Worth keeping.

Why vegetables come first, why habits last when they start with who you are, and why a stubborn symptom may be adaptation, not failure. Topics: Nutrition · Habits · Stress & the body BODY In Eat to Live, Joel Fuhrman argues that health outcomes track a simple ratio he calls nutrient density — the vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals a food delivers relative to its calories, not the calories themselves. By that measure, a pound of spinach outweighs almost anything else on a plate, and the body's craving for volume, not just energy, is often the real driver behind overeating. This is why I ask clients to fill half the plate with vegetables before they touch macros or calorie counts at all. THIS MONTH'S MENTAL VITAMIN In Chapter 2 of Atomic Habits, James Clear splits habits into two kinds: outcome-based, built around a goal like running a marathon, and identity-based, built around a belief like 'I am a runner.' He argues identity is the real engine — every small action is evidence for a self-image, and habits that last usually start with who someone is deciding to become, not what they're trying to achieve. With clients, I'll often ask what a person who already has this health outcome would do today, then have them do that one thing, regardless of how they currently see themselves. STRESS & CONNECTION In The Myth of Normal, Gabor Maté argues that many conditions we treat as purely biological — from autoimmune disease to anxiety — are better understood as the body's intelligent response to chronic stress, suppressed emotion, and disconnection, not a personal flaw. What looks like dysfunction is often adaptation: the nervous system doing exactly what it learned to do in an environment that demanded it. When a client blames themselves for a symptom that won't resolve, I'll often reframe it first as adaptation rather than failure — that shift alone changes what we try next. THIS MONTH'S PRACTICE Pick one small habit for your body and cast one vote for it today — not a perfect day, once. Then have one honest conversation before the week is out. This note is general health education and is not individualized medical advice. It does not replace your care plan or a conversation with Dr. Herbert. If anything here raises a question about your own health, please reach out.