Our symptoms tend to be custom
Someone has PCOS, prediabetes, hypothyroidism and insulin resistance (like I used to).
Someone else is noticing her hair falling out and is having bloating after meals.
Yet another person is struggling with weight loss resistance, belly fat and elevated triglycerides.
There's brain fog, cravings and arthritis in someone else.
And elevated liver enzymes, blood pressure, fatigue and mood swings are happening in someone else.
The current medical system has us believing that these people should all be seeing separate specialists, likely being put on a range of medications and maybe procedures. The various doctors will never be in communication with each other and the body is seen as separate systems / organs, with no consideration given to the fact that there is cross-talk between EVERY system and cell in our body.
So most people see their custom signs and symptoms as a sign that they need a customized plan of care. And while there is some truth to that, it's typically more like these custom symptoms all require more or less the same plan, with just some small tweaks as needed.
You see, every single client or 'case study' I've listed above will benefit from the same basic principles. While there are no guarantees, the vast majority of people can reverse or greatly improve the damage that lead to those signs, symptoms and diagnoses with the right plan.
The right plan requires a bit of education and a lot more nuance, of course, than I can share in one email but I would like to at least give you the overview today in case you find it helpful. A few weeks back I posted this blog out talking about what I call The Big 10. Here's a bit more on my thoughts for each. What I'm sharing might be hard to hear as it tends to be quite far from how most of us are actually living our lives. I challenge you to notice if and where you feel agitated. Maybe it's something you want to explore more. Maybe it's something that feels entirely out of reach for whatever reason right now (time, finances, bandwidth). That's ok. In many ways this is a list of how we used to live as humans prior to about 100- 200 years ago, but with an updated twist. The cool thing about our health and body composition goals is that we can tend to make great progress with even 1 or 2 small changes that snowball over time. Our choices, thoughts, behaviors and habits really do matter SO much.
Ok, onto some more about The Big 10:
Food -- mostly real, whole, unprocessed or minimally processed food. This food should not have harmful pesticides / herbicides or added hormones. The plants should be grown in nutrient dense soil (rather than monocrop farming). Any animals or fish should be free range / wild caught and given access to their natural food source. We thrive when we eat nourishing, blood-sugar balancing meals and give ourselves plenty of time between meals. Our food is better absorbed and digested when we eat most meals slowly and socialize plenty with people we love who we feel safe around.
Sleep -- we're getting 7-9 hours in a cool and very dark room. We're breathing through our noses.
Light -- the first light we see is the sunrise. We're outside plenty throughout the day (increased time indoors is a risk factor for disease and metabolic dysfunction). No bright or overhead lights on or blue light devices in the few hours before bed. We limit processed, artificial light so our cells truly know when it's nighttime vs. daytime.
Stress -- we reduce it where we can and build resilience in the meantime. We do not allow ourselves to be available to the fear of the entire population at anytime (maybe we limit consumption of news and social media, turn off notifcations, etc.). We purposely infuse more joy into our lives and work towards radical acceptance.
Movement -- we are moving most of the day. This is not your workouts but in between workout times. Increased time sitting is a risk factor for disease and metabolic dysfunction independent of exercise.
Toxins -- we're mindful of the quality of our air, water, soil, hygiene products, cleaning products, etc. and choosing to filter and upgrade where necessary and possible. We're picky about using pharmaceuticals (of course using as necessary, but considering alternatives where possible). We're not smoking or drinking much, if any, alcohol.
Temperature -- we realize our genes have evolved to withstand and thrive under temperature variability. We have so many beneficial and protective mechanisms "built in" in response to heat and cold. Living at room temperature most of our lives in houses, cars, offices, etc. is a risk factor.
Muscle -- we appreciate the importance of muscle on metabolic health and health optimization. We understand we all lose muscle as we get older but do what we can to offset that and slow the decline by strength training regularly (really challenging our muscles!), nourishing ourselves well and eating 0.8 1g of protein per lb of a bodyweight we feel most comfortable at, per day.
Mindset -- we are realistic, but on the optimistic side. We have a solution for every problem rather than a problem for every solution. We are human and have the full spectrum of human emotions, yet have built up coping skills and strategies to accept and move past the muck rather than get stuck there. If we feel this area needs more attention at any point, we make it more of a focus and put in the reps.
Purpose, connection, awe -- we think / journal / meditate on our purpose. Who are we? How can we help this world, our friends, family, community or moment in time better than it would have been otherwise? We make time to connect with others ... sharing a meal, a laugh, an experience, story, ideas, challenges, adventure or some down time. We make time to feel awe.
If this inspires you to take inventory on even 1 tiny aspect of your life, my time writing this newsletter was totally worth it to me!
XO,
Tara
P.S. These 10 areas (plus subsets and many others) are what we dive into in great detail in my 28-day metabolism-boosting course. Metabolism isn't just for body composition changes (though it's that too). Metabolism is how our body is functioning. Metabolism is our health. Here's some more info. on TRANSFORM: Body + Mind. The next round isn't until September but hop on the waitlist if you're interested because I'll be sharing about a cool opportunity in a few weeks. ;-)