I take my dog for a walk every morning, and our usual loop takes us up a hill that overlooks the track at Mary Baldwin University. There are two older men that meet up at the track almost every day, rain or shine, to walk together.
Every time I walk by, especially after years and years of spotting them, I think about how having someone to meet every morning for a walk outside is probably more valuable in the long run than almost anything else. I'd rather a client have that that all the herbs, supplements, or fitness devices that money can buy.
I don't know that having great friendships is something we can realistically recommend - it's easier said than done - but I'm very interested in thinking about our recommendations in order of importance. What's most likely to make an actual difference for the client, especially over time? What's really going to stick? When I think about someone's health over years and even decades, the ideal suggestions nearly always wind up back to the basics: listening to your body, being around people you enjoy, spending time outdoors, moving your body in ways that feel good, cooling what's hot and heating what's cold, and so forth.
No big takeaway message here, just a bit of food for thought. May we all have walking partners, or something equivalent, to see us through.
Take care,
Camille
P.S. I'm already in prep mode for our 2027 Deep Dive. If you have a second, could you please vote on the ideas I've proposed for next year's theme and/or add your own suggestions? Some ideas include a Perimenopause/Midlife Health Deep Dive, Mast Cell/Histamine Deep Dive, Skin and Integumentary Deep Dive, or a GI Deep Dive v2. You can upvote as many as you like.
