28: Championing Health and Performance: An Entrepreneur's Journey Through First Principle Strategy

Are you familiar with the power of first principle thinking and its potential to transform your health, energy levels, and overall business performance? On Breaking Boundaries for Entrepreneurs, we're sharing an enlightening exploration into how integrating this powerful approach into your health journey can help you break through boundaries and achieve holistic success. We'll be discussing the health challenges many entrepreneurs grapple with - from fatigue and brain fog to digestive issues and joint pain - and their impact on performance, both personally and professionally. With mental health playing an increasingly prominent role in the workplace, we'll also explore how it can impact employee morale and work quality, and the benefits of incorporating corporate wellness programs.

In the latter part of the episode, we’ll share an inspirational case study of an entrepreneur who utilized the first principle strategy to overcome anxiety and digestive problems. With the aid of functional medicine, lab tests, and a bio individualized program, they achieved improved digestion, reduced anxiety, and enhanced energy levels. We’ll also touch on the 21-day functional medicine detox protocol, the Candida bacterial optimization protocol, and how these holistic health methodologies can help unlock peak performance. Remember, this episode is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease, but to guide you on a path to better health and heightened business success. Tune in and join us on this enlightening journey into the world of integrative health and first principle thinking.
LINKS:

At-Home FM Labs

IHP.org

Love Energy Wellness, LLC

Chapters

• 0:00 First Principles for Health Challenges
• 18:38 An Entrepreneur's Journey to Peak Performance
• 24:13 Functional Medicine and First Principles

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another enlightening episode of Breaking Boundaries for Entrepreneurs. Today we embark on a journey of profound exploration into the intricate tapestry of our well-being, both in life and in business. In a world often consumed by the relentless pursuit of success, we frequently overlook the foundational root causes of chronic health issues that quietly hinder our vitality and our potential. But fear not, for today you're going to learn the transformative power of first principle thinking, illuminating the path to holistic prosperity, prepared to unravel the mysteries of the mind, the body and business as we delve deep into the wisdom of integrative health, forging a new path towards unprecedented success in your well-being. Hello, I'm Jeffrey Mort. If you're like most entrepreneurs, you're busy taking care of business. Yet who's taking care of you? If you're ready to take your energy and performance to the next level in your life and your business, then this podcast is for you, because today you're going to start breaking boundaries of your mind, body and business with integrative health, and when you do that, your possibilities are limitless. I'm grateful you're here, that's right. Always grateful, my friends. Thank you so much for joining me here today and welcome to another episode of Breaking Boundaries Podcast for Entrepreneurs. This is episode number 28. And, of course, stay till the end, and that's when we bring it all together on how to avoid failure and reach that next level of success with integrative health. And for all the show notes and links, visit JeffreyMortcom forward slash podcast.

Speaker 1: 1:51

Big shout out to our listeners today in Cary, illinois, gardner, north Carolina, phoenix, arizona. I appreciate every one of you listening. And today you're going to discover something that's called first principle thinking, as I alluded to in the introduction, and we'll get to exactly what that is. But this is going to help you to unlock your peak performance and to be able to break through those boundaries, and we're going to put the spin on this to help you in your business as well as in your health, and, of course, that's what we're all about here. Breaking boundaries is transforming your mind, your body and your business with integrative health. So today's topic is applying first principle thinking to health issues for peak energy and performance.

Speaker 1: 2:42

So let's talk about some of those struggles that we have, some of those boundaries that entrepreneurs struggle with and some of the common health challenges faced by entrepreneurs that hinder that peak performance, and these could be things like low energy and fatigue. I mean, think about how having low energy every single day is going to impact your performance in your business. Having poor performance in your business because of that is not something that you want, especially when you know our mood just isn't where it's at. I have a sleep app on my phone and one of the first things that asks me every morning is how is my mood to be able to track like is there an issue? So you know, low mood is definitely a common health challenge that many people struggle with.

Speaker 1: 3:26

Things like brain fog. If you can't think clearly, if you don't have that clarity, how are you going to be able to navigate your business? How are you going to be the you know, the CEO or whatever position you have in your business to be able to navigate where you want to go with that brain fog? If you have digestive issues, of course, where's your tension going to be? It's not going to be on your business, it's going to be on. Why am I having problems with my gut, my digestion, why am I not hungry or why do I have, you know, things like loose stool or things like that?

