I am continuously struck by the immense quantity of health, nutrition, and medical advice that is offered to us by not only our physicians, but on television, the internet, and from personal trainers, friends, and well-meaning strangers. Additionally, there are no quality controls on the internet, unless you go to select, peer-reviewed sites. Even seemingly legitimate sources may disperse faulty information.
I had the dubious privilege of attending a corporate wellness training recently, in which the educator advised people to substitute honey for sugar, and sea salt for salt, because “the honey is good for your health, because it’s natural, and the sea salt is just evaporated ocean water.” I was thinking about how crazy that is, when honey is a known cure for low blood sugar and salt is, well, SALT, regardless of the source. Sure, they both have some beneficial trace minerals, but if you’re watching your sugar or sodium intake, you’ve got know you’re still eating sugar and salt.
If you are being conscious and conscientious about your health, you may find yourself suffering from a serious case of information overload, in addition to the original problem. We simply cannot absorb all of this information, nor should we. Information overload looks like:
• Hundreds of backlogged e-mails from WebMD, the Mayo Clinic, Dr. Weil, and a host of other experts;
• Stacks of clippings, magazine articles or issues, or books related to health topics;
• Fear, frenzy, and distress when you see or hear another piece of health or nutrition advice, or a medical warning is issued on the news; and
• Avoidance of such material, as well as physicians and other healthcare providers.
My frustration with this situation made me think about the fact that I know so much about nutrition, medicine, and psychology, and have a critical perspective on all of it – but if you’re new to nutrition, or having a medical or psychological diagnosis, you can easily get a lot of misinformation. And when misinformation from one source collides with correct information from another source and even more misinformation from yet another source, the net result is chaotic and the bottom line is, you may get frustrated and give up trying to get educated or get well.
I suggest asking a trusted physician or dietician for two or three of their favorite, reputable sources of health information and using those exclusively. Random internet searches are liable to lead you into chat rooms, hucksters, and juicy-sounding but inaccurate tidbits. Do yourself a favor and limit the information overload. Doing so will help reduce the kind of stress that contributes to inaction, insomnia, and a host of other symptoms, both mental and physical.
Gretchen Kubacky, Psy.D. is a Health Psychologist in private practice in West Los Angeles, California. She has completed the inCYST training. She specializes in counseling women and couples who are coping with infertility, PCOS, and related endocrine disorders and chronic illnesses.
If you would like to learn more about Dr. HOUSE or her practice, or obtain referrals in the Los Angeles area, please visit her website at www.drhousemd.com, or e-mail her at AskDrHouseMD@gmail.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @askdrhousemd.