One indulgent meal isn’t a problem. Fifteen different “special occasions” that all follow the same pattern might be. The useful question isn’t whether it was good or bad. It’s whether you’re looking at an exception, or a rule wearing different clothes. One of my very first clients sat down to talk nutrition, and the fish and chips came up. Him and his mates, once in a blue moon. Special occasion. Not a huge deal — and it wasn’t. One calorie-dense meal when you’re trying to lo

Fitness loves specialists — and each tribe is convinced their quality is the one that matters most. Some people preach strength above all else — big lifts, more kilos. Strength is the master quality. Then there's the yoga and Pilates crowd — softly spoken about calm, balance and mobility. Namasté. Then the cardio kings and queens, living and dying by VO₂ max. For them, this is the way. And then you have your Hyroxers— throwing balls, running in circles, pushing sleds. Jokes a

Food companies are very good at highlighting the healthy things about their products. That's basic marketing. What's more interesting is what we do with those claims. Sometimes seeing “high in protein” on the wrapper is all the justification we need. This is often called the health halo effect: one positive attribute of a product gets promoted front and centre. High in fibre. Organic. Natural caffeine. Sweetened by nature. Added electrolytes. Plant-based. And everyone's curre