I was recently asked a really interesting nutrition question, which  is great, because I love big chewy questions, and it brought up a discussion of a common issue I encounter with my personal training clients.  It goes like this. Most of the questions people ask me about health and fitness, are not simple questions. The simple questions are the sort of thing you pick up at school, or can quickly google for a solid consensus, so it makes sense that those aren't brought to me. The questions people ask are always the tricky ones, the contested issues, the ones where my short answer is "well... yes, and... no". Sometimes it's because the answer is disputed, or there's not enough empirical evidence to support a definitive answer. Sometimes it's because the answer is population dependent; what's good for a pro athlete isn't necessarily right for an office worker who exercises for fun and to ward off heart attacks. And sometimes the topic is derived from a

 If you've been around here a bit, you'll probably know that I started out as a science teacher (and if you are new around here, welcome!), and I often get bemused reactions when I explain that I have been both a school teacher and a personal trainer (sometimes in the same day...). Once in an interview for a part time teaching post, I was asked how I conflated the two sides of my working life. I told them that I help people bring the best out of themselves.  On reflection, I've realised that the best qualities of a teacher, and also a trainer , are the qualities of a good coach.  The same head teacher who asked me that question, assured me that he was confident I could teach Maths instead of Science for a year, because I am a good teacher, and I have good maths skills, and the hardest part of teaching, is not the subject, but engaging the students for learning. The core skillset is universal, let me show you. Old school schooling Let's have a look at what we might see