My best friend is in town this summer, and I love nothing more than a walk and talk.

What did we notice so many women wearing?

A weighted vest.

Sigh.

My favorite menopause alarmist doctor on Instagram has convinced women that this will help them avoid osteoporosis and help them build muscle and lose weight.

It won’t.

However, it will generate affiliate income for her when you click on her Amazon link.

All over social media, I see doctors and influencers selling wellness products and supplements that aren’t necessary for good health.

Sadly, the wellness space has become all about biohacking, quick fixes, extreme diets, random supplements, microdosing GLP-1 to lose the last 5 pounds, and weighted vests.

Skip the cold plunge, sauna, supplements, extreme workouts, keto, carnivore, veganism, and whatever else is being pushed in the wellness space today.

My email inbox receives 3-5 pitches a week from companies that want me to promote their products to my social media and email list in exchange for affiliate income.

I turn down almost all offers to send me free products because the reality is that most of it is unnecessary and a waste of money.

The truth is the vast majority of people haven’t mastered the basics.

Start with these pillars:

Stress - most people are living in a state of high stress. 

It’s the number one reason people end up in the emergency room. 

Can you find one minute or five minutes to take some deep breaths, sit in silence, go outside and soak up some sunshine, or phone a friend? 

Unplug from the news and social media, which keep you living in a state of fear and not enoughness.

Digestion - this is a significant issue that many of my clients struggle with. 

Heartburn, bloating, burping after meals, food sensitivities, constipation, and diarrhea are all signs that you have less than optimal digestion. 

We’ve normalized all of these symptoms, and yet they serve as signals that you’re not properly breaking down your food and absorbing nutrients.

Blood Sugar - this is another huge problem I see with clients. 

If you’re tired all the time, irritable, moody, and always looking for caffeine or something sugary to pick you up, you may have a blood sugar issue. 

88% of Americans have some sort of metabolic dysfunction. 

Doctors are not telling patients that they’re pre-diabetic. 

When 70% of the American diet consists of highly processed food like substances it is any wonder that people are facing a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. 

Poor blood sugar is at the root of the most common diseases today. 

Use my meal planner to understand how to eat a blood sugar-balancing meal.

Sleep - most people don’t get enough quality sleep. 

Most adults need 7-8 hours of sleep. 

It’s when our bodies take out the trash and repair themselves on a cellular level. 

Put the screens away and make sleep a priority.

Eat whole, real food - the internet is full of all sorts of extreme diets. 

They work until they don’t. 

I challenge you to only eat real food for a week and see how you feel. 

When you focus on eating enough protein (30-40 grams or 4-6 ounces), non-starchy vegetables,  healthy fat, and starchy whole food carbohydrates, you’ll have steady energy and won’t need to snack and live off of caffeine.

Move your body - you don’t need to go to boot camps or CrossFit. 

I always say there's nothing a walk can't solve.

Start with walking every day. 

Work up to incorporating as much movement as possible into your day - ideally, 10,000 steps a day. 

Add in weight training. 

There are great apps you can use at home with minimal equipment that can be purchased from Amazon or Target.

Start with these basics and skip all the supplements and wellness hacks. 

They’ll empty your wallet and leave you feeling frustrated.

Focus on making sustainable changes to your nutrition that become so automatic you don’t need to diet ever again.