Why Wellness Advice Isn't Working for You (and What to Do Instead)

I’ve always been an exceptionally active person. Growing up, not only was a performer but I was an athlete, and movement was the way I processed stress, anger and all the big emotions I didn’t yet have words for. Moving my body was my medicine.  Then, six months after moving to Los Angeles at 19 to pursue acting professionally, I injured my back and ended up with three bulging discs. I was told I would never run again and suddenly, at 19 years old, I was on disability and in an incredible amount of pain. It was devastating. I had moved across the country to chase a dream, and the body I had always relied on was no longer cooperating.

What ultimately helped me heal wasn’t one thing. It was acupuncture, qi gong, changing how I moved, changing how I thought and learning, probably for the first time, how to really listen to my body. Eventually my discs healed. I ran again, played soccer again, ran half-marathons and even a marathon. But the experience changed me. I began to understand that our bodies are not machines we can endlessly push, punish or perfect. They are constantly communicating with us, and part of wellness is learning how to listen and love them.

Yet so much of the wellness industry still gives us isolated instructions. Eat more protein. Cut sugar. Lift heavier. Take this supplement. Balance your hormones. Heal your gut. Meditate. Sleep more. Get your steps. Most of that advice may be valuable, but how are we supposed to put it all together while also raising families, building careers, maintaining relationships and, hopefully, enjoying our lives? This is one of the reasons I was so excited to create Wellness Babes with Julie and Ragan. We have different areas of expertise, are science backed and have lived experience.   We share the belief that wellness has to be multi-pronged because human beings are multi-dimensional and we need to understand the root to create lasting transformation.  

What you eat affects your energy. Stress can impact your sleep, digestion and cravings. Movement affects your strength, mood and confidence. Your hormones and gut health can change how you feel in your own skin. And then there are the habits, beliefs and stories we carry with us, which can quietly shape so many of the choices we make. I’ve spent nearly two decades working with people around goals and accountability, and I’ve learned that I can give someone the best system in the world, but if she is exhausted, overwhelmed and putting herself last every day, eventually that system will break down.

This is where I always say we have to excavate. Instead of immediately deciding you need more discipline, dig a little deeper. Why aren’t you doing the things you say you want to do? Are you overscheduled? Are you taking care of everyone except yourself? Are you so all-or-nothing that one missed workout, vacation or indulgent dinner makes you feel as if you’ve blown the entire week? Get curious instead of critical, because there is often valuable information in what isn’t working.

And sometimes you are doing all the things and still don’t feel like yourself. Your energy has disappeared, your digestion is off, your jeans don’t fit anymore, your sleep has changed or your body suddenly responds differently to things you’ve done for years. That is information too. Sometimes it’s worth looking deeper at hormones, gut health and other underlying issues and, when appropriate, using functional testing to better understand what your body is trying to tell you.  We are all about testing and not guessing to find out exactly why you aren’t feeling or looking your best.

The wiser I get, the less interested I am in beating my body into submission and the more interested I am in working with it. That doesn’t mean abandoning discipline. I do the biohacking, prioritize protein, move my body, set goals and hold myself accountable. But I also love beautiful meals, travel, dinners with friends, wine country and savoring this life I have worked incredibly hard to create. I don’t believe those things are in opposition. 

That is the sweet spot we are devoted to reinforcing as Wellness Babes. Julie brings her expertise in functional nutrition, women’s health, hormones, oncology and being a fitness champion. Ragan is an integrative nutritionist, cookbook author and brings her passion for creating nourishing food that is also delicious and pleasurable. I bring mindset, goal setting, behavior change and accountability. We approach wellness from different directions because lasting change rarely comes from focusing on only one piece of ourselves.

It’s also why we created the Wellness Babes 6-Week Transformation. We bring together nutrition, movement, our 12-part course, live cooking, mindset and goal setting, workouts for the feminine physique, weekly coaching and accountability so women aren’t left trying to piece all of this together alone. Our next Transformation begins Thursday, October 15, 2026. You don’t need to get fit before you start or disappear from your life for six weeks. You simply need to be willing to look honestly at what is and isn’t working and give yourself the time, support and grace to change it.

After everything I’ve learned about wellness, I keep coming back to the same thing: we aren’t taking care of ourselves simply to live longer or look better. We are taking care of ourselves so we can be here for it all. To have the energy to chase the dreams, love the people, take the trips, eat the beautiful meals, weather the difficult seasons and savor the extraordinary ordinary moments that make up a life. That, to me, is what it means to truly be well.

www.WellnessBabes.org  Brianna Brown Keen, Julie DelaBarre, Ragan Wallake