If you’re reading this you probably aren’t buying clear whey, pre workouts or ultra processed protein powder, well I hope not anyway.

But most of us have been there, and then to veganism and then maybe tried carnivore and ultimately we’ve now wound up here, focusing on nourishing our bodies with the nutrients it needs from high quality sources.

But even with the best intentions, it’s easy to get swept back into the noise, because so much of modern fitness culture is dressed up as health.

So what unhealthy gym habits should I avoid?

• Pre-workouts/ energy drinks: An increasing number of companies are adding seed oils to them, yes seed oils! That's on top of the artificial sweeteners, preservatives and excessive amounts of caffeine they already contain. The artificial sweeteners in these drinks often lead us to crave more of the sweet stuff, meanwhile the seed oils and preservatives ruin gut health whilst excessive caffeine spikes our cortisol.

Instead opt for nature's preworkout. A spoonful of raw honey with sea salt or a cup of organic coffee will give you a clean and natural energy boost.  If you are looking for an even more supportive boost to not just your workout but your entire day, heart is a great option that will provide nutrients such as taurine and CoQ10 which are incredible for focus and the mitochondria.

• Clear whey: Another one that also has seed oils added to it, with brands often using low quality whey protein as well as artificial flavouring and colouring. 
  

Opting for real whole foods or beef protein isolate from grass fed cows is a much better option that is also more bioavailable, meaning you actually absorb the protein you are consuming. They're also far easier on digestion.

• Polyester gym clothing: Linking back to last week’s Rewild, your gym clothes! When we sweat during working out we are absorbing chemicals like BPA directly into our pores. More on just how harmful this is, here.

Avoiding the typical polyester and opting for cotton or linen will be much kinder to your hormones. 

• Ditching calorie counting: A low calorie intake can slow metabolism. Focus on the nutrients in your food, not the arbitrary number attached to it, 100 cals from coconut oil is very different to 100 calories from seed oils.
  

What you eat matters much more than how much you eat.

A little about your metabolism...

The amount of calories in a food tells us very little, but the nutrients tell us a lot. Getting enough nutrients and carbohydrates, not under eating, healing your gut, getting enough sleep as well as lowering PUFA  (polyunsaturated fatty acids or polyunsaturated fat) intake, will lead to a faster metabolism and therefore more calories burned at rest, improved energy, sleep, mood and even immunity.

Purely focusing on calories can never get you these results. The key is to support your hormones instead of making them crash with low calorie, low fat and low carb diets.  A slow or dysfunctional metabolism affects far more than just body weight. It's tied to a wide range of health issues, including chronic illness, inflammation, poor mental health, hormonal imbalance, and even brain aging.

Supporting your metabolism = supporting every part of your health.

Why gym culture misses the point

It’s great to see more people like you are waking up to the fact that hormone health and metabolism matter far more than calories or hitting a protein target by any means possible. Nourishing your body with a nutrient dense diet, taking care of your body by supporting gut health, hormone health, liver health and metabolism should be everyone’s main focus.

We want to return to how our ancestors cared for their bodies... holistically and by using food as our medicine.

Yes, we all want to feel strong and look good, but pushing a body that’s already depleted to train intensely and run on low calories isn’t discipline, it’s damage. And while it might sound obvious, this is still one of the most ignored truths in gym culture.