There’s More To The Story

Understanding the bigger picture behind symptoms

At some point, most of us experience a time when something just doesn't feel right. Our energy changes. We aren't sleeping as well. We notice digestive issues, weight changes, mood swings, aches and pains, or symptoms we can't quite explain. Whatever the symptom, we know something has changed, and naturally we begin looking for answers.

It's easy to believe there's one answer that will explain everything. The diet we should follow. The handful of supplements we should take. The hormones that are out of balance. The lab result that will explain it all. The diagnosis that finally makes sense of everything. Or maybe we've even been told, "It's just your genetics."

It's understandable. That's how many of us have been taught to think about health. If there's a problem, there must be a single cause. If we can identify it, we can fix it.

The more I learn, however, the more I realize that health couldn't possibly be understood by looking at one symptom, one system, or one diagnosis in isolation. Our biology is shaped by many influences, all interacting and responding to one another. That realization changed the way I thought about health—and it changed the questions I was asking.

Instead of asking,

"What's wrong?"

What if, instead, we asked,

"What is the body responding to?"

It shifts our focus from searching for a single cause to looking at the body through a wider lens. It invites curiosity and encourages us to see symptoms as part of a much bigger story.

Our biology is shaped by far more than the genes we inherit or the diagnosis we receive. From the moment we're conceived, our biology is continually responding to the world around us. Our experiences, the environments we live in, and every stage of life all have the potential to influence how our bodies function and how our health is expressed.

No two people express health—or illness—in exactly the same way. Each of us carries a unique combination of genetics, experiences, strengths, challenges, and environmental influences that shape how our biology responds.

Take menopause as an example. Two women may be at the same stage of life, yet their experiences can be completely different. One may have frequent hot flashes, while another never has one. One struggles with anxiety, another notices changes in sleep or weight, while someone else experiences very few symptoms at all.

Nutrition is no different. The same way of eating may help one person feel energized, improve their digestion, and stabilize their blood sugar, while someone else experiences bloating, fatigue, or little improvement at all.

Neither example tells us that one approach is universally right or wrong. It reminds us that biology is individual. The diagnosis may be the same. The diet may be the same. But the way each person's biology responds can be very different.

It's easy to believe there's one diet or one protocol that's right for everyone. But it rarely works that way. Context matters. Timing matters. And most importantly, the individual matters.

That's why I'm less interested in asking, "What's the best diet?" or "What's the right protocol?" I'm more interested in asking, "What is this person's body responding to, and what might help support it?"

Understanding helps us appreciate that health is rarely one-size-fits-all.

When I think about what influences our biology, I think about the light that reaches our eyes each morning, the food that nourishes us, the way we move—or don't move—the quality of our sleep, the stress we carry, the experiences that shape us, our family history, our relationships, our connection with others, and even the beliefs we hold about ourselves and our health.

None of these things exist on their own. Together, they shape how our biology responds from one day to the next. Some strengthen our resilience. Others place greater demands on our ability to adapt.

That's why I don't believe we can truly understand health by looking at only one piece of the puzzle. We need to look at how all of those factors connect and influence our biology.

Health isn't static. Neither are we.

Our biology is continually responding and adapting to the world around us. What supports your health today may not be what you need a year from now. Changes in your environment, your stage of life, your relationships, your emotional well-being, your physical demands, and countless other influences all shape how our biology responds.

That doesn't mean we're constantly searching for the next new thing.  It means we're continually paying attention.  Noticing what feels supportive.  Noticing what leaves us feeling depleted.  And, becoming curious when those two don't always match what we've been told.

Sometimes it's not about what we're doing at all, but when, how, or whether it's right for us in that moment.

That's where we begin to understand the story our body is telling us.