by  Michelle Bridges

Whilst I don't pretend to have all the answers, I've been around long enough that I reckon I've got my head around what's worthwhile, and what's questionable.

So for what it's worth, here's three things that have turned up in my inbox this week that raise the question - would I spend my money on them?
 
I love a good 'superfood', but I do get a bit suspicious when the health benefits start to get a bit overblown.  For my money a 'superfood' has to be inexpensive and nutritionally worthwhile.   I also need to be able to buy it easily and be satisfied with how it's grown and cultivated which consigns goji and acai berries to the 'things I wouldn't buy' department.

Sure, they're rich in micro nutrients and phyto chemicals but there's so much misleading information and wacky health benefit claims out there I'd rather stick with a punnet of blueberries or a cauliflower.  For my money, my green grocer sells all the 'superfoods' I need.

In the realm of health fads oxygen bars hold a special place.  Oxygen bars dish out around four and a half times the oxygen we normally breathe in the atmosphere.  This oxy-hit is claimed to increase concentration and energy as well as fast tracking recovery from jet lag or a hangover.  Would I buy it?

Probably not.  Our blood is already saturated with 99% oxygen, so it's a bit like trying to put more petrol in your car when it already has a full tank.  Apologies to those who claim to feel a benefit, but for my money, I'd rather go for a run.

Whilst on the subject of exercise, there's no shortage of ab crunchers and tummy tighteners to choose from.  Do they work?  Well, the muscles that are claimed to be recruited are indeed worked.  Will they replicate the chiseled physique of their washboard-adorned demonstrators for you?  Nup.

This is because whilst the exercise will certainly strengthen your ab muscles, it won't specifically burn off the fat that overlays them.
 Definitely not.  Would I spend my money on them?  I think you know the answer to that.

What marketers and the media love to do is to take an isolated scientific fact and use it to validate your buying a product or reading a story in a newspaper or magazine.  For my money, all this does is to confuse people. Eat well, exercise daily. Now that's not confusing, is it?

Michelle's Tip
Outrageous claims of health benefits of food, lifestyle and exercise equipment deserve to researched thoroughly before you spend your money on them.  By the same token, if they fail to meet the claims, if there's a lack of peer reviewed studies, they deserve to be treated harshly.