E039 | Overwhelmed by wellness? Here’s the simple fix to align energy, rest, and nutrition

Does wellness feel overwhelming and exhausting? 

You’ve been trying to eat healthier, exercise more, and follow all the “right” wellness advice, but your symptoms persist—or worse, they flare up. It’s not that you’re not trying hard enough; it’s that the advice you’re following isn’t designed for your unique needs. 

The real problem? Most wellness strategies add complexity instead of helping you tune into your body’s signals and align with what it truly needs. 

In this episode, discover why typical wellness advice may be holding you back and how to align your energy, rest, and nutrition using the F.I.X Method for a simpler, more intuitive path to transformative healing.  

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING TO THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL DISCOVER: 

• Why typical wellness advice fails and how to simplify your approach for better results.
• The key steps of the F.I.X Method and how it helps you create clarity, confidence, and ease.
• How small, intentional habits can lead to big, transformative changes in your health.

Wellness doesn’t have to feel like a struggle. Your body knows how to heal—it’s time to support it in a way that feels simple, intuitive, and aligned.
 
 
OTHER LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
 

• Join our free Facebook group: Embrace Your Healing Journey.
• Book recommendations: Atomic Habits by James Clear and Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg.
• Episode 25 " Leaky gut and autoimmune disease: How to heal your gut naturally" 
•  Episode 38 -  "Burnt out? Gentle goals are the game-changer you didn’t know you needed"

Write to me at anindita@aninditarungta.com—I’d love to hear from you!
 

If this episode found you somewhere real, there's more.

I write every week at Healing From Within — about chronic illness, the nervous system, and what it costs to keep performing being okay.

 👉 Find me on Substack: healingfromwithin.substack.com

I've also built something for women who are tired of doing everything right and still not feeling better. It opens to a small group in September. 

There's nothing to sign up for. If you'd like to know when, write to me: anindita@aninditarungta.com

Keep listening. Your body already knows the way.

Transcript

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Does it feel like wellness has become just another source of stress in your life?

If you've ever wondered why your efforts to feel better seem to lead to even more exhaustion. This episode will reveal what's really holding you back, and how to finally create a health journey that feels intuitive, effortless, and aligned with your body.

Because you see, the real issue isn't your effort. It's that the typical wellness advice is not designed for your unique needs. And instead of guiding you toward clarity, it actually adds to the complexity and leaves you exhausted, confused, and stuck. So it's not so much a failure on your part. It's a failure of the approach.

And the key isn't to work harder. It's actually to work smarter. And you can simplify your approach and align with what your body truly needs. And I will share a very, very simple method that you can do this. I call it the fix method. So make sure that you are tuned in to this episode.

Because when you simplify and align your wellness approach in this manner, something powerful happens and you feel a greater sense of clarity. You have the confidence to trust your instincts and more importantly, you feel a sense of ease. So if this resonates with you, you can take the first step towards clarity and alignment.

In January, I have a challenge coming up. It's called gentle goals. Big wins, five days to start your year with ease and impact, and over five days you will learn how to streamline your wellness journey, create sustainable habits, and align your health goals with your body's natural rhythms. You'll also receive my exclusive Gentle Goals playbook and it'll guide you throughout the year. So visit aninditarungta.com/gentlegoals to join us today.

I want you to remember your body is in the enemy. It's your greatest ally. And every big win begins with one small, gentle step. And let's take that step together, starting from right now. That's all. Coming up next, right here on Embrace your healing journey.

Welcome to Embrace Your Healing Journey, a podcast for women with autoimmune and other chronic conditions to help them navigate the illness without fear of isolation and uncertainty and find relief from their symptoms. Your body is your guide and ally in healing. If you're ready to embrace this journey with compassion and awareness, then the show is for you. Tune in weekly as I, a Functional medicine certified health coach, deliver tips and insights that demystify the healing process, guiding you towards the relief you deserve so that you can feel healthy and happy once more.

When my client first wanted to make changes in her routine, she was really struggling because just like you, she was used to doing things in a certain way, eating certain foods and living a certain kind of lifestyle. So when we, uh, when we did the food sensitivity test and she realized that gluten, dairy, nuts, amongst other things did not really suit her, and she would have to take them out. She, she, you know, she understood that it's going to be it was going to be hard because for her, she was in a phase of her life that going out with friends and socializing was really important for her, and she would not be able to eat most of the foods that day did.

