E048 | Busting wellness myths: What’s really holding you back (and how to move forward)

Have you ever felt like you're doing all the right things for your health, but you're still not getting better? 

You’re following all the expert advice—cutting out foods, taking supplements, and sticking to strict routines. But instead of feeling healthier, you’re more frustrated, exhausted, and overwhelmed. 

Many women with chronic symptoms unknowingly fall into three common wellness myths that keep them stuck in a cycle of trial and error. The truth? These myths don’t work—and today, I’m going to show you a better way. 

In this episode of Embrace Your Healing Journey, we’re busting the biggest wellness myths that might be sabotaging your progress and revealing what actually works for sustainable healing.  

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

✅ The 3 biggest wellness myths that are keeping you stuck (and why they don’t work)
✅ Why more supplements, stricter diets, and rigid protocols may be doing more harm than good
✅ How to simplify your approach so healing becomes easier, not harder  

Healing isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing what actually works for your body. If you’re ready to break free from the frustration and step into a simpler, more effective way to heal, this episode is a must-listen. 

🚀 Join me inside the Autoimmune Breakthrough Masterclass this March and learn how to create a healing plan that actually works for YOU.  

OTHER LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: 

🌿 Join our free Facebook group: Embrace Your Healing Journey
📚 Learn more about the "BODY WISE HEALING" FRAMEWORK

📩 Email me at: anindita@aninditarungta.com. I’d love to hear from you!  

🔥 If this episode resonated with you, please share it with a friend who needs to hear it! And don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode. 

🎙 See you next week for another powerful conversation on embracing your healing journey!

Chapters

• 0:07 Introduction to health myths
• 1:34 The Functional Medicine approach
• 3:20 Challenges in sustaining health improvements
• 4:40 Common symptoms and misalignments
• 6:10 The four reasons for struggling with health improvements
• 8:46 The three myths of wellness
• 16:29 Breaking free from myths
• 17:42 The Body Wise Healing Framework
• 19:31 Invitation to the Autoimmune Breakthrough Masterclass

Transcript

Transcription 

Are you tired of chasing health trends that promise a lot but deliver little? In this episode of Embrace Your Healing Journey, we'll uncover the hidden myths that might be holding you back and keeping you captive. And yes I mean captive to the belief that more is always better, to the stringent protocols that leave you exhausted rather than energized, begin to explore why these well-intentioned advices could be sabotaging your health. So join us as we debunk these myths and reveal how you can truly work with your body. Don't miss this eye opening discussion that will empower you to break free from the wellness myths, the three myths, and step into a healthier and happier you. 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 their 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 this show is for you. Tune in weekly as I am 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. 

I remember a discussion I was having with the functional medicine practitioner, who also happened to be a medical professional. He was sharing how quickly he had implemented a strict diet and supplement protocol for his clients, and immediately brought down their fasting blood sugar and insulin markers for several of his patients. And, you know, this was something that, of course, he was very proud of because in conventional medicine, typically we are told that, you know, once you have or diabetes, you can only take glucophage/Metformin possibly to manage that. And then if your pancreas get affected eventually, then probably you get, you know, get onto insulin at a much later stage. 

So, anyone who can use diet and lifestyle to get better, to lower their fasting blood sugar, fasting insulin markers and improve their insulin resistance and possibly prevent diabetes is an amazing feat. So there is no mistake about that. So I was quite impressed with what he was achieving. 

 I'm part of a couple of WhatsApp groups, based in India in the functional medicine space. So there are a lot of practitioners who also keep sharing about the same things as to how they are helping the markers improve or even reverse a lot of the symptoms here, you know, and quite fast actually by, um, for guiding their patients with supplements and diet, etc.. 

But then I asked him a question. I asked him how his patients were doing six months, a year, or even a couple of years down the line. Had they managed to hold on to most of their games, their results, or had slipped back? And his honest reply was usually the same that I received from many others. Even when I talk to my own clients and family and friends. He replied that they usually fall off track and sometimes in a few months. And some of these issues do come back within a year. And so while many of the root causes do definitely get resolved using the functional medicine approach, by practitioners in this, in this space, what happens is that most people are not able to sustain their health improvements. And that's really unfortunate because these are all lifestyle related diseases.

