13 Jan How to Think for Yourself

You might have considered some of these recommendations: I shouldn’t eat eggs. Or maybe I should. I should drink milk. Or maybe I should go dairy-free. Wheat is the staff of life. Or else it’s full of evil gluten. Everything causes cancer. How do you know what to think?

You have to think for yourself.

Thinking for yourself is not easy. Especially in today’s world. The nature of mass media and social media is to have a grabbing headline. That sounds innocent. But the result is that we are told one more “should” without context or personalization. And the next thing you know, you are “shoulding on yourself” with a plethora of health recommendations.

Even more difficult is when the media informs you that the science is settled. Science is never settled. I have a doctorate. When I was writing my dissertation I was instructed to never write that research “proves” something. I could say “the evidence suggests”. Unless every scientist in the world is about to lose their job (not), they are continuing to do studies and research. So we are constantly getting new information. So science is never settled. Of course, organizations can make recommendations on the current science. Which might contradict previous recommendations.

So what do you do? You think for yourself.

Obviously, since you are not likely a scientist, this is hard. This is where health coaching can come in. Health coaches don’t tell you what to do. They don’t prescribe. But, they help you figure out what all these recommendations mean for YOU. You are the expert of your own life. You have tried all kinds of different foods, habits, and lifestyle choices. You have an idea of what might work for you. So a health coach will explore with you the science, the recommendations, and your experience. You have body wisdom. As in, your body sends you signals. You have cravings. You have symptoms. You have fatigue. And other times you might have energy or sleep well. We sort it all out together.

I love to read about health. I listen to podcasts, I read blogs, and I watch videos. I joined the FMCA alumni program. Because I teach health coaching, I definitely have to keep current. I want to be as knowledgeable as I can. Then I can support you in finding what will support your health the best. And we can have intelligent, back-and-forth discussions. I can share accurate and up-to-date information whenever you ask for it. And, I want to ask a lot of questions to get you to think. As in, think for yourself.

You can use some tools on your own to think for yourself and make up your own mind. And the good news is you can use these tools with any topic, including politics. With our ever increasing polarization, you can get sucked into knee jerk reactions. Instead, you can start sleuthing out some of the truth, which is probably a middle ground.

Consider the source.

A tried and true way to evaluate any article or post you read is to consider the sources that the author mentions. If they give their opinions, but don’t share with you how they formed their opinions, you have less confidence. I practice what I preach. I put sources at the bottom of every post I write. This way, you can read more about any topic I mention. You can also see if you agree with my interpretation of the source.

Take the long view.

As in, don’t be convinced by an emotional pull or the fact that “everyone” believes it. Instead, you can use good old fashioned common sense whenever you get information. For example, we’ve been told many times that our thirst doesn’t match our need for water. So we should drink water when not thirsty. If you take the long view you have to wonder how humans survived before we had health authorities to tell us to drink when we weren’t thirsty? But I drink more water anyway because I noticed that I feel better when I do. But my decision to drink water involved critical thinking. Maybe one day someone will figure why our thirst doesn’t match our need.

Follow the money.

Ask yourself if someone will profit from the recommendations they are making. Every time you turn on the TV, you are being told to ask your doctor if something is right for you. Commercials are not cheap. Companies only pay for advertisements if they believe they will get a lot of money back in return. It’s worth wondering if the article you’re reading or the recommendation you’re hearing is supposed to preserve your health or the health of the businesses involved.

What’s not said.

Often I will hear arguments that are very convincing. A typical argument is that eating meat is bad for you. What’s not said, is that the recommendation is based on studies of people eating factory farmed meat from sick cows loaded with hormones and antibiotics. What they don’t examine is the health of people eating meat from pasture raised animals who are humanely treated and not drugged. The devil is in the details. When I can’t find out the details, I just remain skeptical until convinced.

Think about health coaching.

Take a minute to think about the pros and cons of working with me as your health coach. Maybe you’ll feel better. Maybe you can reach new heights if you had an ally. Contact me and we’ll talk it out. I can support you in thinking for yourself and finding your own best path to health.

Comments: Share how you’ve ever had to figure out your own path.

Psychology Today: How To Learn Critical Thinking

ThoughtCo: Critical Thinking

Mayo Clinic: Drink Before You’re Thirsty

Chris Kresser: Misleading Food Labels

Dr. Mercola: Distorting Evidence

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