When You’re Not Getting Better (And Why Protocols are Part of the Problem)
When managing your health becomes a full-time job, it’s easy to feel disheartened. You may have tried the latest diet trends and supplements, hoping that each new approach will bring lasting relief. But instead, it feels like the same place, the same symptoms, like you’re balancing on a tightrope that could give way at any moment.
The restrictions are untenable.
The cost is unsustainable.
The uncertainty is unbearable.
The exhaustion has become unrelenting.
Light
Dark
In the search for health and healing, it’s tempting to turn towards protocols—rigid, step-by-step approaches that promise results. Protocols are everywhere—in social media posts, wellness blogs, handouts from well-intentioned providers, and books that guarantee the latest “how-to” guide for easing what hurts.
They often look like easy solutions: “Follow this elimination diet,” “Drink this juice every morning,” “Eat only during this window.” And they offer clear instructions, promising a direct path to a better place. Just follow the yellow brick road.
But what if protocols are part of the problem?
Their promise is deceptive.
Protocols pledge relief but often provide only a temporary fix, addressing symptoms without tackling the deeper issues. By focusing on surface-level respite, they create the illusion of progress without sustained improvement. They encourage us to chase short-lived wins, convincing us that if we “follow the plan,” we’ll get better. But when the sure-fire results don’t come—or we find it impossible to adhere to the plan—it can be unnerving, leaving us more frustrated than before.
Protocols can be harmful to your unique body.
Health isn’t one-size-fits-all. Each body has its own needs, and you know this to be true! Protocols rarely account for individual physiology, genetics, lifestyle, or personal history. A diet that works wonders for one person may worsen symptoms for someone with a different digestive profile, hormone metabolism, work-life balance, or history with food access or restriction. A supplement protocol to boost energy might trigger headaches, digestive discomfort, or even fatigue when not aligned with your body’s unique needs. By following standardized approaches, we can risk aggravating symptoms or even introducing new ones simply because the protocol didn’t address our underlying concerns in the first place.
Protocols oversimplify the complexity of health.
Our bodies are composed of complex, interconnected systems. Protocols often isolate one symptom or body part as though it exists separately from the rest. For instance, a protocol targeting “gut health” might ignore other critical influences like stress, sleep, loneliness and isolation, or inflammation in different areas of your body. This compartmentalized approach misses the bigger picture. As a result, we may experience a brief improvement in one area, only for issues to reappear elsewhere because the root causes remain unresolved.
Protocols add pressure rather than ease.
While protocols seem straightforward, following them can be stressful! Stringent protocols demand strict adherence—an all-or-nothing approach that can be difficult to maintain in real life. Life is unpredictable, and trying to follow a precise set of instructions can lead to feelings of guilt, anxiety, burden, and even failure when we slip up.
For someone already dealing with chronic symptoms, the added pressure of “sticking to the plan” may increase emotional and physical strain, creating a sense of defeat when, in reality, the problem lies with the rigor of the protocol. When health solutions feel like too much of a strain, it’s often a sign that the approach isn’t truly serving us. Its intention might be sound, but its scope, pacing, or severity doesn’t match our unique needs. An effective approach considers the end goal and the journey—allowing space for flexibility, individualized progression, and adjustments.
Protocols Here. Protocols There. Protocols Everywhere!
When we rely on protocols, we fall into a pattern of short-term fixes that fail to address the root causes of our symptoms. Instead of leading to the promise-land of symptom alleviation so that we can, once again, get back to living our lives, protocols can keep us in a cycle of dependency, masking symptoms rather than resolving them. True healing requires an adaptable, integrative approach that considers the whole person—not a rigid set of steps guaranteeing a quick fix. Healing should feel empowering, flexible enough to fit real life, and supportive of your individual journey—not like a test of willpower.
Learn to spot a protocol! Protocols may include:
Handouts from health providers, gurus, or wellness influencers offering a checklist of what to eat or avoid.
Social media posts promising quick fixes or highlighting the latest trend, with thousands of likes and shares reinforcing the idea that “this is the answer.”
How-to books addressing a specific problem–whether it's hormone balance, weight loss, detoxification, or gut health–often providing formulas that work for “everyone.”
Online programs or courses offering “blueprints” or “roadmaps” to health, with standardized plans that claim to remedy a variety of health issues for all participants without personalized support.
Magazines or wellness websites that publish articles featuring the latest diets or supplement protocols, often endorsed by celebrities or experts with an idealized story of healing.
Supplement companies that package their products with protocols encouraging a regimen of products in a specific order or time frame for the perfect results.
Testing companies (like genetic, food sensitivity, or hormone tests) that provide outputs and then deliver a pre-made treatment based solely on those results, offering a one-size-fits-all solution without considering the bigger picture of unique health needs.
