The Healthy 5: Making Healthcare Work for You

Welcome to GoinStrong Health Formation's Blog!

August 2025

"True health is not the absence of disease, it’s the presence of vitality."

Kris Carr

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Hi there!

The world of healthcare can be quite confusing, but it is important to know your options and make healthcare work for you. Today, I want to talk with you about Functional Medicine & Traditional Medicine, the amazing story of Super Agers, and the weight loss lies that keep us bound. As I share my personal story with you today, I hope you can learn from my experience and knowledge.

Let's jump into today's topics!

Functional Medicine & Traditional Medicine

Can They Hold Hands?

When I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer, my radiologist sent me directly to my doctor, who sat me down and told me exactly how things would unfold. I was, of course, in shock and frozen for most of that visit, but I remember thinking, "I wonder if I have other choices?" I left that appointment feeling like I was caught in a web of actions and decisions being made on my behalf by people who only knew my blood counts. I was being cared for, but it felt more like I was being 'managed' and that didn't feel right. 

I took a few days to digest all the information. I prayed. I canceled my next appointment, and I did some research. I learned there are many ways to deal with cancer. I explored how to get a second opinion and how to interview surgeons. I stepped out of the cancer protocol, and with God's grace, I navigated the healthcare system in a new way. I built a team that would journey with me through many decisions that were now mine to make. 

In this process, I learned about functional medicine, and I hired a functional practitioner to consult with as I made decisions. I interviewed surgeons and found a wonderful breast surgeon who partnered with me through the whole process. She welcomed my functional practitioner to our team, and that was important to me. I had a fast-growing cancer, so as soon as I had a surgeon and a team, we scheduled surgery.

I have learned a lot since then, and I help my clients understand how to navigate the health care systems, both the traditional path and the functional path, before their life catches on fire. I have a primary care physician and I have a Naturopath because I need different types of treatments depending on what illness I'm dealing with. One size does not fit all, and they can complement each other, but there are some nuances.

I took a class by Dr. Hyman called Hacking Your Healthcare, which I highly recommend. He explains how to partner with your doctor, what questions to ask, and what tests to request when you are looking for answers. If you are unfamiliar with functional medicine and its benefits, this class will deepen your understanding.

Being informed and knowing how to navigate your healthcare can completely change how you experience a major illness, whether it's something you're facing now or something that might come up in the future. So the answer is yes, functional medicine and traditional medicine can, in fact, hold hands.

Aging with Health

Super Agers

Growing older with a strong brain has a name! Super-Ager. A Super-Ager is someone 80 or over who has the cognitive function comparable to someone middle-aged. This is good news! Northwestern University published a study this month on Super-Agers. They have been conducting this study for 25 years, and their findings are instructive for anyone approaching their later years.  It is always good to take lessons from those who are ahead. 

What are the habits of a Super Ager?

1. They stay active! They have a regular exercise routine that includes strength training, balance, and walking.

2. They continue to challenge themselves by stepping out of their comfort zones and stimulating their brains with new information.

3. They maintain strong social connections and participate in group activities with friends and family. 

4. They drink! Yes, they indulge in the occasional glass of wine or alcoholic beverage that they love. Overall, moderate drinkers are 23% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease or signs of serious memory problems than nondrinkers. Wine seemed to have more benefits than other alcoholic drinks in some reports, though many of the studies did not distinguish the types of alcohol ingested. You can read this study from the Alzheimer's Research Foundation here. 

I love 'aging well' guidelines, and I am on my way to becoming a Super Ager! What about you?

Weight Loss

Weight Loss Lies

Many of us have battled the bulge - sometimes we win and sometimes we lose. We have so much information about weight loss and so many options, and yet we remain obese as a society. In 2024, almost 75% of adults in the US were obese. Obesity significantly impacts our health on multiple levels, and this trend steadily increases even though we have all the tools to lose weight and stay healthy.

Why? What are we doing wrong? The answer to that question is, well, complicated. Every person is different from genetics to lifestyle. It's a puzzle, and many of us are moving the pieces around the board only to realize there are missing pieces, and we never can quite see the whole picture.

As we stare at the puzzle, there is something we are overlooking - something that lurks insidiously beneath the surface of our confusion. It's that missing piece that quietly clicks into place at just the right moment......It's what we believe. 

Belief is powerful. What we believe about ourselves has a much louder voice than any social media post or diet we try. Belief is the strongest driver of your success as a dieter. Stronger than your plan or your intention or your New Year’s resolution. Your belief is what will move the lever of change, or not, when the moment of temptation or confusion arrives. Discipline and willpower cannot compete with Belief.

Have you ever questioned what you believe about your weight loss journey? A client recently told me, "I believe my lies because they feel so true." There are many weight loss lies that hold us back. They live in our inner narrative, and they sound something like this.....

I'm too busy to lose weight.

I've tried everything, and nothing will work for me.

If I lose the weight, I will never be able to keep it off.

I've already blown it, so I may as well eat whatever I want.

I don't have enough discipline or willpower to lose weight.

If you can relate to any of these, or maybe identify your own weight loss lie, it might just be the missing piece of your puzzle.

In my coaching practice, I am discovering that "the lie" is holding people back. And the remedy for the lie is Truth. And truth has a name -- Jesus. 

Be Free

Take a minute and explore. Get curious about what you believe about losing weight. Talk with the Lord about that and listen. He is the truth, and he might have something important to show you. In fact, he will likely replace your lie with the truth.....and the truth will set you free.

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Until next time!