 So you want to be able to sustain the health improvements because these are chronic conditions. They don't just go away on their own. It's not like jaundice or chickenpox. So while these practitioners are well intentioned, they are. And they try their best to do right by their patient and they are seeing quick results, they are not aware of the three myths that I'm sharing with you in this episode, and that's probably one of the reasons why their patients often fall prey to these myths and are not able to see sustainable results. So I'm going to share that later in this episode. So make sure that you listen to this and stay till the end. And if you think it makes sense that somebody needs to hear this, make sure that you share this episode. 

Over the years of being a health coach and interacting with other practitioners and working with, uh, many women with complex chronic health conditions, I have actually found that the first and the third myth are the most common ones. But before I get there, I want you to imagine, if you wake up in the morning feeling that you haven't slept at all, uh, despite you, you know, sleeping early and spending a full eight hours, or maybe you are, you know, waking up up from bed with a stiff, aching joints. That's actually quite common, especially amongst those with autoimmune conditions. And then maybe you have a nagging headache and, you're preparing the meals, but then you have a lot of dietary restrictions and you are trying to avoid gluten, dairy and  sugar. And despite your best efforts, your stomach is still bloating and you can still make out that something is not quite right. And of course, there may be that your skin seems to flare up at the slightest deviation from your routine. 

And of course, the fatigue. Fatigue is the one of the most common symptoms for anyone with any kind of, uh, chronic condition, uh, especially autoimmune condition. It's like a deep bone, very exhaustion, like no amount of sleep or caffeine seem to be able to fix. So if any of these sound familiar to you, just know that these are not random, disconnected issues. These are your body's way of saying that something isn't right, and that perhaps it's time to question some of the solutions that you've been asked to follow. 

Because the real problem are, you know, which actually lead to these issues are some of these. 

The first is the misalignment with your personal needs. So each body is unique. I can't emphasize this enough. We cannot be following a cookie cutter approach or a one diet fits all approach. So we have to figure out how to personalize these approaches. And because that does that rarely happens. And that's why we don't see results that are sustainable. 

And the second thing that happens is that overreliance on supplements and very strict diets. So there is a prevalent belief in the wellness industry that the more supplements and more dietary constraints are universally beneficial. Yes. they really help, make no mistake about that. But this kind of approach can often lead to nutritional imbalances, especially if they are not really followed properly, they can also lead to supplement fatigue. 

And not all supplements can be absorbed well by the body, especially if either they are low quality supplements or they are, uh, your body's, you know, gut health is in disarray. So they there are other things also that has to be taken care of. 

The third reason that, you know, people don't see, uh, results is that they ignore the mind body connection. It's not just the physical aspects of a health that we need to focus on. It's also the unaddressed emotions. Or maybe there's psychological stress or even trauma. And if you neglect this mental and emotional aspects of health creation, then, you know, it actually addresses many of the root causes of the chronic symptoms. And then the other reason may be a lack of sustainable practices. 

So quick fix solutions they do not encourage long term habits. This is probably why even the practitioner that I was talking to, his patients were not seeing long term results because they need to be able to change their mindset, their behavior and their habits. There are certain ingrained or not, you know, ingrained habits that have developed over the years and that needs to actually change. So improvements are not typically short lived otherwise. And of course, if there is disregard for environmental or lifestyle factors. So there's environmental toxins, there's lifestyle stressors, uh, you know, inadequate sleep. All of these also have to be taken into account. 

So if you are like most women struggling with chronic symptoms, you've done whatever the experts say you know should work for you. You follow the plans, you've taken the supplements, you've removed certain foods, and yet you find that energy levels are still low. Your symptoms still flare up, and you feel like your body is not really responding the way it should. And you're frustrated because you know that you are trying. But the problem is that you've been given incomplete solutions. So you are doing some of these things, but you are not yet able to address the real reason your body is the real thing that your body needs. And here's what you have likely tried. 

Number one, the more is better approach. You've added more supplements, more food restrictions, more treatments, thinking the next thing will be the answer. But instead of feeling better, what you found that you are feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and unsure of what's actually working. This is more common than you think because healing is not about doing more. It's actually about doing what actually matter, what's going to move the needle and what's going to help you to support your body to heal. And it has to be has to be personalized. That's what I'm talking about again and again. 

