Ice baths and 9 other 'healthy' trends a personal trainer and nutritionist wishes would go away - and what to do instead

From ice baths to supplements, the internet and influencers love nothing more than to tell us that a healthy body can be bottled into a product (most often one that they're selling).And, as someone trying to improve their health and fitness, figuring out what you need (and don’t need) to be healthy is a complete minefield. But before you order your next water remineraliser or start a 30-day cleanse, YOU asked personal trainer and nutritionist Michael Ulloa for the hacks and trends that you definitely don’t need to be healthy.Ulloa has a built a 330,000 strong social media following, sharing health and fitness tips on Instagram and TikTok dedicating his account to helping his followers navigate the fitness industry (hacks and fads included).Spoiler alert, it’s good news for cold water-phobics like me. Michael Ulloa is a personal trainer and nutritionist with a social media following of 330,000.SupplementsWhile supplements can be a healthy way to support a balanced diet, Ulloa says that we need to prioritise a food first approach to health and nutrition.According to him, 'We’ve stopped looking at supplements for what they actually are – which is to supplement a healthy diet.’What's more, 'A lot of the supplement industry is sketchy and unregulated which means a lot of the time supplements don’t contain what they’re saying they contain.’So which supplements should you be taking?‘There’s only a few that I ever do really recommend: creatine monohydrate, a protein supplement and vitamin D if you live in the UK. Then obviously supplements for deficiencies like iron can be helpful.’Organic foodThe 'organic' label has become a buzzword in supermarket advertising and while there are some instances where organic produce can be the better option, that's not necessarily always the case. He says, ‘I think a lot of people believe that organic means pesticide-free and more nutrient-dense fruit and vegetables, and a lot of the time it isn't.’ 'Organic' has become a buzzword in supermarket advertising, but it doesn't necessarily mean that produce is any better for you.While the benefits of organic produce might include the type or amount of pesticide used in farming, for Ulloa it's largely an excuse for supermarkets to hike the prices. The real issue, according to Ulloa, is that the majority of people simply aren't getting enough fruits and vegetables. So, never mind the organic label and instead just focus on packing in your five a day; frozen and tinned vegetables can be just as nutritious as their fresh counterparts.Early morning workoutsSleep in and rejoice! For the longest time early morning risers have been praised for squeezing in an early morning gym session before work but, according to Ulloa, there are no extra benefits to an early morning workout. ‘I think there’s a belief when it comes to fitness and nutrition that, in order for something to be beneficial, it has to be quite painful to do. But working out early in the morning is no better for you than exercising in the afternoon or evening,' says Ulloa. 'I certainly wouldn't compromise sleep if it can be done at another time.' Cold plunges and ice bathsWhile ice baths and cold plunges have been trending on social media, the research on their health benefits is actually quite sparse.'It might help with reducing perceptions of soreness around endurance exercise, but other than that the benefits are actually quite mild. Claims about reducing inflammation and helping to detox just aren’t true.’ Ulloa says that research on the health benefits of cold plunges and ice baths are actually quite sparse.However, while there's little evidence that a cold dip can help to support fitness goals, Ulloa does point to the mental health benefits. Ultimately, he suggests: ‘If you enjoy it and it makes you feel good, amazing. Otherwise, don't force yourself into a ice bath because all these magical health benefits are being claimed.’Visible absInfluencers online might be well be promoting 'skinny culture', but restricting food and focussing on making your body as small as it can be is not healthy.Ulloa is clear, ‘The large majority of people would not healthily be able to sit at a body fat level where you can see abs.’For most people, abs and body fat are genetically dependent.Ulloa says: ‘For the large majority of people to achieve that look, they would have to adopt some incredibly restricted eating and addictive exercising behaviours which can cause knock on effects for stress levels, hormone function and menstrual cycle.’Calorie countingContrary to decades of dieting guides, Ulloa says, ‘The large majority of us don’t need to worry about counting calories.'Instead, he suggests that we need to focus on the basics and implement a more comprehensive approach to our diets.‘The first one that springs to mind is fibre intake which tracks very closely to health longevity.’ That means prioritising things like chia seeds, berries and lentils.RunningWhile Ulloa advises that it’s wise to do some form of strength training, he's clear that this doesn't have to be running.‘If you think that running is awful and you hate it, don’t bother trying to get into it because it’s not something you’ll stick to long-term.’His advice? Delete Strava and find some form of exercise and movement that you do enjoy. Hate running? No problem. Instead, focus on exercise that you enjoy (or that you tolerate at the least).Giving up sugarIt’s trendy to bash sugar, but according to Ulloa, there’s far more nuance than that. For example, fruit has sugar in it, but it’s also full of fibre and macronutrients.In fact, he says, ‘I’m of the opinion that every single food can be part of a healthy diet, the danger is really just in the dose.'His advice. ‘Should we eat loads of sugar? No, absolutely not. But that doesn’t mean we should ban it and scare people away from something that is in most foods, including foods that can be very nutritionally dense.'You don’t have to love the gymNot all is lost if the gym isn't your thing. ‘I’ve worked with clients who have never stepped foot in a gym and who do exercises at home with resistance bands and dumbbells', says Ulloa. ‘There’s a lot of equipment that you can play around with, but that doesn’t mean you have to be there.'Instead, it's about finding exercise that you can implement into your life and not setting unrealistic expectations of becoming a gym bunny.Filtered water‘Tap water is something that gets a really bad rap at the moment,’ according to Ulloa.From myths that it won't hydrate you efficiently or that it doesn’t contain all of the minerals that you need, tap water in the UK is more than fine – especially alongside a varied and healthy diet. While social media promotes water filters and remineralisers, Ulloa says regular tap water will do just fine.So why the obsession with filtered water? ‘I think it mostly stems from content creators in the US as we tend to follow suit with a lot of their health trends,' suggests Ulloa. 'But we don’t need any fancy equipment to remineralise it, or hydro water, tap water is fine.’And electrolytes?‘If you’re a very sweaty person when you exercise, you’d probably benefit from an electrolyte supplement. But if you’re just an average person living in the UK, you probably don’t need an electrolyte supplement.’