Speaker 1: 3:55

You know, headaches. So many people suffer from chronic headaches, whether they're just tension headaches, migraine headaches huge, huge issue, especially for entrepreneurs. If you're an online entrepreneur and you're looking at a screen all the time or maybe you're exposed to, you know, having a ring light or some sort of unnatural light for your video conferences that can cause a lot of headaches and vision issues as well. Having joint pain, especially you know that traveling joint pain that can be a setback in your business and all of these symptoms that I'm naming. These are all linked to things like inflammation or cardiovascular issues, you know, blood sugar dysregulation or type 2 diabetes. Maybe it's autoimmune issues, maybe it's thyroid issues, which typically isn't the thyroid. It's usually an underlying root cause. But that's what we're talking about today is getting to that underlying root cause using this concept called first principle thinking.

Speaker 1: 4:53

So first let me give you some statistics Productivity loss due to employee health issues, and whether it's employee health issues or your own business. But according to a report by the CDC, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, employee health issues cost US employers approximately, let's say, around $2,000 per employee per year in productivity losses, and this includes absenteeism, presenteism, which is working while not fully functional due to health issues. You know, many people say they can't afford to take a day off from work, so they go to work when they're not feeling well and their productivity is down, which is costing the business money and also increased healthcare costs. These losses can significantly affect a company's bottom line and overall success. So next I want to explain the impact of mental health on workplace performance.

Speaker 1: 5:51

Mental health is a huge passion of mine to be able to help people with, because we'll get to that. There's always a reason why the World Health Organization, the WHO, estimates that depression and anxiety disorders cost the global economy $1 trillion per year. That's trillion with a T in lost productivity. Mental health issues, if left unaddressed, can lead to decreased employee morale, increased absenteeism and reduced work quality. For sure, businesses that prioritize mental health support and resources are more likely to maintain a motivated and productive workforce, contributing to their long-term success. This is why I'm a huge fan of corporate wellness programs that focus on mental health aspects of, you know, employee health, and not just, you know, cbt, cognitive behavioral therapy or talk therapy that's one part of it. But utilizing what we're going to talk about today and first principle thinking for tackling mental health issues in the workplace, these statistics highlight the substantial financial implications of health issues on business success, underscoring the importance of promoting employee well-being and addressing health-related challenges proactively. Now, you know that's how it relates to. You know big business with employees and maybe you're an entrepreneur that has a business with you know maybe two employees, maybe 10, maybe 20, maybe 1500 employees, that doesn't matter, the problem is still the same, just scalable, just like you would scale a business. So this is why I'm emphasizing the importance of addressing root causes instead of guessing.

Speaker 1: 7:44

So let me introduce to you, if you're unfamiliar with first principle thinking. First principle thinking is a problem solving approach that involves breaking down complex problems into their most fundamental and basic elements and then reconstructing solutions from scratch based on a deeper understanding of these fundamental principles. It's a method of analysis that goes beyond analogies and past experiences and instead focuses on the core, fundamental and truths the fundamentals and truths underlying a problem or a concept. So I'm gonna give you the key steps and aspects of first principle thinking in a really general sense so that you can apply this to your business as well. If you've never been, applied this strategy to your business and then we'll bring in the integrative health aspect to it afterwards and do my best to keep this episode at our 20 minutes.

Speaker 1: 8:43

So, number one identify the problem or question you wanna. Begin by clearly defining the problem or question you want to address. Number two break it down. Analyze the problem to break it down into its most basic components or fundamental principles. This often involves deconstructing the problem into its essential parts. Number three establish a fundamental principle and seek out and identify the underlying principles, laws of nature which I'm a huge fan of, or establish facts that govern the problem or concept in question. Now, these principles serve as the foundation for your analysis. Number four reconstruct the solution. Once you have a solid understanding of the fundamental principles, then use them to build a new solution or perspective on the problem. This might involve designing a solution from scratch rather than relying on existing solutions or analogies.

Speaker 1: 9:45

The significance of first principle thinking in problem solving is Step by step. I'll give these to you quickly creativity and innovation. Better problem understanding. Adaptability, avoiding mental shortcuts, which helps prevent use of mental shortcuts, or relying solely on past experiences, which can lead to biased or suboptimal decisions. Number five cost efficiency. Number six cross disciplinary insights. And number seven empowerment. Using this first principle, it empowers individuals to take ownership of problems and develop unique solutions, fostering a sense or self-reliance and autonomy. Did I say that right Autonomy? Yes, I did in problem solving. So, overall, first principle thinking is a powerful approach that can lead to breakthroughs in problem solving, enabling individuals to approach challenges with a fresh perspective and develop more innovative and effective solutions.