Please don’t get me wrong. The appeal of these plans is understandable. When you’re struggling, structure can feel like a lifeline, and promises are seductive. The idea of following a clear, simple path is incredibly tempting—especially when you’ve been dealing with ongoing symptoms or feel you’re running out of options. It’s natural to crave certainty and a straightforward solution when everything feels out of balance. Protocols offer hope, telling us, “Do this, and you’ll feel better.” Sometimes, they may even provide some short-term relief!
And protocols or quick interventions can have their place in specific situations. In acute care—like infections or injuries—targeted interventions help stabilize the body. Certain baseline support measures, like avoiding foods you know trigger symptoms, are also invaluable in everyday self-care. These aren’t protocols. They’re personalized, preventative, and sometimes life-saving steps that help keep symptoms manageable. Welcome those.
But when it comes to chronic and complex health challenges, healing looks very different. Protocols can become overly broad and complicated, offering assurances that rarely meet the depth needed for real improvement. They treat symptoms without addressing underlying causes, leaving you continually seeking the next protocol when the last one didn’t deliver the sustainable results you’d hoped for.
Why?
Protocols are missing something crucial—they overlook the reality that your body is complex and unique. Systems in the body interact. Your hormones impact your digestion, your daily stress affects immunity, and your nutrition influences your mood. Changing one element without considering its impact on others can introduce new imbalances. That one-size-fits-all approach sidesteps your individuality and also doesn’t acknowledge that healing is often non-linear.
Simply put, protocols miss the big picture—your big picture. Imagine trying to assemble a puzzle without seeing the full image on the box. Each piece may seem to fit somewhere, but forcing pieces into place without knowing the whole picture leads to a fragmented perspective. Similarly, protocols often focus on single parts—one symptom or solution—without connecting to the more expansive understanding of health.
““The way we see the problem is the problem.””
Instead of a protocol, you need a system that understands how everything is connected. That’s why I want to invite you to consider a different way of thinking about your health, one that doesn’t rely on protocols but instead leans on something more tailored, more integrated, more thoughtful, and more comprehensive:
Frameworks!
While protocols and frameworks might seem similar, they're worlds apart in practice.
Where protocols contain rigid sets of instructions, frameworks are adaptable. They’re flexible guides that respect the complexity of your health and journey. A framework doesn’t tell you exactly what to do. Instead, it helps you ask the right questions, see connections, and make informed decisions.
Think of a framework as a map rather than a set of directions.
Frameworks can offer "if/then" scenarios, guidelines, and prompts, encouraging you to explore underlying issues rather than simply treating symptoms.
Frameworks invite you into an ongoing, personalized conversation with yourself, empowering you to make thoughtful and sustainable decisions.
Frameworks recognize that everything in your body is connected—your gut, your hormones, your immune system, your mental and emotional health, your shopping patterns, your cravings, and more. They also acknowledge that you are unique. What works for one person may not work for another because of our history, genetics, environment, and stress levels (and even our individual responses to those stress levels). They all play a role in your health.
A framework is tailored to you. And a protocol is like a uniform that just doesn’t fit.
Let’s look at some examples where the protocol might not fit:
Keto might help regulate blood sugar for some, but it won’t address underlying factors like stress, gut health, or inflammation. And if you struggle with fat digestion, low stomach acid, or individual sensitivities to foods like eggs or dairy, keto could worsen health challenges rather than resolve them.
Turmeric might temporarily help reduce inflammation, but if the underlying cause is gut dysbiosis, chronic stress, or immune dysfunction, no amount of turmeric will resolve those deeper issues. Plus, for some, high doses of turmeric may cause digestive upset or interfere with certain medications, adding complications rather than addressing the root causes of the inflammation it's intended to quell.
Celery juice, for all its supposed benefits, won’t heal the body on a fundamental level if underlying issues remain unaddressed. In some cases, regularly consuming large amounts of celery juice may lead to imbalances, such as excess sodium intake or digestive discomfort, potentially adding strain rather than providing relief.
Back in the day, the protocol that seduced me was a raw vegan diet. I’ll admit that this was when the internet wasn’t the recipe-rich resource it is now. Finding meal ideas and guidance felt like a treasure hunt, with long hours spent flipping through obscure cookbooks or piecing together ideas from a few forums and websites. It was a corner of the web rich with community, connection, and cause. I loved the meticulous food prep, the art of combining flavors from only the freshest, natural ingredients, and the satisfaction of knowing I was eating food in its purest form.
