Snowed by the internet

by Kate A. Griffith
Director of education

We all know it’s true – there’s little truth in internet advertising. I mean, c’mon. For as much as I want to believe that photo of a hunky guy is some long-lost friend looking to reconnect with me, I know how transparent applications like Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn are. The truth is, if someone wants to find me and I have a public profile, I’ll be found.

Then there are the ads promising I can drop three pants sizes in 11 days by following one simple rule… but, of course, I’d have to pay a price to access said rule, regardless of whether it works (and it surely doesn’t, because even the best diets and personal trainers don’t promise radically unhealthy results like that).

Another favorite are the spam emails claiming I am a millionaire. All I need to do to collect my money is fork over my social security number, maybe even some information about my bank account, and the money is mine, mine, mine, all mine! Because that scam doesn’t have identity theft written all over it, right?

I’d like to think that when it comes to advertising, the “get what you pay for” rule is predominant in our minds, but this Internet society – with its one-cent and FREE SHIPPING bids on eBay – has generally led us down another path.

This “get it now and get it for next to nothing” mindset leads many to abandon their better judgment with gusto. Wehear this frequently in the Freshlife aisles. From the “Green Tea diet” and the “Master Cleanse,” to the outrageous claims made about the superfood acai, we all want to drop a few pounds quickly and find the anti-aging pill that makes us live forever, wrinkle-free.

As with many rumors, these ideas all started with a grain of truth. Yes, both green tea and acai ARE remarkable antioxidants and are a good addition to any healthy diet. But they are not THE answer. And we all know what THE answer is: a healthy diet and exercise. Treats? Sure. But thoughtfully and in moderation.

The latest craze started not on the Internet, but in a popular women’s magazine. Like many of these too-good-to-be-true claims, it’s about an allegedly cheap and easy way to lose weight. More importantly, it is, according to absolutely no valid scientic research, the true answer to eliminating that stubborn belly fat. Even better, it’s widely available! It’s safflower oil! Now, listen, I would like nothing more than to say goodbye to some belly fat, and I also know that there is a world of difference between a good fat and a bad fat. But drinking two tablespoons of a common cooking oil straight up is going to make my midsection slimmer and help build my muscle fat? Woah. I don’t think so!

I truly understand the “quick fix” culture. I am not a farmer, and since my diet isn’t perfection, I take a multivitamin, which is a wonderful improvement on taking more than 50 other tiny pills to get trace amounts of the vitamins and minerals my body needs daily. And, like many, I have a full-time job and I’m a full-time mom, and thus my adrenal function isn’t great, so I take some adrenal support to even things out. I won’t bore you with a list of the other supplements I take daily. What I want to say here is this – Yes, there are supplements that can make you feel better. There are supplements that can boost weight loss and immunity; supplements that are antioxidants and DO help your cells regenerate more quickly. Yes, yes, yes.

But the real key is to take control of your own life. Take a step away from Facebook and Twitter. Get some sunshine on your face. If you need to lose weight and are tempted to take drastic action, I highly recommend getting a weight-loss consultation from one of Freshlife’s Wellness Coaches. They can tell you not only what supplements are best for your unique body and history, but also what lifestyle changes you can consider to affect real change in your life.

And if you read something on the Internet that doesn’t quite ring true? You know where to come for guidance… where you can get real answers from real Wellness Coaches and not an automated customer-support email generated who knows where. Welcome to the Freshlife family.