I’ve always wanted to join a book club, but since time is limited and I like to choose my own books (!) I figured I might as well start a blog version. Feel free to join in :)
The first book I wanted to start with is from Dallas Hartwig, whose most recent book is called ‘The 4 Season Solution.’ He’s the original Whole30 guy, so like any book written by a health influencer, take it with a grain of salt. However, I resonated with a lot of what he was trying to get across, especially as in my own work with female patients struggling with stress & fatigue the common theme is that we are out of rhythm - with our hormones, with our digestion, even with our joy.
As the book’s title points towards, we are reminded that our health is a series of checks and balances - like the physical change in seasons we live in, we are not designed to constantly be in growth mode, or stress mode, or immune activation mode. We often resist rest, or even catching a cold, because it requires us to slow down. And yet, we cannot live healthy lives without these different seasons. If we are at a loss of where to begin, to rediscover some balance, Hartwig recommends using our physical seasons as our guide. To have summer sunshine boost our energy, productivity, and exercise. To have winter’s slowness return us to nourishment, longer sleep, and reflection. These seasons can help us choose what food we eat, what exercise we choose to do, and when to prioritize sleep.
We live in a society that over-values productivity, efficiency, and improvement. But no human or any natural being is designed to be in one constant state - we will grow and change and adapt with a greater sense of self as we embrace the season we are in.
