I'm 27. I guess that makes me a millennial. I suppose I am by definition, but I also don't feel like that word describes me well at all. My identity can't be shrunk down into a single catch-all phrase. Even among my immediate friend group, there are only so many commonalities among us. Personally, I think that most articles that talk about how "Millennials think this" or "Millennials act this way" are contrived bullshit.

But, the one thing that seems consistently true is that we're pretty good at spotting broken systems. Social, economic, political, you name it. We also seem to be pretty good at creating disruptive alternatives, at least in the tech sector. Facebook, Lyft, Instagram, the list goes on - all started by "millenials."

What do these billion dollar start-ups have in common?

They're Useful.

They're Efficient.

They're Highly Personalized.

If it doesn't meet those three criteria, chances are it's not going to do well in today's environment.

So what? What does this have to do with health. Well, I've actually identified those three factors because they're the same three factors that drew me to epigenetic coaching. Hear me out.

How I Got Here

A little background first: I played the role of the unmotivated stoner class-clown for a good chunk of my life. It was easier not to care, hide behind sarcasm, emotionally distance myself, and it was easier to disappoint myself than it was to try. I didn't to ask for help because I thought I had it all figured out. I was a kid with extraordinary potential and a whole bunch of maladaptive coping strategies. It took a lot of self reflection and work to understand that about myself, and a lot of continued work to keep myself on the right path.

Do you want to know the biggest factor that gave me the capacity to see my own mental blocks I had created for myself?

A few years ago, I changed my diet DRASTICALLY. I changed my diet in a way that literally gave me extra mental energy to see myself from a new perspective. Meditation and legitimate self reflection became actually possible, because I had the metabolic overhead function at a higher level. Relationships got better because I was able to respond instead of react because I had more energy. My sense of purpose in life became engaged because I could see possibilities I hadn't seen before.

Diet was the entry point, but not the end-all-be-all to better functioning. I didn't feel like a new person because I changed my diet, I felt like a new person because my diet allowed me to do the mental work I didn't have the capacity to before. I created a positive feedback loop and then added in things like psychotherapy, targeted light exposure, herbs and supplementation, cold exposure, and exercise.

Here's the catch though. I'm not going to even tell you how I changed my nutrition because I don't want to sell you on the idea that what I did will work for you. What I am here to say is that figuring out what is right for your body can help you achieve the same results. (I do have a hack for that.)

Not Sick? We've Got Nothing for Ya, Buddy

Previously, while I wasn't "sick" by diagnostic standards, I had some pretty strange health conditions pop up that no one could give me answers for. None of the doctors I had ever seen mentioned anything about diet. None of them talked ever about what was happening with my internal dialogue and sense of self. None of them ever gave me a clue that systemic non-linear factors could be at play that I had any control over through diet or lifestyle. None of them had ever given me any idea that health was something that could be improved beyond "not sick." 

Think about that for a moment. "Not sick" does not equal healthy. "Not sick" is what the current healthcare system strives for. "Not sick" exemplifies the same level of mediocrity that cripples the potential effectiveness of outdated social structures, political systems, and philosophies. 

As long as it's good enough, there's no reason to do anything differently, right? Um, wrong. And, I think might truly define "millennials" as a generation. A common understanding that simply because something is "good enough", doesn't mean it isn't worth doing better. In the millennial mind, if something is working out just "ok" there's a way to do it a hell of a lot better. Maybe that's why people label us as difficult or narcissistic -- because we're just not going to settle for sub-par.

Now as a coach, I've made it my mission to help people figure out what the right diet and lifestyle choices are for them that can help create similar changes in their lives. It took me years of experimenting and researching to get here. Most people don't want to put the same kind of time into it, and nor should they when can get a geek like me to do that part of the work for them.

So, while I figured most of this stuff I know on my own, I could have bypassed a ton of frustration and wasted time if I could have worked with someone earlier. I just didn't even know how I could benefit from it and why I would want to. I hated going to the doctor because I only went there when there was something bothering me. I had no idea coaching even existed, and I wish I had. I mean, we usually think about having good health so we can do the things we want to do... but rarely are we presented with the idea that there could be a level of optimal functioning that can help us do those things better.

Why Coaching Matters Today

Here are 3 reasons why epigenetic health coaching fits right in with the zeitgeist of millennial thought and creativity, and why I think it can seriously help augment the current crappy model of healthcare in the US.

Reason # 1

The current model of healthcare is not useful for people who are not sick (and frankly it's not very useful for people who are chronically sick and require support strategies.) Seriously, go to you doctor and say "Yeah, I'm doing ok but I know I could have more energy and be more effective in my life." They will have nothing for you. There are no pharmaceuticals they can prescribe you that will be as effective as shifting diet and lifestyle habits. But, the protocols I use with clients can't be patented and turned into a profitable little pill so they'll never be elevated within the current system. That's why the answers lie outside the system.

