This week’s topic might ruffle some feathers.
But it’s one I think we have to talk about — with honesty, compassion, and curiosity.
Let’s start here:
What if mental health wasn’t just about brain chemistry — but also about brain energy?
What if the way we fuel and care for our body directly impacts our mood, motivation, and mind?
I’m currently reading Brain Energy by Dr. Christopher Palmer, a Harvard psychiatrist who’s spent decades studying the connection between mitochondria (your cells’ energy engines) and mental health.
And friends, it’s blowing my mind — and making so many things click.
❗️ Medication Can Help — But Is It the Whole Story?
To be clear: I’m not anti-medication.
Many people find relief and stability with traditional treatments.
But what I’ve seen — and what I’ve experienced personally — is that sometimes medication is just the beginning, not the full picture.
Many people find relief and stability with traditional treatments.
But what I’ve seen — and what I’ve experienced personally — is that sometimes medication is just the beginning, not the full picture.
When we only treat the symptoms (anxiety, depression, fatigue, brain fog), we may miss the root cause — what’s actually going on at a cellular level.
Dr. Palmer’s work is showing us something powerful:
Mental health challenges often reflect a deeper issue — how our cells are producing and using energy.
And guess what affects that?
Blood sugar, sleep, stress, movement, inflammation, food quality, circadian rhythms — the daily things we overlook or dismiss as “lifestyle.”
🧬 Mitochondria & Mental Health: The Connection
When your mitochondria aren’t functioning well, your brain cells don’t have the energy they need.
That can lead to:
That can lead to:
- Mood instability
- Low motivation
- Trouble focusing
- Burnout
- Anxiety or depressive episodes
- Fatigue that sleep doesn’t fix
And here’s the kicker:
These aren’t just “in your head.”
They’re happening in your cells.
It’s not about willpower. It’s about biology.
These aren’t just “in your head.”
They’re happening in your cells.
It’s not about willpower. It’s about biology.
❤️ So What Can We Do?
Here’s the hope-filled part.
There are small, daily changes that can help support your mental health from the inside out.
There are small, daily changes that can help support your mental health from the inside out.
Things like:
- Prioritizing quality sleep
- Reducing ultra-processed foods
- Eating protein and fiber first, carbs last
- Walking after meals
- Managing stress and nervous system load
- Checking your blood sugar or fasting insulin
- Aligning your habits with your natural circadian rhythm
- Staying hydrated and moving your body gently
- Bringing compassion into your healing — not just “motivation”
These aren’t meant to replace medical care.
They’re meant to complement it — and sometimes unlock new progress when things have plateaued.
🌱 Final Thought: It’s Not Your Fault — But You Can Choose to Heal
If you’ve struggled with your mental health, please hear me:
You are not broken.
You are not lazy.
You are not a failure.
You are not broken.
You are not lazy.
You are not a failure.
You may simply be underpowered — running on a (cellular) empty tank for far too long.
And that’s not your fault. But it is something you can support.
And that’s not your fault. But it is something you can support.
You don’t have to do it perfectly.
You just have to begin paying attention to your body with love.
Because that’s where the real healing starts.
You just have to begin paying attention to your body with love.
Because that’s where the real healing starts.
With you in this,
Rachel xo
Rachel xo
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We spend so much of our lives focused on what people see —
The weight.
The wrinkles.
The way our clothes fit.
The way we’re perceived.
The weight.
The wrinkles.
The way our clothes fit.
The way we’re perceived.
But what about the things no one can see?
The fatigue.
The inflammation.
The chronic pain.
The diagnosis you didn’t see coming.
The medications you now depend on.
The inflammation.
The chronic pain.
The diagnosis you didn’t see coming.
The medications you now depend on.
The truth?
You can “look fine” on the outside — and still feel like you’re barely holding it together on the inside.
You can “look fine” on the outside — and still feel like you’re barely holding it together on the inside.
And most people won’t know the difference.
💊 We Treat the Symptom — But We Ignore the Signal
It’s become so normal to take a pill for the problem…
…and go right back to living the same way.
…and go right back to living the same way.
We’ve been taught to cover, suppress, or ignore the symptoms — instead of asking why they’re happening in the first place.
We don’t question the migraines, the bloating, the hot flashes, the weight gain, the anxiety, the blood sugar spikes.
We just power through.
Because change feels inconvenient.
And honestly? We’re tired.
And honestly? We’re tired.
💔 Why Is It So Hard to Love Ourselves from the Inside?
Because healing isn’t flashy.
It’s slow. Quiet.
And most of the work?
No one else sees.
It’s slow. Quiet.
And most of the work?
No one else sees.
There’s no applause for eating a meal that nourishes your hormones.
No standing ovation for skipping sugar or choosing rest.
No viral post about drinking water and going for a walk instead of spiraling into guilt and self-criticism.
No standing ovation for skipping sugar or choosing rest.
No viral post about drinking water and going for a walk instead of spiraling into guilt and self-criticism.
But that inner work is the difference between just surviving…
…and actually feeling alive.
…and actually feeling alive.
✨ Real Self-Care Starts from Within
If you’ve been:
- Trying to “look” healthy but still feel like something’s off
- Avoiding lifestyle changes because they feel too hard, too slow, or too lonely
- Taking medications but never seeing lasting relief
- Feeling disconnected from your body and not sure where to begin…
This is your reminder:
You are worth healing.
From the inside out.
You are worth healing.
From the inside out.
And when you start making choices that support your internal well-being?
The outside will reflect it — in ways you never expected.
The outside will reflect it — in ways you never expected.
💡 This Week’s Rooted Reset Reflection:
Take 5 minutes and ask yourself:
- What part of me am I ignoring because it’s easier to focus on how I look?
- What would it look like to show love to my body from the inside this week?
- What small change can I make that nourishes the real me — not just the one people see?
📥 Want support as you reconnect with your body, energy, and health — from the inside out?
I’d love to show you what helped me feel better than I have in years — naturally, and without perfection.
Or just reply and say: “I’m ready” — and I’ll share what worked for me.
You don’t have to do this alone.
Rooting for you,
Rachel xo
Rachel xo
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