Why your routine isn't working
A closer look at some common mismatches in one-size-fits-all regimen
Routines are a big topic, and I actually like routines.
But routines, flows, practices — whatever you want to call them — should be bespoke, in my humble opinion.
The online trend of “follow my morning routine” sets many people down a road of trying to fit into someone else’s life.
Nearly everyone I work with in my clinical practice comes in doing a lot to support their health. They’ve been trying to be thoughtful, disciplined, and consistent with what they choose to do.
Yet, they have not been improving in the way they expect, or as quickly as they would have hoped.
The good news is that, in a lot of these cases, the problem isn’t really about their effort.
What I see is a mismatch between what they’re doing and what their bodies actually need.
In Chinese medicine, the same habit can be helpful in one context and harmful in another.
I suggest you change up your internal question from “is this healthy?” to “is this really appropriate for my current state?”
Let’s look at some common routine and health need mismatches, and you can think about how you might change some of these incongruities if you identify them in your life.
Mismatch 1: Fasting when you’re depleted
Common deficiencies in Chinese medicine are qi deficiency, blood deficiency, and yin deficiency.
I see one or all of these in lots of my clients, especially women.
You can scroll through my archive for more on these exact topics.
The most succinct idea with deficiency is that a period (or lifetime) of exertion without adequate replenishment has depleted your body’s resources and reserves. You find yourself in a state of deficiency.
Common symptoms of deficiencies include: fatigue, anxiety, irregular menstrual cycles, poor recovery from colds and flus, poor sleep, and cravings.
Sometimes people talk about wanting to fast because they want to “reset” or “restart”. They think their constant fatigue or health issues point to a need to eliminate food for a bit. 😭
But fasting regularly backfires for people who are deficient.
In an obvious sense, going without food reduces the amount of nourishment available to your body.
It will be quite literally impossible for your body to rebuild depleted substances without adequate, necessary nourishment, which largely comes from nutrition.
Fasting can also increase internal stress, force your body to slow digestion, and further intensify blood and fluid deficiencies.
Yes, short-term fasting can be helpful for certain excess conditions.
But I strongly encourage you to make sure you are truly facing excess, rather than deficiency, before you decide to “do a fast” or start intermittent fasting, as you may unintentionally exacerbate your health imbalances. A Chinese medicine practitioner can help you with this.
If you’d like to get toxins out of your diet, go ahead and do that without full-on fasting from food altogether.
Eliminate added sugars.
Look at your food labels to make sure you are not buying items with corn syrup, canola oil, strange additives, or food dyes.
Give up toxins and hang on to your nutritious meals.
I also want to gently say: You do not get extra points for putting your body through misery.