In fact, this is the number one challenge that most people face when making changes like this, because it makes socializing and going out with friends and family so incredibly difficult. Apart from this, they also have to deal with the comments that many people make because they can't really understand why somebody would give up these foods voluntarily, right? They don't really understand the connection between gut health and chronic conditions, and how by taking out some of these foods for a period of time can help us to lower inflammation.

So my client understood why she had to make these changes, but she found it overwhelming to add to a list of things already that she had to do in a busy, busy schedule. So we use the F.I.X method that I'm going to discuss later in this episode to break down these huge goals into much smaller ones that could be easily incorporated into her daily life. And thus, the first step will actually surprise you, because it's not what we will usually probably be doing. So apart from this, we worked on her mindset and I coached her into developing what we call a growth mindset so that she could actually focus on the progress she was making each day on the systems that she would be following, rather than only on the end results

In her words, eating better, getting creative with food, journaling, trying to achieve a better mindset, getting attuned to small signs of distress in my body, understanding my body better were all starting to become habits, which in turn compounded to achieve exceptional results.

And the author, James Clear, of the brilliant book Atomic Habits, which I also talked about in my last episode, episode number 38, has some amazing insights and ideas in his book, and one of the ones that I use often for myself and my clients is called habit stacking. As he says,

One of the best ways to build a new habit is to identify a current habit that you do already each day, and then stack your new behavior on top. This is called habit stacking. Habit stacking is a special form of implementation intention. Rather than pairing your new habit with a particular time and location, you pair it with a current habit. This method was actually created by BJ Fogg as a part of his Tiny Habits program, and can be used to design an obvious cue for any habit, so the habit stacking formula is. After current habit, I will new habit. So, for example meditation. After I pour my cup of coffee each morning, I will meditate for one minute. Exercise. After I take off my work shoes, I will immediately change into my workout clothes. It is easy to get bogged down trying to find the optimal plan for change. The fastest way to lose weight. The best program to build muscle. The perfect idea for a side hustle. We are so focused on figuring out the best approach that we never get around to taking action.

As Voltaire once wrote, the best is the enemy of the good. I refer to this as the difference between being in motion and taking action.

He goes on to say, and he goes on to give some examples for taking action in his book. If I outline 20 ideas for articles I want to write, that's motion. If I actually sit down and write an article, that's action. If I search for a better diet plan and read a few books on this topic, that's motion. If I actually eat a healthy meal, that's action.

So I would highly recommend that you check out this book, Atomic Habit by James Clear and the other book, Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg. You know, they are amazing. They give amazingly practical advice and insights as to how you can create better habits in your life and completely change your health. Um, around. Turn your health around. And I have found that over years of coaching and talking to my family and friends who are trying to do this in their lives, this is where the majority of people get stuck. They continue to do research instead of simply getting started with one easy habit that would help them build momentum.

And coming back to my client, that's exactly what worked for her. Once she got started with one small, easy habit, she found that it was much easier to keep going, and her progress got that momentum, and she found the motivation to make yet more healthy choices that helped her reverse her symptoms and just changed her life.

In her own words, she says, I was so engrossed in following the process and fine tuning the systems created to achieve goals, I didn't even notice when they started coming to fruition. The results I achieved were beyond my imagination.
 
Now that's what I call transformative healing. So if you're here listening to me, if you are part of my inner healer community on Facebook. This is what I want for you. Transformative healing where not only are health issues go away or your health changes, even if they don't completely go away, like in many chronic conditions, you can still turn your life around. And if you're currently feeling overwhelmed, it is definitely time to work smarter, not harder.

So if this sounds familiar to you, you wake up each morning feeling drained even after a full night's sleep, so you're constantly battling fatigue, and no amount of rest seems to recharge you or your body feels unpredictable. Some days it's joint pain, other days it's bloating or digestive issues, and you don't really know what's going to come next. Or maybe you're dealing with brain fog. You're struggling to focus on simple tasks, forgetting where you left your keys. So that's something that you may be dealing with too. And you might have tried to eat healthier, exercise more, or follow the latest wellness advice, but your symptoms persist. Or worse, they flare up unexpectedly, and so you're left feeling frustrated and defeated. And of course, there is also the emotional toll of dealing with these kind of issues the guilt of canceling plans because you just don't have the energy, the overwhelm of trying to explain your dietary choices or lifestyle changes to friends and family don't seem to get it. This is actually a big issue for many of you, and the quiet voice inside you wonders, is this just how my life is going to be?

