11 Jul You do everything “right” and you still don’t feel well

I’m not going to say I do everything right. But I pay a lot of attention to eating clean whole foods, practicing good sleep hygiene, getting some exercise, spending time outdoors, and doing stress-relieving activities like yoga and deep breathing. Not only that, I have a well-thought out regimen of supplements and meds, and I see a good integrative doctor and an herbalist regularly.

But I still struggle to sleep well, lose weight, and feel my best.

Some people are lucky. Once they start putting some attention on their diet, exercise, and sleep, they start feeling great. They are energized and their minor complaints become even more minor. But some people are not so lucky. They do all that and add in supplements, they see different doctors, they read health articles (like this one), and they still don’t feel right. What’s going on?

A lot of things could be going on. One thing could be a mismatch between your needs and what you eat. Maybe you’re eating paleo but you’re very active and your body wants more carbs. Or maybe you’re eating food that might be healthy for others, but disagrees with you. This happens a lot to people with leaky gut, which is basically damaged intestines. You might be following a set of guidelines that doesn’t work for you; maybe they work better for a man and you’re a woman, or maybe they’re based on outdated science.

Your exercise program might be too much or too little. Maybe you sleep for 8 hours but it’s interrupted sleep. Here’s a big one–you’re stressed. This is so common these days, as we try to keep up with those who seem to do it all and have it all. Juggling takes a toll, even if all your other lifestyle choices are spot-on.

So, what is right for others may not be right for you, as we are all individuals with differing genetics and different needs. This is where health coaching with me can come in handy. I can support you in sorting out your best lifestyle choices. My own journey to learn how to optimize my lifestyle choices led me to studying health coaching. I guess it was to heal myself first, and then to help others heal.

But sometimes an improved lifestyle is just not enough. You will always feel better, and you will never achieve your health goals unless you make the right lifestyle choices, but something else might be going on. This is when working with a good functional medicine doctor will really help. Most likely there’s an underlying issue that is holding you back. The issue could be heavy metal exposure, Lyme disease, mold exposure, or even parasites. It could be low thyroid, inflammation, or a viral or bacterial infection. It took some time and effort for me to realize that exposure to metals was the underlying cause of my problems. That and a genetically weak detox system.

Three Tiers

James Maskell of the Evolution of Medicine has a way of looking at these differing health needs through what he calls a three tiered system. Tier one includes a generally healthy person who doesn’t need any special support to stay healthy. This person may go to their check ups and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Do you know anybody like this? They’re a huge minority these days.

Tier two includes the person who just needs to get on the right track. These people may go to me for health coaching  and then they feel fine. All it took was my support and encouragement for them to reach their goals. Then there are people in tier three. They have special issues needing to be addressed. So they need to turn to a knowledgeable functional medicine doctor. They should also participate in health coaching because they’ll want support in following the doctor’s recommendations. Sometimes those recommendations are complex and difficult to implement. I can make a big difference there.

So all you people in tier two and tier three, give me a call. I’d love to help you move to tier one–the healthy person. If you are in tier two, we’ll hit the ground running, as I follow your lead to support you in your goals. If you are in tier three, I can help you find a good doctor, or other health practitioner, if you don’t have one, and we’ll find ways to take knowing what to do to actually doing it. Contact me.

Comments: What tier are you in and why?

Dr. Jockers: Individualized nutrition

James Maskell: Three tiers

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