The second thing is the perfect wellness plan. That's a myth. You followed the strict routines, meal plans, workout regimen, supplement schedules. But when life happens, right, and we are still focusing on perfection, that it has to be done to the tee and there's a stress, or you're traveling or just had a bad week, it all falls apart and you feel guilty. And then for some people, it becomes really hard to get back on track again. This is much more common than you think, because your body is not a machine that thrives on rigidity. It needs adaptability. It needs flexibility. Your life happens in real time. So whatever plans that you make, whatever routines that you make, that there should be some room for adjustment. The other thing that typically, you know, you may end up doing is forcing through, you know, forcing yourself, your body, through willpower, sheer willpower. So you're pushing yourself to stay motivated, saying that, you know, if you try harder, then you will see results, but you still feel disconnected, exhausted. And the reason is your body doesn't really heal through force. It doesn't respond well to force. It heals through. 

Your body needs to feel safe. Your immune system needs to feel safe in order to come back into balance. That's what autoimmunity is all about. It's actually a hyper responsive immune system, uh, you know, reacting to the triggers, typically the environmental triggers. So it needs to be able to feel safe. And the other thing that you might have done is, you know, you've sought medical advice, functional testing, expert opinion, and, you know, hoping for answers. And that's absolutely normal. There's nothing wrong with that. But even then, after rounds of lab work and, uh, trying different protocols, you're still left managing symptoms without long term leads. You probably seen some results, but not all. This, again, is more common than you think. I see it all the time.

 It's expensive tests that have gotten done, but no one has actually told that person how to implement and how to, you know, uh, analyze those tests and take out the key findings and then actually implement it in their day to day life. Right. So these are, um, what we and then what happens is that we end up focusing on surface level solutions. So we don't actually end up implementing things that are actually going to make a difference. So all these approaches have one thing in common. They focus on controlling the body instead of partnering with it or collaborating with it. And that approach does not give long term results. And that's why, you know, healing is and I talk about it in other episodes as well. 

Healing is not about restriction, pushing harder or control. It's about learning to simplify, reconnect and sustain. And that's exactly what we are diving into next, because I'm going to share my framework body by Healing framework where these are the three pillars simplify, reconnect and sustain. And I'm also of course going to share the three myths that are keeping you stuck first. So now that you see why all the things that you've tried have probably not worked. Let's talk about why you've been stuck in the first place. 

What are the myths that are holding you back? And these are actually wellness myths that sound very helpful, that sound a common place. And you'll be you may have heard it from several health influencers or even experts and professional professionals, because these myths are everywhere and even in the traditional health care space. And when you believe them, they make you work harder than necessary while keeping you from actually getting better. So let's bust some myths right now. 

Myth number one more is better. So this is what you've been told. The more supplements, treatments, restrictions you and the faster you will heal. And here's why. It's keeping you stuck. Overloading your body does not, and I repeat, does not speed up the healing process. It simply overwhelms it. And too many interventions can leave you exhausted, constantly second guessing or doubting yourself and unsure what's actually helping. So actually, it keeps you stuck. So your body you need to focus on, um, you know, instead of doing more, focus on doing less, but better. And your body thrives when it's given what it actually needs, not when it's drowning in complexity. So you need to be able to figure out what is it that your body needs and no more of that, okay. Rather than trying to do multiple things. 

Myth number two is the body needs to be fixed. So you've been told that your body is broken. Your body is out of balance and needs to be controlled or repaired to function properly. This is a very, very common myth, and this is even more common when it comes to complex health conditions like autoimmune disease. Like we believe that the immune system has gone low. It is weak. It does not know what it's doing, and that's why it's throwing up antibodies towards foods that we consume and other allergens, etc. and parts of the of course, the the tissue, body tissue. That's not the case. There is a reason. There is a logic behind what your body is actually doing. It's responding to the environment that you're asking your body to live in. Till you change that environment, things are not going to change for you. And what happens as a result of this belief? Mistaken belief. I should that it creates a battle mentality because you're trying to constantly fix your body, you're not trying to support it, but you're trying to actually fix it. And when you see your body as a problem, it becomes really harder to heal it. Your body is not fighting you, it's communicating with you. So healing starts when you learn to listen, rather than overpowering your body's signals by either medicating them or neglecting. 