I've seen this too many times. When I'm talking to people, when I'm going through different Facebook communities that deal with chronic conditions, that this is often where they are because these symptoms aren't just inconvenient, they can literally feel all consuming because they rob you of the energy, clarity, and the joy that you need to live your life fully, as I said. It's not just about getting better. It's not just about reversing your symptoms. It's actually about transformation that can come with healing. So it's in, in essence, transformative healing that you're looking for.

And the truth is your symptoms like fatigue, plain pain, bloating, brain fog, headache and the problem themselves, they are the signals. And your body is trying to communicate that something is out of balance. But often the root causes go unnoticed because they are not as obvious as the symptoms themselves. So here are some of the things that could really be causing your symptoms.

Number one chronic stress and nervous system dysregulation. So your body wasn't designed to be in fight or flight mode all the time. But the modern life that we are dealing with, that you are living modern world that you are living in where there's constant deadlines, emotional stress, and even the pressure to do wellness perfectly keeps your nervous system in overdrive, and this can wreak havoc on your hormones, digestion system, immune function, and sleep cycle so your exhaustion doesn't go away. No matter how much you rest, you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep because your mind just won't shut off. And of course, you may be dealing with digestive issues like bloating or gas.

Number two is inflammation and food sensitivities. This is an extremely common reason, uh, behind most 80% of chronic conditions, which are related to gut health, and specifically those which are connected to autoimmune conditions. Uh, the foods that you eat will either nourish your body or create chronic inflammation. So if your system is sensitive to certain foods like gluten, dairy, and processed sugars, your immune system may be in a constant state of low grade activation. And in fact, even if you are not dealing with any health issues right now, uh, foods like gluten, dairy and processed sugars, carbohydrates, etc. are not, uh, refined carbohydrates, I would say, which are devoid of nutrients. They can all actually adversely impact our health. Like whether you have a condition that has been diagnosed or not. So you may be feeling tired or sluggish after meals. Even when you've eaten something healthy, you may be having frequent headaches or migraines, and there may be swelling or puffiness in your body.

Number three are gut health imbalances. Because your gut is home to trillions of microbes that impact everything from digestion to mental clarity. And when this delicate balance is disrupted, whether it is due to antibiotics, poor diet or prolonged stress, it can lead to leaky gut, nutrient malabsorption and again, inflammation so it can show up as bloating or discomfort after eating. Regardless of what you eat, it can show up as skin rashes like eczema flare up. Acne is like the client that I mentioned before, and it can show up as brain fog and you can have difficulty in concentrating. And, um, I'm going to share episode links in the show notes, which are, which will help you to get a sense of what you need to do in terms of your gut health.

Number four, lack of alignment between energy, rest and nutrition. When your daily habits don't align with your body's natural rhythms, such as your menstrual cycles, you end up feeling rather depleted rather than restored. And many women are knowingly overworked themselves during the low energy periods or just, you know, they don't really take in the time to nourish and rest. Like rest is really underrated in today's world. Sleep is constantly being overlooked. And you know, this is really costing us. So you may have an afternoon energy crash that makes you reach for caffeine or sugar. You may feel wired or tired at night, but tired at night, so you don't end up getting the sleep that you need. So your body is exhausted, but you're not able to fall asleep. And you may have persistent cravings for comfort foods even when you're not truly hungry. So this is something that I have I pay a lot of attention to personally. And in fact, I've just returned from a wedding in my hometown of Calcutta. And, you know, even though it's, um, you know, it's a weekday, I have actually taken a couple of hours rest in the afternoon because it's been extremely hectic with or with the wedding going on overnight and sleeping at 6 a.m.. Uh, so that's the that's how you prioritize your, uh, health over everything else, right. And the and biotech sleep because your symptoms aren't random or unfixable. They are the result, as I said, of a system that is out of balance or your body that has been pushed out of balance.

So instead of masking the symptoms, taking a pill for your headache, taking antacid for your digestive symptoms, the real opportunity lies in addressing the root causes. So whether it's supporting your nervous system, uh, so that you can regulate stress meditation, it's breathing, deep breathing, etc. can help you do that, whether it's identifying and removing foods that trigger inflammation. So removing foods such as dairy, gluten and sugars that I just mentioned. Rebalancing your gut health for better digestion and nutrient absorption. There is a five R process that we follow in my program and aligning your daily habits with your body's unique needs or rhythms. All of these can help you to support your body's healing.