For a while, it felt incredible. At first, my body detoxed, and though it produced an unfamiliar scent, I embraced it as a sign that I was “purifying” myself. My frame slimmed down in ways that pleased me externally, yet inside, I began to feel a kind of tenderness that was hard to explain. Initially I brushed this new sensitivity off as part of the adjustment. But then, over time, things started to shift even more. I started gaining weight, but this was different than anything I’d ever experienced before. It felt like a layer of puffiness, an inflammation that sat like a film over my skin. That initial reactivity grew into discomfort, a vulnerability that felt both physical and emotional. When my young son hugged me, I would flinch from the pain in my breasts. Sometimes, I would lie on the couch, just trying to calm my digestive distress.
Looking back, I realize I had already been eating a whole-food pesca-vegan diet, carefully crafted for sustainable health. It was something my late husband and I had introduced during his brain tumor diagnosis, and eating for both flavor and health had become my religion. But with raw veganism, I’d taken things too far for my body. I was pushing my body to an extreme it didn’t need or want. And in retrospect, I believe that period marked a tipping point. My body was already primed for autoimmune activity, and the strain of this experiment seemed to initiate a tipping point. Eventually, years later, I received a diagnosis—Hashimoto’s.
Frameworks as tools for resolving the root problems
In Functional Nutrition, we recognize that the problem is only sometimes where the symptom appears.
We're better equipped to separate the problem from the solution when we use frameworks. Instead of jumping to quick fixes, we ask fundamental questions, like “What would have to be true for this problem not to exist in the first place?” or “Will this approach stand the test of time?” These types of questions help us avoid the pitfalls of chasing solutions that only bring temporary relief at best, more problems at worst.
“What would have to be true for this problem not to exist in the first place?”
Shane Parrish, a thought leader in decision-making and founder of Farnam Street, advocates for tackling root problems over symptoms in every area of life, from business to personal growth. Drawing on mental models and critical thinking strategies used by some of the world’s most influential leaders and thinkers, Parrish teaches us to approach complex challenges with structure and nuance. He argues that great decisions aren't made through quick fixes but by understanding a situation's full scope—identifying underlying issues and resisting surface-level solutions. His teachings underscore the importance of slowing down and asking the right questions before acting, a mindset that I find lacking and yet profoundly relevant in health and healing.
By allowing us to slow down and explore different perspectives, frameworks provide a structured way to “own the frame,” a critical skill that Parrish highlights. In health, owning the frame means resisting binary thinking and instead considering multiple potential influences and outcomes. This approach respects the body's complexity and aligns with how you, as an individual, experience symptoms, stress, and healing. If there’s one thing I can tell you with clarity, how you experience those things will be different from how I do.
“What would have to be true for this problem not to exist in the first place?” is one of those essential questions Parrish encourages us to ask. When we do, we’re prompted to look beyond immediate symptoms and into the deeper, interconnected systems at play.
Frameworks offer agency, while protocols can lead to dependency.
Skillful decision-making in our self-health (the kind of health we practice daily) is about creating independence and clarity, not relying on someone else's instructions. Frameworks foster independence, allowing you to understand your body’s unique needs and signals, and allowing greater control over your health journey. By embracing frameworks instead of protocols, we build a model of health that is adaptable, holistic, and empowering—one that respects the genuine, nuanced nature of healing.
““You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.””
Why frameworks offer what protocols can’t
Again, I want to recognize that quick fixes and protocols are everywhere. My fundamental invitation is to identify them and notice the power of their allure. From eating a low oxalate diet to taking charcoal supplements, new (or repurposed) solutions are constantly touted as the ultimate answer to our health concerns. We’re all drawn to simplicity and speed, and the seduction is irresistible. But healing is rarely speedy or straightforward.
To me, the difference between a quick fix and a viable path to healing is also the difference between a protocol and a framework. I learned how to articulate the difference between protocols and frameworks the hard way—and it’s now become a running joke between my boyfriend and me.
Early in our relationship, I excitedly shared a project I was working on—a collaborative care model that included a Functional Medicine Doctor, a Functional Nutrition Counselor, and a Health Coach. Each provider had specific roles and distinct points of contact with the patient, ensuring that the patient's complex needs were met from all angles. It was a model I felt could make a real difference for patients who often fall through the cracks of traditional care.
As I enthusiastically walked my then-new boyfriend through the model, showing him the flow of care and the various touchpoints, he kept interrupting with one question: “So, what’s the actual plan for the patient?” He was trying to understand what we would tell the patient to do. Essentially, he was searching for the protocol—the specific steps and prescriptions we’d give.