And myth number three wellness is all or nothing. This extreme kind of, uh, belief. It's really, really, again, keeps many people stuck. So yeah. So people tend to believe that you're either on track with your health, you're completely failing, and you have to be perfect to see this result. Healing disease. Health does not happen. You know, in extremes. It's not a black and white situation. It happens on a spectrum. There is a continuum. And this kind of black and white thinking leads to burnout, guilt, and a constant cycle of starting over. So if you believe that you have to be 100% perfect, then you'll always feel that you're falling short. So you're on a spectrum because health is on one end, disease is on the other end, and you are somewhere there. So you're either you know, you're home and you will be moving towards one and not the other. It's completely in your control which direction you want to move towards. And sustainable health is not about being perfect. The small, flexible habits will always serve you better. So you have to keep making those daily choices which moves you towards health and away from disease. 

So now that we've talked about the three myths, myth number one, more is better. Myth number two, body needs to be fixed. And myth number three, wellness is all or nothing. Let's talk about why breaking free from them matters more than anything else in your healing journey. Because if you don't shift away from these myths and these beliefs that you hold, you will, uh, this is what is going to likely happen. You will stay stuck in the cycle of trying everything without seeing real progress. You'll feel like your body is working against you when it really is trying to guide you, and you'll continue to feel exhausted, burnt out, and frustrated at when you are able to break free from these myths. 

Now that you are aware of that, you can create a wellness plan that actually works for your life and not just for a short period of time, right? You can stop fighting your body and start seeing it as your friend, as an ally and you. And that's when healing actually becomes effortless. And finally, you build long term health without fear of falling off the track again. This is something that is common for all my clients because of the kind of framework that I follow. Because of what I teach, this is exactly what I'm teaching you. So even if you've never worked with me, you get to see how you need to change your mind about how your body is behaving and then how you need to respond to it, because that will ensure that you see long term results. So my clients come back to me after three years for a tuneup session, and they have been more or less they have been able to maintain many of the improvements that they saw three years ago. That's very common with my clients, and I want it to be there for you as well. So the way you approach your hair dictates everything about how you feel, how much energy you have, and how well you can sustain your results. 

And which is why the next step is about learning about what actually works. So instead of overcomplicating a wellness routine, here's what you need to do. 

The first thing is to simplify to less, but better. So stop adding more supplements, more rules, more stress. Focus on the fundamentals, the foundation, the nourishment, the rest, the emotional regulation. All these things that are critical for your body to heal and build flexible habits instead of rigid routines. So what happens is when you do this, your body starts responding with more energy and fewer flare ups, and you are less stressed about your food and other things. And that actually builds a virtuous cycle. 

Number two is reconnect. Stop fighting your body and start trusting it. So learn to listen to your body's cues instead of suppressing them. Quick fixes, whether it's medication or supplements. And when you start Uh, shifting your, uh, symptoms as problems to understanding messages. Everything changes. Because finally, you feel in control of your health, because you have understood. And you have. You're trusting your body now. 

And number three, sustain. Build health that lasts. So focus on consistency over perfection. Healing is about creating more sustainable habits that support your body through every phase of your life, so that you make continuous progress. And you can, you know, you can actually see healing as a journey. I call healing as a journey. It's like a marathon and not a sprint. It's not a finish line. So you don't no longer fear setbacks because and you, you know, you're not falling off track because you know exactly how to support your body no matter what happens in your life.  

So if you're actually ready to make this shift, I am hosting an Autoimmune Breakthrough Masterclass this March where I will show you exactly how to break free from these myths and create a healing plan that actually works for you. I'm going to share the link at the bottom of this episode. So if you are tired of doing everything right but you're still feeling stuck, then this is where things can finally change. So I hope to see you there. And um, if you have any questions, you can connect with me on Instagram at @aninditarungta. And thank you so much for joining me today for this episode of Embrace Your Healing Journey. 

And if you've ever felt like wellness is complicated, overwhelming, or just too much to keep up with, then you're going to love next week's episode. I will be sharing the simple way to wellness. This actually falls under the simple pillar of the body healing framework. It's a streamlined approach to health that helps you cut through the noise, focus on what truly matters, and finally create a routine that works for you, not against you. That's all coming up next right here on Embrace Your Healing Journey.