02/19/2026
Some patients stick with you way past the end of the work day.
This one was in her early 30s, fit and lean and the picture of what most people would call âhealthy.â
She came in multiple times for âfatigue,â but when I asked how long it had really been going on, her upper lip started shaking and her voice cracked.
âIâm just... so tired,â she said. âIâm doing everything right. I eat clean. I work out every day. I take all the supplements. I track my macros. Iâve cut out gluten, dairy, sugar⌠everything.
But I still feel awful. My periods are irregular. Iâm bloated all the time. I canât sleep. Iâm anxious. And Iâm just⌠exhausted.â
Then she cried.
Not just a single tear, but a deep, chest-shaking sob. The kind that comes from feeling like your body is betraying you despite all your efforts.
I sat there in silence and asked:
âCan I tell you something you might not have heard before?â
She nodded.
âYouâre not broken. Youâre just burned out. Youâve set the bar so high itâs almost impossible to jump over it.â
We had already tested everything. Physical exams, blood work and imaging. We tested hormones and then double checked, but I had always suspected that she was trying desperately to keep her head above water in a busy life constantly trying to drown her.
In the modern world, thereâs an insane amount of pressure put on us.
We are expected to be productive members of society and to work 8 to 10 hour days.
But then, we must not forget to eat, clean, to work out, to meditate, to do breath work, to track your lifestyle habits, to pursue passion projects and hobbies.
Oh, and letâs not forget social connections.
Did you call your friend? What about your kids? What about your work colleagues? What about your mom? Did you spend time with all of them?
And donât forget to sleep 8 to 9 hours per night and to work out one to two hours per day.
This is unrealistic and even damaging.
Our modern environment combined with the high expectations portrayed by social media are making us feel like constant failures.
Even I have been a victim of this.
Although I do post my life highlights on social media, I do have days where I donât want to work out, where my sleep is subpar and where my nutrient intake relies on supplementation instead of home-cooked meals.
But thatâs OK.
Health will be determined by what youâre doing most of the time over the long-term.
But this patient was constantly feeling enormous amounts of pressure to check off all of the health boxes every single day.
This is highly unrealistic with all of the curve balls that real life can offer. And it can even be destructive.
She wasnât eating for nourishment, but for control.
She wasnât moving to feel strong or for long term health. She was moving to earn her meals.
She was âhealthy.â But she wasnât well.
She was overtrained, under-fueled, hormonally dysregulated, and emotionally drained.
And sadly⌠sheâs not alone. I see this all the time.
We live in a culture that glorifies restriction, âcleanâ eating, discipline, and restriction.
But restriction isnât health.
Willpower isnât wellness.
And eating a âperfectâ diet can actually by damaging.
Orthorexia is a form of disordered eating defined by an obsession with âhealthyâ eating. Unlike classic eating disorders, itâs often praised.
But itâs no less harmful.
Sound familiar?
This isnât self-care. This is self-punishment wrapped in kale and collagen.
Real health and wellness is sleeping well without needing a supplement cocktail.
Itâs enjoying food without guilt.
Itâs moving because it feels good, not because you have to.
Itâs skipping a workout and not spiralling out of control.
And yes, you still care about nutrition. You still eat plants. You still move your body. But you do it from a place of love instead of fear.
If you needed a sign to take a break⌠this is it.
Eat the damn sandwich. Skip the gym and take a nap. Put down the tracker. Unfollow the influencers that make you feel like health is a math equation.
You donât need more willpower, you need more grace.
If youâve ever felt like the pursuit of health made you feel worse, youâre not alone and youâre not crazy.
đ Dr. Jules