I kept trying to explain that there was no single, fixed plan for every patient. Our approach was adaptive and responsive to individual needs—not a rigid “do-this-then-that” list but a flexible structure tailored to each patient’s unique situation. But I could see he was still searching for that concrete “answer.” Finally, in a moment of frustration, I blurted out, “It’s a framework, not a protocol!”
That conversation reminds me of just how difficult this distinction can be to explain. Protocols focus on delivering a set plan, whereas frameworks offer a way of thinking and guiding health care that respects the individual. Protocols tell you what to do, while frameworks help you understand why and how they fit together. They honor each person's uniqueness and adapt to life's natural complexities.
I hope I have the right words to share this difference with you now, and that the contrast will have some meaning for you as you navigate your health concerns. Frameworks allow us to treat health as a journey, embracing the fact that healing is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. For me, this in itself is a relief!
Finding freedom in frameworks
In my years of private practice, I often reminded clients that healing is a journey, not a one-time fix. It's a process of learning to understand your body on a deeper level, attuning to its needs, and forging a path that's uniquely yours. Frameworks guide us on this journey, providing flexibility and room to adjust. They're not about masking symptoms or following rigid steps but cultivating lasting health.
I now think of health as something that necessarily invites life into the picture—a state with room to breathe, space to shift and adapt, and a steady return to what feels right for you.
When you shift from chasing quick fixes to embracing a more thoughtful, integrated approach, something powerful happens—you stop treating your body like a problem to be solved, and start working with it as a partner in your healing.
If you’ve been chasing fixes that haven’t worked, I encourage you to step back and consider a different path. Healing will come from understanding your body’s particular needs and working within a structure that supports you at every step.
At the heart of Functional Nutrition is this truth: Everything is connected. We are all unique. All things matter. By embracing frameworks instead of quick fixes, you'll also find relief and a path to long-term, sustainable health that honors the multiplicity of who you are.
Returning to yourself (and embracing your support systems)
You might ask: What’s the protocol for finding freedom in the frameworks, Andrea? Where do I begin, and what’s the path to get there?
In a world that glorifies the flashy and complicated, it’s easy to lose sight of what truly supports our health. As Shane Parrish reminds us, "Flashy gets attention. Boring gets results." Sometimes, the answer isn't in the latest health trend but in revisiting the basics—the steady, foundational practices that quietly build the body's resilience over time.
Here's your next step: refocus on the essentials rather than seeking a new solution.
On the Functional Nutrition Matrix, we call these the Core Basics—the foundational pillars that keep you grounded even when things feel uncertain. These basics include Sleep and Relaxation, Exercise and Movement, Nutrition and Hydration, Stress and Resilience, Relationships and Networks, and Faith and Spirituality. Though they may seem simple, the practices within these areas of care offer robust support for navigating your body’s complexities. Their impact on your health outcomes is more profound than you might realize.
If that feels too broad or untethered, and you’re looking for a more immediate guide, consider beginning with what I call the Non-Negotiable Trifecta: sleep, poop, and blood sugar balance. These three areas form the backbone of physical well-being, giving you insight into how your body functions daily. Paying attention to this trifecta can help you find the physiological balance that supports everything else—from digestive to hormone to immune and mental health and beyond. Without these foundations in place, other efforts risk being built on quicksand.
For an even simpler daily practice, focus on one essential dietary principle that supports all three factors in the Non-Negotiable Trifecta: Fat, Fiber, and Protein. This trio stabilizes your energy and supports you through each day’s demands. Try two weeks of asking if each meal or snack includes these three—not in any specific measurement or ratio, just as part of each meal. Small, consistent actions like these are the bedrock of sustainable health.
Healing doesn’t have to be a chase for the next big thing. Instead, let it be a practice—a return to the basics that truly matter. Consider one small choice that aligns with these essentials each day, knowing that each stride supports you meaningfully. You may or may not understand the physiological impacts of these foundations, but I do. And I'm concerned they're overlooked in all the protocols marketed to you and me both. The path to sustainable health isn’t a rigid road or a collection of quick fixes—it’s a gentle, empowering commitment to yourself—one that builds over time and honors every aspect of who you are.
Will you need next steps, additional practices, or interventions to help you feel better? Maybe, and maybe not. But without these foundations, any solution you try will not have the stability it needs to serve you fully. Start here, with the basics that remind you who you are and what your body needs, and allow healing to follow.
Narrative Medicine Invitation:
Reflect on a recent time when you felt a genuine connection to your body’s needs or experienced clarity about what would be truly supportive.
Consider setting a timer for five minutes and writing freely. You might reflect on a moment, a "gut feeling," a daily ritual, or a change you embraced that brought you closer to your goal.
There's no "right" or "wrong" way to do this, only your story and what it means to you. Allow your words to flow, letting this time be a space for insight or discovery.
