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What frustrates us (and our clients) the most is that so many of these lab test-based approaches are missing the basic tenants of overall health:
- Balancing your daily caloric intake: being aware of how much you're eating daily and not eating more than you're burning, unless you're strategically trying to build muscle and/or gain weight
- Balancing your blood sugar: understanding how much of each macronutrient (protein, carbs and fats) your body can metabolize at one time, in steady increments throughout the day and combining the right foods in the right amounts for your unique body, goals, activity levels, etc.
- Moving your body: incorporating mostly low impact movement frequently throughout the day (walking is our favorite) + intentional resistance training in the least effective dose, such as progressive strength training three times a week with minimal impact to your central nervous system
- Stress management: practical tools that help you emotionally regulate, build resilience, and process stress in a non-escapist, healthy way (no, alcohol is not included in this category)
- Sleep quality: this is a no-brainer and often overlooked, with general advice given like, make your room dark, turn off your phone, keep it cool etc. (that's great and all... but how many people *actually* do this and has anyone helped you unpack the underlying WHY you are staying up late binge watching Netflix and not sleeping well due to racing thoughts? We help clients unpack this, and it's not something to skip over with blanket advice.)
A few years back, we worked with one client who had spent thousands and thousands of dollars over several years, taking various tests with all kinds of gut health specialists and trying treatment after treatment with zero success only to find relief after working with us for 2 weeks.
How did we help her?
We have all our clients track their food daily, which we monitor in real-time with detailed feedback.
We noticed immediately why her stomach was in knots 24/7.
She was eating mostly raw fibrous vegetables (very hard to digest without gut discomfort for most people) + lots of fat at one time and hardly any protein. And then alcohol would come into the mix on an empty stomach. Water was lacking. It was the perfect storm for indigestion, heartburn and flatulence.
We moved her to eating balanced meals with mainly cooked vegetables, easily digestible complex carbs, plenty of protein, and only the amount of fat she needed and nothing more.
Gut was in tip top shape in no time.
That. Was. It.
She didn't need anymore probiotics. Or tissue biopsies. Or supplements. Or green powders. Or enzymes.
She needed the basics.
The added benefits were weight loss, muscle gain and a flat belly.
The peace of mind after years of struggling? Priceless.
Not once did any of her specialists analyze her diet the way we did or give her the day-to-day support she needed to discover the clues that were triggering her episodes.
Not once was attention given to HOW she was cooking and preparing her food (or the lack thereof).
Not once did she receive feedback on the impact of alcohol on an empty stomach or the lack of protein in her diet.
And we get it - we're not saying that's everyone's job.
But it's our job.
It's what makes us stand out and stand apart.
We will never sacrifice the 1:1 attention that we provide to our clients because we know firsthand that this is the level of detail and feedback required to actually create sustainable, long-term, transformational change.
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