How to Know Which Health Advice to Trust

The other day, I was talking with a friend I used to work with at the gym.

We started out talking about AI videos and how hard it's becoming to tell what's real and what's fake online.

Then the conversation shifted to how frustrating it can be to watch people online speak with absolute certainty about health and wellness topics that are far more nuanced than they're making them sound.

It also made me realize that if you don't work in this field, it can be incredibly difficult to know who to trust.

After nearly 20 years of coaching, I've found there are a few things that consistently separate true experts from people who simply sound confident.

1. They ask before they answer.

If someone asks me:

"Should I count calories?"

or

"What's the best workout?"

My first response usually isn't an answer.

It's a question.

What's your goal?

What have you already tried?

What does your schedule look like?

What tends to get in your way?

The right answer depends on the context of the situation.

2. They guide instead of prescribe.

A true expert knows there is rarely one "best" approach.

Instead of trying to fit every person into the same system, they help you find an approach that fits your life, preferences, goals, and current capacity.

The goal isn't to get you to do things their way.

It's to help you find a way that actually works for YOU.

The approach that's "best" depends on the person.

3. They adjust instead of judge.

When something doesn't go as planned, they don't immediately assume you weren't disciplined enough or that you just didn't want it badly enough.

They get curious.

What happened?

What made this difficult?

What can we learn from this?

Sometimes the plan needs to change.

Sometimes the environment needs to change.

Sometimes the mindset needs to change.

The next step you take depends on why the first one didn't work.

We have more access to health information than ever before, and that's a wonderful thing.

But it also means we're exposed to a lot of advice that's overly confident, overly simplified, and presented as if there's one right answer for everyone.

The next time you hear someone make an absolute claim about nutrition, exercise, or behavior change, pay attention to how much room they leave for context.

Because real expertise isn't about having all the answers.

It's about understanding what the answers depend on.

P.S.
If you're looking for deeper support that takes your life, schedule, challenges, and goals into account instead of another one-size-fits-all solution, keep an eye on your inbox next week. I'll be sharing more about a special opportunity that was designed with exactly that in mind.