Let the Body Lead the Way: Fostering Health by Focusing on the Inputs

Bottom Line

• The healthcare system won't solve your health problems for you

• The mind and body are inseparable

• Simple inputs can have profound effects

• Self-awareness is the key to improving health in a lasting and meaningful way

There are certain things that are just plain good. Some people might think of them as "blessings," or a Buddhist framework describes them as the "highest goods" or paramitas. One of these is health. As a blessing or "highest good," it's not something you can possess, but rather a condition that supports flourishing. When we don't have our health, we tend to flounder.

As I point out often in this blog, it is a fallacy to distinguish between the health of the body and the mind—they are inseparable. We are finally at a point in history where we are recognizing the importance of mental health, but the approach our healthcare machine currently takes in terms of addressing mental health is still very much a work in progress. I say this not to pooh-pooh the work of so many fantastic individuals who are on the frontlines, but rather to encourage all of us busy, normal people to understand that the system is not going to solve our health problems—whether mental or physical—for us.

This reality becomes abundantly clear to me every time I am involved with providing anesthesia services for one of my least favorite types of cases: ECT treatments.

ECT treatments are not one of my least favorite types of cases because they are unimportant. They really can be life-saving for some folks with severe, treatment-resistant depression. Despite their importance, there are two reasons why ECT treatments are not my favorite:

1. It feels a little barbaric to administer an electrical current through a patient's scalp in order to induce a seizure. The seizure is what is therapeutic for the patient, although the exact mechanism for what is going on isn't known precisely.* I always get the feeling we'll look back on ECTs in a couple of decades and have a bit of embarrassment about how rudimentary our tactics were on this front. But this first point is a little beside the point. What really matters is reason #2.

2. When it comes to ECTs, my job is to keep patients safe. These patients tend to have extremely poorly managed comorbidities. I'm talking about patients with hypertension so bad that they come in with blood pressure values that would get normal individuals sent to the Emergency Department for management of hypertensive urgency. I get the sense that some physicians view the out-of-control diabetes, the horrible renal function, and the failing hearts as a result of these depressed individuals getting to the point of not being able to take care of themselves—i.e., the depression is leading to poor self-care, which over time leads to poor physical health. But I believe the real picture is more complex. To me, these poorly managed comorbidities represent inputs that are as much a cause of the extreme mental health dysfunction as they are a result.

So on days when I have a lineup of ECT patients, while my anesthesia/safety brain is focused on the task at hand, in the back of my head I can't help but wonder: How much better would these individuals feel if these comorbid conditions were under better control? I mean, how good can you really feel when your systolic blood pressure is 220 mmHg? Yikes!

The Simple Power of Getting the Inputs Right

While ECT treatments might be the extreme, this summer my wife and I played around with the simplest form of addressing the inputs in our own kids. We noticed that on hot mornings after our boys would be outside building forts, playing basketball, and engaging in imaginary games together, they'd come back inside in great spirits initially and then get so moody so fast. We wondered what was going on. Wasn't getting sunlight in the morning a good thing for us all?

Well, as the pattern repeated itself and we sat back and observed, the thought came to us that they were simply dehydrated. So, we started the input challenge! We had them figure out about how much water they should drink every day based on some information we provided.** For starting the day, we asked that they each complete one 16oz water bottle by 9am. The challenge also involved having to brush their teeth and go outside by 9am as well.

Well, the hydration made a big difference!

Why This Matters (And What I Hope to Offer)

The lesson from my kids’ “input challenge” might seem simple, but that’s the point. The inputs—I’m talking about levers we have control over such as hydration, sleep, nutrition, movement, stress, the molecules we put in our bodies, feelings of connection, and even the stories we tell ourselves—matter. These inputs shape how your body and mind feel and function. When you tune into these, your health often shifts in surprising and powerful ways.

My hope is to help you build the self-awareness to notice what your mind and body are really asking for. That process is lifelong—it’s about coming home to yourself again and again. While some frame it purely as a spiritual journey, we now have the science, frameworks, and tools to ground it in practical ways too. However you approach it, the heart of the work is awareness. Awareness unlocks your own wisdom, and that wisdom shows you which inputs need your attention right now.

Here, I’ll be sharing what has moved the needle for me and others: practical frameworks for assessing and improving metabolic health, tools for reducing inflammation, strategies for brain health, and reflections on how culture shapes our choices. I’ll also experiment openly and share what I learn, because health isn’t one-size-fits-all—it’s an unfolding journey.

I don’t have all the answers, and I don’t pretend to. But I do care—about you, your kids, and your ability to show up for the people who rely on you.

What I can offer is twofold:

1. A perspective shaped by navigating serious health challenges—both my own and those I’ve witnessed in medicine.

2. A relentless curiosity to learn, connect ideas, and share what actually helps in real life.

Because when you learn to listen to your body and meet its needs with the right inputs, you don’t just feel better—you gain the capacity to live and give more fully.

Footnotes

* Our current understanding suggests that ECT works because it impacts multiple systems simultaneously, including neurotransmitters, neuroplasticity and neurogenesis, connectivity, and hormonal systems. This broad "reset" explains why ECT often works in cases where drugs and therapy fail. One of the most important aspects of ECT is that its therapeutic benefit has fast onset, often within 1–2 weeks, which is critical in preventing suicidal depression.

** Fluid Intake Guidelines for Kids:

• Ages 4–8: about 5 cups (40 oz / 1.2 L)

• Ages 9–13: about 7–8 cups (56–64 oz / 1.6–1.9 L)

• Ages 14–18: about 8–11 cups (64–88 oz / 1.9–2.6 L)
  (from U.S. National Academies of Sciences / Institute of Medicine)

💡 These numbers are for beverages (mainly water) and don't include water from food, which can contribute 20–30% of daily hydration.

Per Body Weight Estimate: A common pediatric rule of thumb is about ½–1 oz of fluid per pound of body weight per day (from the American Academy of Pediatrics and other child health sources).

For example:

• A 40 lb child → 20–40 oz/day

• A 70 lb child → 35–70 oz/day