Steve, last year I was so confused the contradictory information about Nutrition and Health that I went looking for real answers. I actually decided to take a course in Advanced Nutrition and have been studying it for about 10 months now. It has helped me tremendously to understand health and nutrition. Once you understand the basics of health it's not really that hard to look at studies and articles and pick out the crap from the good.
I would agree with you that there is a LOT of confusion out there as to what's good for you and what's not. Part of the problem is that it's being done on purpose by people with an agenda, and the other part of the problem is that food is such a source of pleasure for people that a lot of times people try to shape facts to agree with what they want to hear.
For example, you might be vegan so you'll be able to point out countless examples of why eating vegan is healthy, while others who eat meat and aren't willing to give it up will point out countless reasons why eating meat is important.
My point is this though: *IF* you're willing to make it important enough and devote a good chunk of time to studying nutrition and health, such as you've done with studying Self Development, it *IS* very possible to learn about proper health and nutrition. I would estimate that I've spent at least 250-300 study hours in the last 10 months studying nutrition and I do feel I have a good solid foundation and I'll continue to study more. However, if you're too lazy to do that, and you just read one article, then good luck trying to sort out the truth.
However, to say that it's too hard to understand health and just give up and do whatever you want, is kind of cynical and I don't think it helps people who have already tried doing what they think is right and are still unhealthy. If I read your article a year ago, I probably would have chosen not to take my nutrition course because I would have thought there is no point, and that would have been a big mistake because I've learned a lot from it.
I actually see no difference between the health industry and the self-help industry. You've been studying self-development for over a decade, what is different from saying the same thing about self-development? Based on your article, why couldn't someone say "THere's no point reading any self-development books or articles, they're all contradictory and they all have their own agenda's... Why read these articles by Steve Pavlina? He's just in it for the money! There's no point reading anything by anyone in self-development because they're just trying to sell me something, or promote their seminar or whatever. How could anyone help me with anything? I'm so unique! I have blue eyes, brown hair, weigh 190lbs, and I like the color red! I'm unique, I'm unique! Nobody can help me!"
I think the issue is that making decisions based on limited knowledge such as reading one or two articles on ANY subject is a bad way to live your life. Instead, do your studies, read the information out there, use books, and the Internet to educate yourself away from ignorace, and MOST IMPORANTANTLY, listen to your inuition, your inner voice, to tell you what's right for YOU!
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