Optimal Health vs. Just Not Being Sick

❗Why surviving is not the same as truly living

For a long time, my entire lifestyle had just one goal:

🛑Don’t get sick.

I did everything right.

✅I trusted every guideline.

✅I followed every recommendation.

✅I never questioned what I was told.

🩺If a doctor said it, it must be true, right?

So I lived like this:

✔️1 g of protein per kg bodyweight is enough

✔️Blood tests say everything is fine

✔️Nutrients are within the normal range

And yet, my reality looked very different.

I struggled with:

1️⃣constant low energy

2️⃣poor concentration

3️⃣getting sick every 2–3 weeks

4️⃣no real progress in muscle gain or fat loss

5️⃣strong sugar cravings

6️⃣low libido

And the most dangerous question started creeping in:

❓Is this just normal?

❓Is everyone feeling like this?

❓Am I just getting older?

❓Do I have to accept this for the rest of my life?

Because on paper, nothing was wrong.

Blood work👉 fine.

Diagnosis👉 none.

Doctor’s answer👉 You’re healthy.

But deep down, I didn’t feel healthy at all.

I wasn’t sick,

but I also wasn’t alive in my body.

And that’s where most people get stuck.

❗Here’s the uncomfortable truth:

You can waste your entire life living in a body that is technically not sick, but never truly well.

Conventional medicine is incredibly powerful!

It saves lives every single day❤️

But it was never designed to answer questions like:

❓Why do I feel flat even though my blood work is normal?

❓Why do I need caffeine just to function?

❓Why does my body never fully recover?

And no one ever told me that.

So let me ask you something:

👉 What if the problem isn’t that you’re doing too little,

👉 but that you’re aiming far too low?

✨This was the biggest turning point in my education as a functional medicine health coach:

Conventional medicine and functional medicine are not enemies.

They just have completely different jobs.

Conventional medicine:

• Detects disease

• Treats illness

• Keeps you alive

Functional medicine:

• Prevents illness

• Optimizes function

• Helps you reach your full health potential

Both are essential , when used correctly.

• If you are sick 👉 go to a doctor.

• If you feel off, depleted, flat, tense, exhausted 👉 that’s where functional medicine starts.

Example 1️⃣/2️⃣: Low Energy (the most common complaint)

Conventional medicine view (minimum ranges):

Nutrient Normal Range

Zinc ~60–120 µg/dL

Magnesium (serum) ~0.75–0.95 mmol/L

Omega-3 Index ~4%

Result:

➡️ No diagnosis

➡️ “Everything is fine”

➡️ Still exhausted

Functional medicine view (optimal ranges):

Nutrient Optimal Target

Zinc upper third of range

Magnesium intracellularly sufficient

Omega-3 Index 8–12%

Result:

• stable energy

• better stress tolerance

• improved focus

• stronger immune system

You’re not sick below these levels.

But you also don’t thrive there.

And nutrients are just the beginning.

Because sometimes the issue isn’t in the blood, it’s in the nervous system.

Example 2️⃣/2️⃣: Chronic Neck & Shoulder Tension

I was told:

Your neck is fine. Just don’t sit so much.

But later, through proper coaching, I learned the real reason:

❌My muscles weren’t tight.

✅They were permanently activated.

Chronic stress 👉 constant fight-or-flight

Fight-or-flight 👉 muscle tension

Muscle tension 👉 pain, headaches, stiffness

That tension was not a posture problem.

It was a regulation problem.

🔹Learning how to actively down-regulate

🔹to separate work from recovery

was one of the most freeing experiences of my life.

❗Here’s the key difference most people never learn:

Minimum intake keeps you alive.

Optimal intake lets you live.

When you aim for minimums:

• you often miss them anyway

• resilience slowly drops

• illness creeps in over time

When you aim for optimal:

• even imperfect days are enough

• energy stabilises

• cravings reduce

• libido improves

• immunity strengthens

❌You don’t need perfection.

✅You need the right target.

Final Overview: How It Feels

Nutrient Conventional medicine = value & typical experience

Nutrient	Conventional medicine – value & typical experience	Functional medicine – target & typical experience
Protein	0.8–1.0 g/kg BW \nMaintains basic tissue \nMuscle mass mostly preserved \nImmune system copes only under low stress	1.6–2.2 g/kg BW \nMuscle gain & preservation \nStronger immune response during stress & illness \nBetter recovery, satiety & mental energy
Omega-3 (EPA + DHA)	250–300 mg/day \nBasic cardiovascular support \nInflammation often remains elevated	2–4 g EPA+DHA/day or Omega-3 Index 8–12 % \nReduced inflammation \nImproved mood & brain function \nBetter insulin sensitivity
Magnesium	300–350 mg/day (RDA) \nPrevents acute deficiency \nStress tolerance often low	400–600 mg/day (bioavailable forms) \nCalmer nervous system \nBetter sleep quality \nImproved stress resilience
Zinc	8–11 mg/day \nBasic immune defence \nFrequent infections still possible	15–30 mg/day \nStronger immune response \nImproved recovery \nLibido & hormone support
Vitamin D	≥20 ng/mL \nBone protection \nImmune function often still fragile	40–60 ng/mL \nImproved immune regulation \nHormonal balance \nBetter mood & muscle function
Iron (Ferritin)	15–30 ng/mL \nPrevents anemia \nLow energy often persists	60–100 ng/mL \nStable energy levels \nImproved endurance \nBetter cognitive performance
Iodine	150 µg/day \nBasic thyroid hormone production \nSluggish metabolism still common	200–300 µg/day \nImproved metabolic rate \nBetter body temperature regulation \nMental clarity
Selenium	55 µg/day \nPrevents severe deficiency	100–200 µg/day \nThyroid protection \nStronger antioxidant capacity \nImmune resilience
Vitamin B12	2.4 µg/day \nPrevents nerve damage \nEnergy often still low	250–500 µg/day (oral/sublingual) \nImproved energy production \nBetter focus & memory \nNervous system stability
Carbohydrates (quality & timing)	As low as possible \nElevated cortisol \nCravings & poor recovery	Activity- & stress-matched intake \nStable energy \nHormonal balance \nCalmer nervous system

❌Most people don’t need more discipline.

✅They need clarity, context, and a system that fits their body.

At CLW, we combine:

✅medical diagnostics

✅functional nutrition

✅nervous system regulation

✅personalised lifestyle structure

✅All tailored to your blood work, your stress profile, and your life.

❗There is never a general wrong or right, just the right for your individual case.❗

If you’re tired of surviving in a “not sick” body and want to experience what optimal health actually feels like, get in touch with us.💌

Because life is too valuable to spend it just avoiding illness.

Contact Us