What is the worst ‘new age’ advice that you have heard? I am not ridiculing anyone’s beliefs but some practices are ridiculous.

To me, the juicing celery was a bad idea. I was deceived.
I did not know it was just a fad.

The advice from a certain church movement (or movements) to pray for the resurrection of a dead toddler was/is the worst.
The belief that we are gods and can speak things into existence is another lie. imo.

Pretty much any advice coming from Gwyneth Paltrow 😖

Using essential oils instead of chemotherapy to treat my cancer.

I'm not against oils, I just didn't think the 2 women in my neighborhood could concoct a 'blend' of oils to be ingested (!) and rubbed on my body to do the job that many years of science could do.

I’m in complete agreement with you, cwillie - about ole Gwyneth and her Goop nonsense.

In general - and honestly, I’m not a fan of making generalizations about any particular segment of population - BUT...
In general, taking life advice from those born with a silver spoon in their mouth - who’s idea of a rough time is not being able to find a match to light their $65 candle for their bubble bath - well, that’s just never a good idea. In my opinion, of course.

Someone actually told me about my mom listening to music. I love music, so does mom but music will not cure Parkinson’s disease! Plus mom is nearly deaf! So listening to music isn’t an option.

Music is relaxing and can be therapeutic but will not take away Parkinson’s. I nearly choked on my coffee at her kitchen table.

We are always going to hear foolishness. I agree about Gwyneth.

Almond milk is one I choke on. For one thing, you can’t milk an almond, for another thing most of them have less than 5% almond and the rest is basically water and sugar.

I like almond milk but I buy the unsweetened. The sweetened variety isn’t good. It contains a significant amount of sugar.

I drink it. Put it on oatmeal and cereal too. I also use almond flour and almond butter.

“Life coaches” if you find a good one can be like mentors and very helpful.

while I have never done it, I know sound minded professionals that tried formal help and it didn’t work, but life coach has really helped them.

some people need that help, layman guidance.

Ohlas1,

I agree, I especially like your key words, “if you find a good one.”

We have to take help from where we can receive it. I am cautious and even skeptical in today’s world.

I despise phony people. There are lots of people looking to take advantage of vulnerable people. Very sad.

There are good coaches and bad ones. The bad ones are all about money.
I found a really good one that actually has good advice. I just need to implement it, that's the hard part.

Living in Italy, I must have missed what Gwyneth Paltrow is doing/saying... Isn't she an actress anymore? Has she turned into some kind of guru? What kind of advice does she give?

Just google outrageous goop claims (goop is her brand, and I just learned she's bringing it to Netflix - yay 🙄)

Anche,

Yes, an actress. She’s very trendy. Has an interesting outlook on life in general.

An alternative thinker.

cwille, haha

Will look that up.

Oh my goodness! I actually had read something about the Gwyneth Paltrow's candle. I have just removed it from my brain!

Anche,

She is unique in many ways! LOL

Something that disturbs me more than individual "advice" (to which I don't pay any attention unless the person has/had academic and work credentials), is the trend toward self appointed experts, who lack academic training but feel free to dispense the wisdom they feel they've gained from...whatever..who knows?  

As tech devices provide more options, people seem to be segueing to them.    This especially applies to all the nonsense being tweeted, blogged, or people making videos of themselves alleging or exhibiting some superior insight or skill, ranging from cooking, cleaning, health, or whatever.  

This also applies to the "talking heads" on tv.  

Fifteen minutes of fame has segued into infinite need for attention, or perhaps reinforcement.  

Much as I love PBS for its unique specials and emphasis on culture, I will NEVER watch any of the self appointed experts, even if they are medical people.   They're really hawkers, of their own alleged accomplishments, and selling it for their own profit, contemporary "carpet baggers".  

If they were that serious about helping people, they might consider joining something like Doctors Without Borders and helping people who can't afford to dress up and sit and listen to doctors hawking their own ideas and alleged creations.

But the corollary to this is that people listen to these flim-flam artists, so the question becomes why are people so vulnerable?   I remember the rewarding experience of going to libraries to do research, seeing all the books that could be read if someone had the time, and finding it exciting.   Now that's primarily available online so it's easier to learn for oneself.     So why don't people learn for themselves instead of falling for con artists?

You aren't likely talking about Dr Oz GA but IMO he fits the category. Yes, he is a cardiac surgeon but that doesn't mean he is an expert in all the other things he endorses, that makes it worse because his status appears to give credence to a lot of the cr@p he peddles.

