many accompanied by glowing health testimonials. It’s no wonder there’s so much confusion about what foods are good for you. And which should be avoided like the plague (!). 

 

One area which has changed out of all recognition are cooking oils. Turn the clock back a few years and the choices were simple. Blended vegetable oils or corn oil, with names such as Mezola or Canola. Or the more traditional dripping, lard or butter. 

 

These days there are a huge choice of cooking oils on the shelf ranging from the well known Olive oil to Sunflower, Rapeseed and Coconut oils. Each comes with its own particular attributes and health claims, making it hard decide which one is best for you. 

In this blog we often talk about the monster we all seem to have living in our heads. You know the one we mean. 

 

The one with a very loud, insistent voice. Giving its opinion on whatever is happening in our lives at that particular moment. 

 

More often than not, focussing on the negatives. Downplaying the positives. Magnifying our own unique insecurities, fears and anxieties. 

 

In many ways it’s like having our own personal radio station broadcasting 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

 

It’s little wonder that life can seem such a struggle at times. 

Supplements are big business these days. It’s estimated that here in the UK £750 million is spent on them each year. And the market is growing each year. 

 

However from conversations with clients it’s clear there’s still a huge amount of confusion about them. It’s a subject we’ve touched on before in this blog but one well worth revisiting. So here we go. 

We love people watching – doesn’t everyone (!) – and never cease to be amazed at how much we can learn about a person before even speaking to them. Their posture, facial expression, clothes they wear, way they move. Oh and David can spot a dodgy hip, back, neck or knee at 50 paces (!). 

 

We all do it subconsciously but, sadly, this usually takes the form of a knee jerk judgement. “I don’t like the look of him / her.” “How can they wear those clothes / go out looking like that.” 

 

The sad thing is that once the call has been made, any chance of observing that person from a neutral place instantly evaporates. Getting to know what they’re really like. Of enjoying life’s rich tapestry. 

 

Instead we automatically focus on anything that confirms our initial judgement and ignore everything else. And so a valuable opportunity is lost. 

If you’re having a feeling of déjà vu over the recent coverage of Zika in the press, you’re not alone. Just cast your mind back to Ebola in 2014 / 2015. Before that Bird Flu and Swine Flu. SARS. Or go even further back to the 1980’s with HIV and AIDS. 

 

So are we saying that you should ignore Zika and hope it’ll go away? No, of course not. 

 

Nor are we advocating the other extreme of believing everything that appears in the media. Hype is hype, wherever it comes from. 

 

Instead let’s take a step back and put things into a bit more perspective.