And the good news is that these root causes can be addressed with a simpler and smarter approach that does not overwhelm you or add more to your plate, because the focus should be on making small but sustainable changes. And when you learn how to decode the signals that your body is sending you, the ones that you I just shared with you, you can shift from feeling overwhelmed and stuck to feeling aligned, energized, and in control of your health. And that's what I really want for you.

what actually goes wrong? So you've likely put in the effort to feel better. You follow the advice, you've tried new routines, but despite all your work, um, your symptoms persist and it's frustrating. Uh, and the reason that you may not have seen the results that you want is because you're following a one size fits all diet. So you've probably tried cutting out sugar, carbs, processed foods, or followed a popular diet like keto, paleo, or intermittent fasting. But they may fail to consider your body specific needs. As I mentioned, cutting out sugar is always a good starting point. Perhaps, but there are many other things that you need to focus on because they need to be tailored to your unique sensitivities or symptoms.

For example, I had a client who went on paleo and cut out carbs completely, and they actually started feeling worse because they needed an energy source to heal, right? So actually depends on what your body needs and how you can fine tune it. And you can already also feel overwhelmed by introducing rigid rules that doesn't really fit your life at this point, right? If you're going through a lot of health issues, you don't want to follow certain rigid rules that add more stress because you can actually end up feeling deprived, more fatigued, and even more out of balance.

Or you may have already added multiple supplements, complex meal plans, workout meditation practices, hoping that the perfect combination will solve everything. But what has happened is that instead of simplifying your healing process, you've done wellness into a second full time job. So as a result of progress, feel slow and you know you can start feeling, you know, resentful towards the whole process. And when you feel like that, when you feel like that you are failing, you may be tempted to give up entirely. And that's not really helpful at all. Or it's easy to even fall into the trap of reading more books, watching videos, or researching the next trend, because research can actually often feel productive. But as I mentioned earlier in the episode, it's a form of motion rather than action. So you're preparing to change, but never actually take the steps.

And this is where a lot of people actually remain stuck, you know, maybe for the entire life. And I don't want to be one of them. So I don't want you to delay progress because you're waiting for the perfect plan instead of starting with small, imperfect plans. And I don't want you feeling stuck, feeling more confused, and further from real change.

And finally, I know that you know sometimes what happens for many, many people is that friends, family and wellness advisors, you know, they give well-meaning but unhelpful advice. So maybe like just eat less, exercise more, try yoga. Take this supplement that I have tried and what works for others may not work for you because your body is different from them, and often the external advice ignores the deeper root causes of your symptoms and the emotional toll of chronic health challenges, which is why they don't really work. And as a result, you feel misunderstood and judged and even more isolated.

So the path forward is simpler and smarter. So subtract the foods, habits, or routines that are adding more stress. Maybe add small intentional changes that align with your energy, rest, and nutrition, and shift your mindset to focus on progress, not perfection. Because when you stop trying to do it all and start focusing on what actually works for your body, you will experience clarity. So no more second guessing every choice. You will know exactly what's helping your body. You will experience confidence. You will know that you know you can trust those small, consistent actions that will lead to big results like it did for my client. Um, whom I mentioned earlier in this episode, you will experience a sense of ease, a sense of flow, where wellness becomes a part of your life rather than a struggle.

So the key isn't to try harder is to try different. And that's where transformative feeling begins. And that's what I want for you. And the FIX model provides a simple, intuitive framework to break free from overwhelm and create lasting change. So how does it work?

F stands for focus on what's essential, the first step is to subtract what is in serving you. I don't want you to add more on your plate. I want you to identify one thing to let go of. So whether it's a one food that triggers symptoms like gluten or dairy, or a complicated workout plan, or even a mindset that focuses on perfection. So you need to let go of what drains you and create space for habits that truly support your health. For example, instead of trying to follow a strict diet from day one, remove just food you suspect might be causing inflammation. Notice how your body feels over a few days and then repeat right, and then slowly build it up and, uh, work with a coach or a practitioner, functional medicine practitioner, or a health coach who can help you do this in the proper sequence and in the proper manner. Because when you simplify the you know, you understand what is working and what is not.

