“Before you heal someone, ask him if he’s willing to give up the things that made him sick.” —Hippocrates
(Who, it should be noted, did not own a microwave.)
The Long, Unsexy Truth About Health
Health does not arrive on a white horse. It does not burst through the door yelling, “Surprise! You’re cured!” And it definitely does not come with free shipping.
There is no secret handshake. No magic smoothie. No supplement discovered in the Peruvian rainforest that absolves you of yesterday’s decisions. Health, like trust or wisdom or a decent sourdough starter, is built slowly – through repetition, patience, and the occasional failure followed by a better choice the next day.
Great health is not achieved by heroics. It’s achieved by boringly good decisions made over and over again.
Which brings us to attitude – the quiet ringleader behind every choice you make.
Attitude – The Voice in Your Head That Either Has Your Back or Sabotages the Whole Operation
Attitude is the decision to care – consistently, imperfectly, and without drama.
It is just as easy to eat the cheeseburger, fries, and soda the size of a small aquarium as it is to eat something that once grew in soil. Neither choice is difficult. One just has consequences that are sneakier and longer-lasting.
Skipping exercise is easy. So is exercising. One leads to stiffness, fatigue, and a slow betrayal by your knees. The other leads to energy, resilience, and the smug satisfaction of having done something decent for yourself.
Health begins when you decide that your future body deserves better treatment than your current cravings.
Nutrition – Food Is Either Information or Entertainment – Choose Wisely
Nutrition is not complicated, but it has been aggressively marketed into confusion.
Real food looks like food. If it comes in a bag with a cartoon mascot, proceed with caution. If it requires an instruction manual, maybe ask why.
Avoid sugar like it’s a charming liar. Limit refined carbohydrates that spike blood sugar and then disappear, leaving hunger and regret behind.
Avoid trans fats, hydrogenated oils, and anything fried into oblivion.
Eat vegetables. Lots of them. Eat fruit – especially berries, which are basically nature’s apology for everything else. Eat legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. Choose lean proteins, especially fish and grass-finished meats, which remember what grass looks like.
Drink water. Green tea helps. Alcohol does not count as hydration, despite popular belief.
Use smaller plates. Stop eating before you are full. Your stomach speaks faster than your brain, and the brain takes about 20 minutes to catch up. Trust the pause. And for the love of digestion, slow down. Food eaten in a state of stress behaves like a guest who was never properly introduced.
Exercise – Your Body Is Not an Ornament
The human body was designed to move. Not aggressively. Not competitively. Just regularly.
Some hormones only work when you exercise. Some enzymes refuse to show up unless movement is involved.
Walk. Stretch. Lift things occasionally.
Yoga is excellent. So is dancing badly in your living room. Three hours of walking a week is a good start. Flexibility, strength, and aerobic movement all matter. And consistency beats enthusiasm every time.
The goal is not punishment. The goal is function.
Sleep – The Night Shift That Keeps You Alive
Sleep is not passive. It is a highly organized repair project with multiple departments.
In deep sleep, your body rebuilds – muscle, tissue, hormones. In REM sleep, your brain reorganizes, files memories, and throws out yesterday’s nonsense.
When sleep is poor, everything else unravels. Hormones misfire. Cravings increase. Judgment declines. Life feels louder than it needs to be.
Protect sleep like it’s a sacred appointment – because it is.
Stress – The Background Noise That Eventually Becomes the Main Event
Chronic stress quietly destroys things.
It elevates cortisol, disrupts immunity, inflames tissues, and convinces your body that danger is everywhere – even when the threat is just an email
You cannot eliminate stress. You can interrupt it. Deep breathing works. Meditation works. Walking works. Doing nothing for five minutes works.
Your nervous system needs proof that the emergency is over.
Intestinal Health – The Place Where Everything Begins and Many Things Go Wrong
Your gut is not just a digestive tube – it is an immune organ, a detox factory, and a decision-maker with opinions.
Food sensitivities, microbiome imbalance, and intestinal permeability (“leaky gut”) drive inflammation, fatigue, autoimmunity, and mood changes.
Heal the gut, and many problems quietly pack up and leave. Ignore it, and they bring friends.
Detoxification – You Live on Earth – This Matters
Chemicals are everywhere. In food. In water. In air. In products labeled “fresh.”
If you wouldn’t eat it, don’t put it on your skin. Don’t smoke. Support liver detox pathways with real food and hydration.
Periodic cleanses help – not as punishment, but as maintenance.
Supplements – Not All Pills Are Created Equal
Modern life depletes nutrients. So do stress, medications, toxins, and aging. Supplements can help – but quality matters, and guessing is expensive.
Work with someone who knows the difference between support and snake oil.
Hormones – The Conductors of the Orchestra
Hormones do not decline because you are weak. They decline because time passes. Replacing deficient hormones with bioidentical forms can restore energy, mood, metabolism, and resilience – when done thoughtfully.
This is not vanity. It’s physiology.
The Unremarkable, Radical Conclusion
Great health is not mysterious. Eat well. Move regularly. Sleep deeply. Manage stress. Support your gut. Reduce toxins. Replace what’s missing.
And perhaps most importantly: Stop expecting a single intervention to undo a lifetime of habits.
Health is not something you win. It’s something you practice. Daily. Imperfectly. With a sense of humor.
And if you’re willing to give up the things that made you sick – the body, remarkably, is usually willing to forgive you.
Author
Scott Rollins, MD, is Board Certified with the American Board of Family Practice and the American Board of Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine. He specializes in Bioidentical Hormone Replacement for men and women, thyroid and adrenal disorders, fibromyalgia, weight loss and other complex medical conditions. He is founder and medical director of the Integrative Medicine Center of Western Colorado (imcwc.com) and Bellezza Laser Aesthetics (bellezzalaser.com). Call (970) 245-6911 for an appointment or more information.
