JOIN USUnsolicited advice
There are more experts outside the medical field than within it. They dole out advice at the drop of a hat. A friend of mine had the misfortune of falling ill. More unfortunate was dealing with advice that poured in from friends, relatives and sundry people.
The first one to give her two-penny worth was her sister. “You must eat in small quantities every two hours,” she averred. “Even at night?” asked my friend. Her sister gave a quelling look but continued undeterred, “And you need to have a lot of vegetables.” Her daughter continued from where she left off. “Proteins do magic, sprouts and dal and whole grains.”
Along came another friend and chimed, “Eggs are the most wholesome food. You must eat one egg in the morning and one in the evening.” Another well-meaning friend came and talked about this thing and that thing. I was grateful to her for withholding advice. I thought so too.
Just before she left, she said, “By the way, you ought to eat a handful of nuts everyday — you know, a couple of almonds, some walnuts and a few cashew nuts.” The road to hell is paved with good intentions!
Another well-wisher was a vegan. In her enthusiasm, she quite overlooked the fact that my friend is an eggetarian. “Meat is the cause of half the ills in the world.” (My friend wondered where she had got the statistics from but forbore asking).
“You can eat any amount of fruit. Kiwi contains all the goodness in the world. Citrus has a lot of curative properties. As for papaya, it is in a class by itself. And let us not forget the humble banana” (Not so humble, thought my friend). “Actually, we are spoilt for choice!” she concluded. And with an air of one having delivered a good lecture, she departed.
My friend was resigned to her lot. No amount of talking or explanations was going to help. People would keep on bleating whatever information they had heard or read on the internet. It was so general that it could apply to everyone.
She would listen to all the advice that was given, well-intentioned though they were, and leave it at that. She would not take cognizance of what was said. She would just take it through one ear and let it out through the other. The decision gave her a lot of peace of mind.