Speaker 1: 10:55

Now, how do you relate to how entrepreneurs can apply this concept to their health challenges? Well, it's not about forcing a band-aid approach. It's about getting to the root cause without guessing, and I wanna set the stage here for using functional medicine lab tests as a key tool. Functional medicine labs are a very, very powerful tool and I'm gonna explain here what these lab tests are and how they differ from conventional testing. So conventional labs are 100% necessary. Please don't get me wrong. Those are 100% necessary and that's why I call this integrative health as opposed to alternative health, because it's integrating conventional medicine into what we do. They're absolutely necessary, those lab tests, and they provide crucial information.

Speaker 1: 11:47

The downside of conventional labs are that they're only using, for the most part, blood, serum and sometimes urine as well, using those mediums as the normal range of markers and normal. If you can picture a scale, normal is would be like the green light, and then the disease state is the red light, and those are really your two options where everything is normal because it's in the green until it's not, until it's in the red, and then it's a disease state. And then what do they do? They utilize pharmaceuticals, because that's what they were trained to do, of course, by the pharmaceutical companies. And I'm giving you a complete unbiased, just giving you the facts here. But that's how it works.

Speaker 1: 12:37

So, contrary to that, functional medicine labs, look at the functional range. So if you go back to that green light analogy now you put in in between the green light and red light, now we have a yellow range, we have an orange range in these labs, and in both directions as well. So this could be functionally high or functionally low if your range is pinpointed in either the yellow or orange far long before you get into that red zone of being in what's considered a diseased state. And, of course, yellow or orange will indicate that you're trending more functionally high or functionally low. So you're still functioning as a person, but these markers are trending higher or lower in the yellow or orange towards the red, and then it's much easier to do things while you're in that range rather than saying all right, we just went from green to red and now we have a lot of work to do.

Speaker 1: 13:42

Functional medicine labs look at a functional range, like I said, and they use more than just blood. They do use blood, typically a blood spot and not a blood draw. They also use hair samples, which you probably will never find in conventional medicine. They also use saliva samples, which again probably won't find those tests in conventional medicine, as well as urine and stool, which you do sometimes find those mediums used, but not that often. The urine tests in conventional medicine are usually looking for bladder issues, but they can be used to look for much, much more comprehensive information when it comes to the underlying root causes of chronic health symptoms.

Speaker 1: 14:29

So did I mention that functional medicine labs are done right at home without a phlebotomist? Now, I mentioned they use blood, but it's a blood spot, so it's just a simple finger prick, as a diabetic would do, to test their blood sugar, and no blood draw, no phlebotomist. These can be done right in the privacy of your own home. The labs come in the mail and you do the simple sample. You send that back to the lab in the mail. The practitioner gets the information and then formulates a plan and we'll talk more about that.

Speaker 1: 15:01

So if you would ask me to showcase like a real life success story from an entrepreneur who use lab tests to identify health issues. I would have to generalize and say that every client at Love Energy Wellness, our private wellness practice, love Energy Wellness, has had an aha moment from labs that explained the underlying root cause of why they were experiencing unwanted symptoms. And the lab doesn't necessarily explain it, but the practitioner explains it. So myself, as an integrative health practitioner level two I get that information from the lab and then I get on a call with the client and I interpret what that information on that lab means as far as how that ties into what they're experiencing for those unwanted symptoms. So let's highlight the position, the precision and actionable insights provided by these tests At Home.

Speaker 1: 16:02

Functional Medicine lab tests offer precise and personalized health data and it enables individuals to uncover those specific biochemical imbalances this is biology at its right, biology right in the privacy of your own home and identify potential root causes of their health issues. And these actionable insights empower these people, these clients, these entrepreneurs, people just like yourself to make informed decisions about their nutritional requirements, about their lifestyle, about their detoxification needs and as well as like supplementation and optimizing their wellbeing, and address underlying health concerns, and those adjustments all depend on what the person wants to optimize for, whether it's for weight loss, whether it's for longevity, whether it's for health span which is being healthy later on in their later years. It all depends on what they're looking to do. So the way we navigate these natural health protocols just like having a strategic process in your business natural health protocols are comprehensive strategies that focus on addressing the underlying root causes. I keep saying that over and over again, but that's what first principle thinking gets to is those underlying root causes and I'm gonna give you an example of that in just a minute and these health issues. Rather than just treating symptoms, we're working on those underlying root causes. We're not palliating symptoms here and the labs. They emphasize the integration of various natural therapies and nutrition and lifestyle adjustments, like I mentioned, and alternative medicines now to promote overall wellbeing and vitality, a holistic and personalized approach to wellness. It offers so many benefits, numerous benefits, including a better understanding of an individual's health needs, improved long-term health outcomes and a reduction in reliance on things like pharmaceutical interventions. Entrepreneurs in the natural health industry, people that are exploring natural health and integrative health solutions such as herbal medicine, functional nutrition, acupuncture, mindful practices and integrative health coaching this can all provide individuals with effective and customized paths we call them bio-individualized plans to optimal health and vitality.