I stands for innovate with small aligned habits. Once you have subtracted what is it working? Focus on adding small intentional habits that align with your body's needs. So choose one simple habit to start today. This could be drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning with a squeeze of lemon in it, or taking a five minute pause to breathe during a busy day. So, as I shared with you, the habit stacking works so you can pay this habit something to do with something that you're already doing so that it makes it easier to stick to. So for example, after your morning tea, you can take 60s a minute or two to stretch or set an intention for your day. So such small, achievable actions actually help you to build momentum. And don't underestimate the kind of results that you can see just by doing this right. Uh, I'd really, you know, uh, suggest that you try it out.

And the X stands for execute a Sustainable ritual. The final step is to turn these small habits into consistent rituals that work for your life. So pick one habit to turn into a daily ritual. This could be, uh, you know, prepping for, uh, or, uh, preparing the meal plan for the next day, practicing gratitude before bedtime each night, or taking a ten minute walk after dinner. Right? So focus on progress, not perfection. Consistency matters much more than doing it perfectly every time. So, for example, commit to journaling three things you are grateful for each night before bed. So any of these rituals work really well.

So for me personally, I tend to, uh, do the ritual of reading something that inspires me at night. I typically have. So I have several things that are stacked up one against the other. So when I'm brushing my teeth, I have a set of incense sticks in my bathroom. Yes, in my bathroom. Because they help me. The aroma helps me relax. I can use my sense of smell to actually, uh, help my body wine down for the night. And I have. I like Jasmine at night, so I will light, uh, incense while I'm brushing. So this is habit stacking actually at its finest. And, uh, this ensures that, you know, my body starts winding down. Uh, then when I come out of the bathroom, then I sometimes journal. Not so much at night. I usually do in the morning. Um, and so, um, but I mostly do read a few pages of something that really inspires me, something that is positive and have a cup of green tea. So I have actually, you know, made this into a ritual. This is my habit stacking.

And the reason it works is because rituals create stability and reinforce a sense of control on our, you know, particular unique healing journeys. And do not underestimate the power of these small steps. And your path to healing doesn't have to feel overwhelming. Subtract what is not working, and add small habits that align with your body and turn those into sustainable rituals.

With this FIX model, you can actually stop fighting your body and start working with your body's natural wisdom. Healing doesn't, of course, happen overnight, but every small, intentional step that you take will bring you closer to feeling aligned, energized, and empowered. Because the thing is, your body is constantly sending you messages fatigue, bloating, brain fog, or, you know, just a sense of something is off and they are not random. They are body's way of saying that something is out of alignment. So if you're ignoring this, it just makes these signals louder. Symptoms become stronger.

So if you have been chasing solutions or adding more to your routine without seeing results, it's because the focus has been misplaced. So when you when you follow this method that I have laid out for you today, you actually get more clarity because you begin to see what your body truly needs. And suddenly the noise fades and you can actually listen to what your body is telling you. You become more confident because this small, intentional shifts give you the confidence to trust your body again, and you stop second guessing every choice that you make. And of course, you build momentum. Each step forward creates progress and that is how you sustain your motivation.

So anyone who works with me doesn't really struggle with a lack of motivation or willpower, and this is the secret to it. So what once felt impossible starts to feel effortless. And I want that for you, because the longer you wait to align your energy, rest, and nutrition, the more entrenched your symptoms become and each day of inaction is costing you. It's keeping you further from clarity and ease that you deserve. It's costing you in terms of your health. It's costing in terms of your quality of life. Make no mistake about that.

So imagine waking up feeling refreshed, navigating your day without fatigue, making choices with confidence, knowing that they're supporting your long term health. This is not impossible. It happens when you simplify and align your approach. Your body has wisdom. Your wellness can be simple and your life is waiting to be amplified.

If this episode has resonated with you, it's time to take that first powerful step. Join me for the Gentle Goals Big Wins Challenge starting on January 13th. Head to aninditarungta.com/gentlegoals. You will receive my Gentle Goals playbook. It's a resource to guide you through the process. You will also have the exclusive opportunity to work with me in a mini Virtual intensive, where I will personalize your wellness roadmap to amplify your results.

This is your chance to simplify your path, trust your body, and create a momentum for a vibrant and empowered 2025. Head to an indie.com/gentle goals, and let's make this your year of transformation. I will see you there.

Thank you so much for joining me today for this episode of Embrace Your Healing Journey and for our next episode. "Stop striving for perfection: How self-compassion leads to sustainable success. 

We will explore why perfection isn't the answer, and how embracing self-compassion can help you build habits that stick, create real progress, and make your healing journey feel lighter and more sustainable. Make sure to tune in! It's time to stop striving and start thriving. Your body knows how to heal. Are you ready to support it?