ONE Thing is RARELY the Answer

I was around a conversation the other day with friends and I kept quiet, but wanted to share the reminder here:

ONE thing is RARELY the Answer. ESPECIALLY in health!!

👉 One food won't make or break us

👉 One exercise won't make or break us

👉 One micronutrient won't make or break us

👉 One program, plan, diet or routine won't make or break us

.... HUMANS ARE COMPLEX!!!! Our physiology is incredibly complex!!!

This conversation amongst my friends, was a friend recommending orthotics as a means to fix our friend's back. He knew someone close to him who got orthotics and "it fixed their joint pain, back pain" ... he listed a handful of miracle things that went away once this person got their orthotics. Magical!

THIS mindset scares me and it TRULY sets us into a corner.

I'm not here to debate orthotics benefits or downfalls (I have my opinions). What I am here to do is to remind all of our awesome Zen Blog followers that that ONE THING is just a piece of the puzzle if you choose to go that route;

• Regular movement will STILL be beneficial

• Strength and mobility will STILL be beneficial

• Regular sleep quality and quantity will STILL be beneficial

• Positive nutrition practices will STILL be beneficial

..... With or without orthotics, knee braces, ankle wraps or whatever other tool/assistance you may buy.

Modern Humans OVER-SIMPLIFY the Complexity of Nature

Even in this example of the person our friend was mentioning here who had all these magical things happen once he got his orthotics....

-This person may be quite active on a regular basis...

-He may have started ALSO doing something ELSE for his health around the time of getting orthotics....

-He may have ALSO purchased new shoes to go along with the orthotics....

-He may have taken a rest PRIOR to getting orthotics to allow muscles and inflammation to settle...

-After getting orthotics maybe with reduced pain/discomfort this person began sleeping better...

ANY or ALL of these factors ALSO could have been involved. Nature doesn't work as an A+B equation. Many factors, over time contribute.

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*To add a side note to this "complexity conversation": Let's "assume" this person DID magically have all these things happen once he got orthotics. Our friend who complained of back issues is NOT that person. He has a different physiology, lifestyle, past history of activities and injuries, genetics, mindset etc... ALL of these factor into what will be HIS experience if he was to go this route.

This is "over-generalizing" and "shoulding" in action. It's been around for decades, but we KNOW BETTER and NEED TO BEGIN to shift this approach. This is the same way fad diets begin; For example: A person needs to lose 'x' pounds before an important surgery and quickly. They are put on a strict diet through medical recommendations... it works and fast! But it was ONLY recommended for THAT specific person and reason. What do we humans do though? Well, they tell a friend or family member, and then it spreads like wildfire. We "GENERALIZE the benefits" and begin "shoulding" people because "it worked for this other person I know" 🫣

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Whether you choose a tool/assistance such as orthotics or not, NEVER sacrifice DOING foundational health habits because of it. They are STILL necessary to your deep health and longevity. This is the same conversation as someone who may be taking a GLP-1 for example (such as Ozempic) and since they're losing weight while on the medication they don't bother being physically active regularly. It's a recipe for issues to come.

ONE THING will NOT make or break you. As always, finding a BALANCE of health practices will provide you with the most positive impact on your deep health.

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This Zen Quickie is aimed to remind us that NO MATTER WHAT, foundational health practices will provide positive health benefits - Whether you choose to purchase supplements, braces, orthotics, massage tools etc... We STILL need to care for our health and wellbeing through action. YES these things may help and provide a change initially, but they will NOT fix the cracks in the foundation. Over time, this will be evident.