The Knowing–Doing–Maxxing Gap: Why Foundations Matter Most.

I have been wanting to write about this for a while now. The Knowing – Doing – Maxxing Gap. Most of us have never had more access to health information than we do now. A lot of of it, and it is continuing to grow. The Wellness Industry has grown to 6.8 trillion dollars since I first started in practice 20 years ago.

And yet, I see more people than ever who are overwhelmed, confused, and unsure about what they should actually do.

We know about protein. We know we should move our bodies. We know sleep matters. We know stress affects our health. We know ultra-processed foods and sugary drinks aren’t doing us any favors.

So perhaps we don’t have a knowledge problem.

 The Knowing–Doing Gap.

We know what we should do. We know what supports our health, but information overload can make it difficult to actually put the basics and the foundational things consistently into practice. If you have been around me for a while you know my tag line has always been “Wellness is the small and consistent choices we make  every day to encourage good health of the mind the body and the spirit.”

The biggest hurdle I see is staying the course and allowing time for the body and mind to heal itself. This is like doing compound interest. If I put $5.00 a day in the bank today, it might not seem like a lot however, over time it grows and provides wealth. Same with Health. It is your most important investment and it is never too late to start.

Over Doing or Maxxing

And then there is the other side of the equation: Over Doing or Maxxing.

“If a little is good, more must be better.”

More supplements. More testing. More restriction. More exercise. More fasting. More optimization. Until the very things intended to improve health can become another stressor on the body.

There is nothing inherently wrong with using these tools. Many can be incredibly helpful when used thoughtfully and appropriately. I might be a fan of low cortisol maxxing… although a little stress can be good for you and help build resilience. I am taking about extremes.

As humans we have always leaned into the idea that more is always better.

Sometimes, more or too much of a good thing can become another stressor on the body.

Foundations First

Before we chase the next health hack, I believe we need to return to the foundations.

Are you creating space for your nervous system to settle? This is a big one and many of us are not doing a good job of this. Stress and the sympathetic state is easy to trigger. Parasympathetic state takes work and intention.

Are you making room for connection, joy, creativity and the things that make life worth living?

Are you eating and digesting a balance of nourishing food? Maybe you need to revisit this.

Are you drinking enough water?

Are you sleeping and recovering?

Are you moving your body with intention and connecting with how you feel.

These aren’t particularly glamorous and probably won’t go viral on Instagram or Tik Tok however, they are the foundations upon which everything else is built.

Knowing-Then Doing – Not Maxxing

If you feel overwhelmed by all the things you should be doing for your health, take a breath.

You don’t have to do everything.

You don’t need the newest health trend.

You don’t need 27 supplements.

You don’t need to optimize every biological function.

Start with the foundations.

Choose one or two things you can actually do consistently like never ever stop.

Natural Functional Medicine

Functional medicine provides some wonderful tools. Labs that can help us understand what is happening beneath the surface. Supplements that can provide targeted nutritional support. Functional testing can uncover patterns that may otherwise be missed.

But tools are just that—tools. They are not magic bullets.

The goal isn’t to accumulate more supplements, more tests or more protocols. The goal is to understand what your body may need, connect the dots and then use the right tools to support it.

Your body already possesses an extraordinary capacity to regulate, adapt, repair and heal.

Our job is often less about forcing the body to do something and more about removing the obstacles, being consistent, encouraging and embracing shifts and giving it the resources and environment it needs to do what it already knows how to do.

I hope that this weeks news letter lands with you and encourages you to take a breath and use discernment when you read, see or hear some new fixes from everybody and everything on the internet. We have learned that some of the biohackers out there are now struggling with health issues due to their maxxing all the things.

Have a healthy week and if you need support and help connecting the dots CLICK HERE.

Best Dr Pia