It's probably not the worst thing I could think of, but essential oils came to my mind. I think aromatic use of oils is great, I use a few myself. But the idea that you can ingest these oils and that they are like vitamin supplements, that is bananas to me. It could be beneficial, it could also poison you.

Oh, or putting the oils on your skin. I saw a lady in a YouTube video putting rosemary oil on her face, and her face was so inflamed from it but the lady was claiming that it was helping her skin.

Ooooh, that was because the oil was drawing out the toxins ABB!

We always got that line when my alternative medicine friends would serve up some of their "healthier" foods and beverages and all the rest of us felt ill effects - "you'd feel better if you just stick with it". Yeah, no thanks.

GA,

I totally agree. I can’t stomach it either. Sometimes I feel like the entire world has become a huge infomercial! Drives me crazy!

I am like you. I love public television and radio but I don’t watch those programs either.

Ali,

Geeeez, I am not familiar with placing rosemary oil on our skin. Sounds awful though.

Our grandmothers had old fashioned remedies. Some are actually accepted by the medical community for having some merit. Plus, it wasn’t about money with them.

These newer introductions of products are certain techniques to be used are sometimes so bizarre and the worst part is people are paying big bucks to hear what is often bunk! It’s popular to do these ‘workshops or seminars.’

cwille,

Ahhh, yes. The television doctors who want good ratings. They become super stars that make tons of money! Hey, I am not opposed to people making money. Not at all. More power to them if it’s done in ethical ways but misleading others is sad.

I have a lot of friends who are into essential oils.. for everything.. I like the smells and I use diffusers but really only to make things smell better. I also hate all the infomertials,, my moms latest is some fish oil crap she saw on TV ( oh yes, get a subscription for that at 50 a month and try to cancel) that will heal her pain.. We all took fish oil years ago for our hearts,, they proved it was pretty useless(and if that pill every dissolved in my throat they would have had to cut my head off,, it was horrible). So I am stalling on this, it is pricey on Amazon with out the subscription and she is pretty frugal.

Pam,

So what is your overall take on supplements in general? It’s confusing to me. My doctor has never told me to take any supplements.

If we eat nutritious food do we really need a bazillion supplements? A lot of people don’t have funds for expensive products.

Do a lot of people have deficiencies? Or do the infomercials play it up as being a more serious issue than it probably is?

I have never ordered anything from a television commercial. I suppose that makes me unusual.

Infomercials make a lot of money so obviously lots of people order these products.

Actually I am not at all opposed to certain things being brought into the light that are not ‘new age’ so to speak but are touted by some new age people.

I’m referring to meditation which is multi cultural and goes way back. Also, yoga, music and art therapy, etc.

These things are extremely helpful to people in many aspects of our lives.

Although, having said that, my friend that told me music would help my mom with Parkinson’s disease drove me nuts and I am a huge music lover!

My mom enjoyed music when she could hear and it. It’s soothing for a person and can calm nerves and some say even pain. That I agree with but my friend thought it could help with her issues with mobility. Um, no. It can’t do that.

It helps in indirect ways. It helped motivate my mom in physical therapy. Mom worked hard in rehab and home health. Really hard! She wanted to improve because the falls would terrify her and they hurt! So she made an effort to improve but being in her 90’s would get exhausted.

One day I told her physical therapist that she and my dad loved to dance to Frank Sinatra when they were dating. He said, I can work up a routine set to Sinatra. That was so sweet of him. Of course we had to blast the music so mom could hear it! Hahaha

We live in a big music town! We have volunteer musicians that play for hospital and hospice patients in facilities and they absolutely benefit from listening to them. I’m just saying that it only soothes. It isn’t anything more. It can’t take away issues from a neurological disorder brought on by Parkinson’s disease.

NHWM - Almost every year, I get a cold and a lingering lingering lingering cough...(2-3 months.) Cough medicine knocks me out and makes me drowsy, even the non-drowsy med makes me drowsy (yes, it's true. I took 1/2 dose of DAYQUIL and I slept for 18-24 hours.)

I was introduced to 100% pure peppermint oil to help with my cough. And I can swear by it. I sniff/inhale the fume of the oil through my nose. It warms and calms my throat and lungs and cuts down my cough by 90%. The effectiveness is short-lived though because as I breathe in and out, the fume goes right out with my breaths, so I need to inhale the oil every 15 minutes or so. I don't mind though because I love the smell of peppermint oil. It's better than coughing my head off all day long.

With the peppermint oil, I don't have to take the cough med that puts me to sleep and dehydrates me. I can drive and go about my day, and come in contact with people without coughing at them.

My cousin who has asthma also uses peppermint oil and she claims it helps her enough that she doesn't need her inhaler.