01/11/2026
Are we missing the forest for the trees ?
As medical knowledge continues to advance, and as we gain deeper insight into the intricacies of how every single organ functions, it sometimes feels as though we are paradoxically distancing ourselves from understanding how the body truly works.
We have accumulated an extraordinary amount of information about ultra-specialized biochemical pathways and sophisticated ways to intervene in complex physiological processes.
We can now zoom in at a microscopic level and observe interactions between proteins, enzymes, and cellular mechanisms with remarkable precision.
Yet, in doing so, we risk losing sight of the most important truth, the human body functions as an integrated whole.
One of my greatest frustrations with modern healthcare is the way we silo each organ into its own specialty.
While specialization has brought undeniable progress, it sometimes comes at the cost of misunderstanding how interconnected our systems truly are.
No organ functions in isolation.
Every system continuously communicates with and influences the others.
This is precisely where Lifestyle Medicine comes in.
The way you sleep affects how you eat, how you manage stress, and how well you recover.
The way you exercise influences your nutritional needs, your sleep quality, and your stress resilience.
Each pillar of Lifestyle Medicine shapes and reinforces the others.
None of these exist in a vacuum.
Every choice ripples through the entire system.
And this ultimately impacts how disease processes appear and unfold.
While we are curing rare diseases that were once thought incurable, and while we push the boundaries of highly specialized treatments, we sometimes miss the larger picture.
As medical fields continue to narrow their focus, I worry that we may lose sight of the broader forces driving health and disease.
The foods we eat.
Many of the leading causes of illness today are chronic conditions, and most are profoundly influenced by daily lifestyle choices.
These don’t need ultra-specialized or costly therapies.
Just a basic understanding of human environments and behaviors.
Many people don’t need highly advanced medical equipment or therapies.
Just a shoulder to cry on, or a cheerleader in their corner. They need someone to connect with or a health coach to help them map out behaviour change.
There is no need to isolate organs that were never meant to function alone.
The heart, brain, gut, muscles, and immune system are deeply interdependent, shaped continuously by how we eat, move, sleep, manage stress, connect with others, and avoid harmful substances.
But newer medical curriculums are now using medical education that is based on this “new” way of seeing things as a whole.
Change is in motion.
I am optimistic about where medicine is moving in Canada.
So yes, pardon my frustration. But I firmly believe our healthcare system must learn to zoom out as much as it zooms in.
We must continue to value innovation and specialization, while keeping the foundational lifestyle pillars front and center.
Because when it comes to preventing and managing chronic disease, the big picture still matters, and perhaps now more than ever.
We can still cure rare and complex diseases with advanced technologies.
But please, not at the expense of 6 simple lifestyle pillars that we often ignore.
Are we missing the forest for the trees ?
💚 Dr. Jules
