My daughter terrified me the other day. Normally, I feel like I’m doing a pretty good job as a parent. And I’m obviously passionate about taking care of your body and understanding your body. But the other day, with one statement, my daughter made me question everything.

We’re culturally conditioned to look for a quick fix

First of all, she’s an athlete and she’s inherited what we call her dad’s “Type 2 Muscles.” They’re the muscles that were made for jumping and sprinting. They’re also the reason why my husband can spend five minutes at the gym and look amazing and I have to spend 5 hours and still don’t show much. The downside is that Type 2 Muscles can get very tight and very knotted. 

My daughter’s quads can get really balled up, and it’s been causing her knee pain. I’ve been trying to help her with foam rolling and massage, which can be a painful process. And as I was working on them, she was howling in pain and she said “I wish there was just a shot you could give me to make my muscles better.”

I understand what she was saying. She just wanted to fix it. But the fact that she thought, “I wonder if I could just get some kind of a drug to fix it” upset me. I want my kids to understand their bodies. I’m a big believer in communicating, figuring out the problem, and treating the cause, not just putting a band-aid over the symptoms.

I’m so glad that there’s been a movement towards functional medicine and finding the root cause of things, rather than prescribing something to cover up the symptoms. I also advocate giving your body everything it needs to be healthy. When you’re sick, you don’t just take cough syrup. You also take vitamins, and hydrate, and eat healthy foods to boost your body’s ability to do what it needs to do.

So when the first thing my daughter wanted to do was find some quick fix shot to make it go away, it made me think about how much we’re culturally conditioned to go for the quick fix. Even in a household where the opposite is preached, the cultural conditioning might override it.

Your body is not your enemy

Your body is not your enemy. Your body is not fighting you or causing you discomfort. Your body is you. It’s what makes you you. And it will tell you what it needs. My daughter’s body is telling her to stretch. To incorporate yoga and massage and hydration into her life. 

If you give your body what it needs, it might be painful and hard, but you will know that you’re fixing the problem, not just covering it up.

When I had some serious muscle issues preventing me from being able to do what I wanted to do, I went to my amazing massage therapist. When she got her fingers in those muscles, I was cursing and crying. But you know what? She fixed it and now I don’t have that problem. Could I have covered it up with KT tape and Advil? Of course. But it would have been covered, not fixed.

A Quick Fix doesn't fix anything

When it comes to getting our bodies healthier, it’s tempting to go for the quick fix. But instead of covering up the symptoms, I want you to start working towards fixing the root cause of what’s making you unhealthy. How do you do that? 

First, instead of thinking about what diet pill or protein shake or exercise routine you need to add, I want you to think about what you can remove from your life that’s causing you discomfort. Can you remove the processed food you’re eating? The caffeine that isn’t allowing you to sleep? How about the constant noise and chaos that’s keeping you from taking a breath and relaxing?

Next, think about whether you need to speed up or slow down. Maybe your body does need more high-intensity movement to strengthen your heart and lungs, get your anxiety and stress out, and help you sleep better. But maybe you’re like my daughter and you need to work on your flexibility. Maybe you need to work on breathing and centering yourself.

Get away from the idea of the quick fix. Because it won’t really fix anything. Your body is telling you what you it needs. You can get in the habit of listening to it and putting in the work to actually fix what’s wrong. If you need the tools to do that, set up a time to talk with me! I can show you how to start fueling your body for a long healthy future!