Speaker 1: 18:38

So I do wanna share an entrepreneur's journey to peak performance and a compelling case study I had of an entrepreneur as a client who transformed their health using the first principle approach, and client confidentiality is one of my highest values. So I'll just say this client that I had was dealing with anxiety and digestive issues were the two biggest issues, and we have to ask why? Why is this person having anxiety? Why are they having digestive issues? So the test showed high cortisol and that explains the digestive issues, because when we are in a state of stress or a fight or flight, systems begin to shut down in the body. So those high levels of cortisol not so much during the day and in the morning, I should say, because that's when we want cortisol to be at its highest, because that's our natural curve, our diurnal rhythm that we spoke about a few episodes ago and you can go back and listen to that one. We'll link it up in the show notes. That explains the digestive issues.

Speaker 1: 19:42

But why are we having high cortisol at night, in the evening, and high stress and for this particular instance it was high cortisol all day. But why? Why was that? So? The tests also showed mineral imbalances. So this explains the anxiety part, because when minerals are imbalanced the body's not able to adapt to stressors. So that's gonna increase anxiety. But why the high cortisol in the first place? You see how we keep going back to asking why are we experiencing the high cortisol? And I didn't even wanna go down the conventional medicine methodology and what they would do.

Speaker 1: 20:20

But the lab showed the stressor and the high cortisol and lab showed the well. Lab showed the stress as high cortisol and also in the mineral imbalances. But the stressor, through another lab, was intestinal yeast and fungal overgrowth. So there was the primary stressor. There were other stressors too, but that was the primary stressor. So there's our process and there's our answers to get. The process brings us to the answers.

Speaker 1: 20:50

So the step-by-step process getting the lab results, and then we know we're not guessing at what we need to do. So we need to address those stressors. We need to address the intestinal yeast overgrowth and the fungal overgrowth, that bacterial overgrowth in the gut. And then what did we do? We got the client on a four month bio individualized program to address the stress. We worked through a 21 day functional medicine detox protocol to be able to detoxify the body, start to rebalance the body, replenish those deficiencies and remove those toxicities. And then we moved into what's called a CBO protocol, a Candida bacterial optimization protocol, cbo and that's based on functional medicine. It's based on 6,000 year old Ayurvedic science as well, and what that does is it helps to rebalance the gut. And then the outcomes were improved digestion, reduced anxiety, increased energy, better focus and that led to more business success.

Speaker 1: 21:54

So your actionable takeaway here for this episode is to apply first principle thinking and always ask why. I want to encourage you to consider applying these first principle thinking steps to your health issues as well as your business, and some practical steps that you can take is you can go back, you can listen to this episode again and you can always learn more about these functional medicine lab tests, and you don't necessarily have to do that through myself. You can do this through your local naturopathic doctor or any level two integrative health practitioner. You can find one close to you at integrativehealthpractitionerorg and there's a directory in there. You can look up that directory by state. You'll find one in your state, but I'll tell you, most of these practitioners work virtually anyways, so you can just find one that resonates with you.

Speaker 1: 22:53

Or you can reach out to me directly at loveenergywellnesscom and schedule your complimentary consultation no pressure, no cost whatsoever, just a conversation with yourself and myself to understand what you're struggling with in your business and in your health, why those health issues are holding you back in your business, and then what we can do to find out why and use. We can apply exactly the process that I talked about here in this episode, with first principle thinking, applying these at home functional medicine labs. I'll link those up today so you can learn more about those and to get to the root cause of your problem and then create a bio individualized plan specifically for you to help you on your health journey, which is in turn, going to help you in your entrepreneurial journey. So I am eternally grateful for you joining me here today and for your time spending it with me. I can't wait to bring the next episodes with you.

Speaker 1: 23:54

We have so many episodes and eventually I don't want to say eventually, very soon we're going to stop bringing on some guests as well to bring their wisdom and knowledge to the program as well, and I invite you to share your success story with me, or, if you have questions or suggestions for future episodes, you can send me a direct message on social media.

Speaker 1: 24:13

You can reach out to me at jeffrey at loveanyjewelnesscom. I'd be happy to hear from you. And I do have to say that, since we did mention, of course, some diseases and things like that in this episode. This podcast is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure disease, and it is not intended for medical advice. What we do is we provide entrepreneurs with valuable insights on how to apply things like first principle thinking not just in business, but also in your health challenges, guiding you towards your peak energy and performance through functional medicine, lab tests and natural health protocols. Check out all the links in today's show notes and I'm grateful again for you being here and I look forward to seeing you in the next program. Bye-bye.