Question everything: put it into context

A simple logic that should be applied to most things.

Straight forward advice here. Fitness is good for you, yes. Eating healthily is good for you, yes. But put into the wrong context, and those things become detrimental to your health. Here are some examples where things swing from one end of the spectrum, to the other, depending on the context.

Push ups are good for you. Yes, that's true. It's a good resistance exercise, in particular your anterior deltoids, triceps and pectorals.

Push ups are bad for my shoulder. Well, that can certainly be true. Perhaps a different exercise would be better to choose. That doesn't mean you neglect the muscles used in a push up. But perhaps use them in a different manner, maybe a front raise is more comfortable or a tricep dumbbell press. This doesn't mean push ups are just bad for everyone's shoulders though.

10,000 push ups are good for you. Well, that depends.

10,000 push ups are good for you over a period of a year. Ok, that's a better statement. 10,000 pushups in a week are bad for you. Yeah, I wouldn't recommend it. 9,999 pushups were easy last week, let's try 10,000 this week. Well, given that context, an extra one wouldn't be asking for much.

Deadlifts injured my back. Did they really? Just because you hurt it during a deadlift doesn't mean that's what necessarily caused it. There will be a myriad of factors to take into account. Were you tired? Did you warm up correctly? Did you use your back in other movements that day (i.e. tie your shoelaces, pick up a pen off the floor, look underneath a table)? Did you use your back in movements throughout the week leading up to this injury? Were you stressed? Were you distracted thinking of what you were going to eat after your workout? Did you put too much weight on the bar? Are you sure your form was ok? Were you hydrated enough? Did someone come in and punch you in the back whilst you deadlifted? Maybe your deadlift was the 'last straw', that day you could have sneezed and your back give up on you from that, it just so happened to be a deadlift that day. Don't blame the lovely deadlift.

Water is good for you. It certainly helps you live.

2 litres of water is good for you. Well, that depends.

2 litres of water in a day is the recommended amount. That's true, but that doesn't mean everyone should be having 2 litres a day.

2 litres of water in a day is normally about right for a fully grown adult, but it will differ from individual to individual, not only depending on their size and gender, but their activity duration and type of activity, the humidity and temperature that day should also be taken into account. That's a better context.

20 litres of water a day is good for you. No, it's not. You can die from ingesting too much water. That doesn't mean water is bad for you. Give it context.

20 litres of water a day is what I have and I am a mythical giant creature. I beg your pardon, you probably require that much if you're a giant.

Superfoods are super. Well, they are good. But, because they are labelled super, doesn't mean they are super. A variety of 'regular' foods will get you just as good nutrition.

[Insert super food name] is good for me because I am deficient in [insert vitamin/mineral] and this [insert superfood name] happens to be high in them. Well, definitely. For you, you should perhaps keep that in your diet. For the next individual, it might be different. This still doesn't mean it's 'super'. You could probably get that vitamin or mineral in lower quantities from a variety of foods, add it all up and have that deficiency helped out, alongside getting a variety of other vitamins and minerals rather than relying on one food, which I would assume be a bit better, not only psychologically but physiologically as well.

[Insert super food name] is so good, you should eat tonnes of it daily. No, no you shouldn't. If your bodyweight is 80kg and you eat 10,000 calories of avocados, you'll get fat. Eat 10,000 calories of deep fried mars bars and you'll get fat. Eat half an avocado and 1 deep fried mars bar, if you end up in a calorie deficit by the end of the day, you'll probably be on your way to losing fat (if that is your goal) whilst keeping sane.

I heard you shouldn't eat too much fat/carbs/protein. It depends on what you mean by too much. It also depends on your goal.

I heard you should eat way less carbs. Well, no. Unless you keep overindulging in that particular macro and your intake of fats and proteins are well balanced. Maybe carbs are YOUR downfall. That doesn't mean it's the next person's downfall. No particular macro will make you fat. Even fat. Even though the word fat sounds like it makes you fat, fat doesn't make you fat. Comprende?

I lost loads of weight not eating after 6pm. You most likely got into a calorie deficit without realising it, via the rule that you applied.

I lost loads of weight not eating before 11am. You most likely got into a calorie deficit without realising it, via the rule that you applied.

I lost loads of weight not snacking in between meals. You most likely got into a calorie deficit without realising it, via the rule that you applied.

I lost loads of weight lifting weights. You probably built muscle thus increasing your metabolism and decreased fat. Nutrition might have been good.

I lost loads of weight lifting weights and got into a small calorie deficit via my nutrition. You probably built muscle thus increasing your metabolism and decreased fat. Your nutrition would have helped your fat loss.

I think you guys get the idea!

What I'm getting at is try to avoid reading blanket statements and taking that statement for what it is, without questioning it and putting it into context.

Thanks for reading.

BennyFit