ON THE FLIP SIDE: Epigenetic Coaching is all about looking at the 360 degree picture of how health is created or destroyed. It is useful for anyone who cares about their health and their future. It's useful to augment both people who are "not sick" and those who might need extra support beyond the 15 minutes their doctor can give them.

Coaching is useful because it gives you the tools, knowledge, and support to build a platform of health so you can absolutely crush it out there in the world and so you can have the energy and self awareness to create better systems in other places.

Reason # 2

The current model of healthcare is not efficient. How efficient would it be if a business tried to run with only 1 employee? How efficient would a basketball team be without a coach? There are really good reasons why it's important to build a team and to have different perspectives and specialists on board. Having different perspectives contributes to a model of growth.

Even the best professional athletes on earth have coaches to help them improve because they understand how valuable constant and reliable feedback is to optimizing their skill-set. But, we are led to believe that consulting with a health expert means there is something wrong with you. It's time to change that mentality and move towards a collaborative model that includes the capacity for growth beyond "just average."

The concept of "preventative care" has become more popular as health insurance companies are beginning to realize it can actually save them money in the long run. But, does repurposing a broken system really work? The answer unfortunately is no. How can a system that is designed around treating symptoms and not root causes fix the root causes by treating symptoms? Illogical, right? It doesn't work very well at all, and it's certainly not the most efficient way to get there.

Through the lens of epigenetics, we now know that there are SO many factors that influence health beyond diet and exercise (and certainly beyond popping a pill to cover up symptoms). Epigenetic coaching creates exponential efficiency by stacking multiple modalities and entry points to wellness on top of each other. Its really about seeing how systems work together, rather than isolating the parts. Plus, when I work with clients, I see them for at least an hour a month. For the average person who sees their primary care doctor for 15 minutes a year, that's the equivalent to four years worth of time. Do the math... if you want results quickly, you can't beat concentrating and focusing your time.

The traditional model of healthcare is like expecting to become a great musician by practicing piano for 15 minutes once every few months and getting a pass/fail grade. Working with a coach is like sitting down and practicing intensely for an hour a few times a week and getting useful feedback on how you play. It's simply more efficient for rapid success.

Reason # 3

The current model of healthcare is not personalized at all if you don't need advanced medical testing to diagnose a problem. If you aren't sick enough to look and find out what's wrong, most doctors won't even help you learn more about yourself and your own biology. Dietary recommendations are supposed to work for everyone the same and we've seen where that's gotten us, right?. But, traditional cultures knew better than to homogenize everyone into the same boat. The classical Indian health system of Ayurveda recognized individual tendencies, and now there are genetic studies that have verified the accuracy of their typing system.

In today's world where you can find the sum total of human knowledge on the internet, why do we have a medical system in place that makes it impossible to learn more about your own biology and genetic predispositions unless you're already sick?

Epigenetic coaching starts with the assumption that you require and deserve a personalized approach to, well, most everything, and especially something as individual as your health. We've mapped the human genome, and now understand how these tiny genetic differences influence our individual response to food, supplements, toxins, and other environmental factors. Nutrigenomic testing gives us the ability to use your DNA to understand how and why you might respond the way you do to different things, and allows us to actually craft a personalized approach for your genes. It's the bridge between today's broken model of homogenized "sick care" and the future of self-realization. While this science is still in its infancy, its already helped hundreds of thousands of people understand themselves better and is only going to become more precise and accurate. It's never been a better time to be an early adopter.

Eating for your genes is common sense. This guy clearly gets it.

I'm here to say I wish I had this type of personalized information when I first started hacking my own health. Now, I'm dedicated to providing it to people who want the trifecta of useful, efficient, and personalized in more than just their tech products.

1 in 2 adults in the US (HALF!) have been diagnosed with a chronic disease. That's not the world I want to live in, and it's not the world I know is possible. As part of the "millenial" generation, I'm proud to offer the services I do to model the shift away from a system that leaves the average "not that sick" person out. And for people who do consider themselves "sick," taking a systems wide support approach can significantly benefit overall health in ways that just treating symptoms cannot.

The bottom line is: If you suspect you could get more out of life, I guarantee you can. As a rule, I don't make guarantees. But, one thing I'm certain of is if you can see the possibility of success, it can exist in your life. 

I specialize in working with creative individuals to craft exquisite health so they have the energy and focus to get what they want. 

Hit the contact page to book a free initial consultation and let's chat about if we're right for each other.