Unlocking the Power of the Minimum Effective Dose for Wellness

Over the course of more than ten years of studying wellness, I have come to realize that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to health. Every individual has unique needs that must be explored to determine what works best for their body.

For instance, in my case, I was able to reverse Hashimoto’s and lose weight by discovering adaptations that suited me. However, what worked for me may not work for others. This is why I do not provide specific details about the supplements I take daily or my daily routine. What works best for one person may not work for another due to our inherent differences.

It is our responsibility to investigate and find our own optimal health solutions. Adopting a Minimum Effective Dose (MED) approach to health and wellness is a good starting point. This approach involves using the smallest dose necessary to achieve the desired outcome.

What’s the Minimum Effective Dose Approach?

Utilizing a Minimum Effective Dose (MED) approach to wellness can make the process less overwhelming, preventing you from giving up due to lack of time. It serves as a great foundation for making positive changes.

The core concept behind this approach is to identify the lowest dose required to bring about the greatest change. This principle applies to nutrition, fitness, and wellness. In many cases, more is not necessarily better!

In his book The 4-Hour Body, Tim Ferriss presents a simple analogy to illustrate this concept. For example, water boils at 212 degrees F, which represents the MED. Increasing the temperature beyond this point does not make the water “more boiled,” making it a waste of energy.

Ferriss highlights two crucial MEDs in relation to fitness and health:

1. To eliminate stored fat, do the minimal necessary to stimulate a fat-loss cascade of specific hormones.
2. To build muscle, do the minimal necessary to trigger local and systemic growth mechanisms.

While there is no universal solution that works for everyone, some health strategies benefit all individuals. By prioritizing the basics of health, we can progress forward and customize our approach to address our individual needs.

Seven Common Health Strategies to Use Minimum Effective Doses

1. Clean Eating

When it comes to nutrition, I advocate for clean eating. As Michael Pollan wisely stated, “Eat real food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

The sheer variety of diets available today can be overwhelming. The right diet is individualized, taking into account various factors. Diets play a crucial role in balancing hormones, regulating blood sugar, boosting energy levels, and promoting better sleep. It is essential to eliminate foods to which we may be sensitive or allergic to facilitate healing.

For instance, while green beans are generally considered healthy, I personally avoid them due to an IgE response. Similarly, others may discover that nightshades are problematic for them and choose to eliminate them.

A balanced and sustainable approach to clean eating is often the most effective. Research indicates that individuals who excessively restrict their diets tend to experience poorer health outcomes and abandon their diets in the long run. Consistency with a less-than-perfect but sustainable eating plan trumps a short-lived extreme diet that breeds resentment.

Nutrition Minimum Effective Dose

• Eliminate processed foods and reduce sugar consumption.
• Avoid liquid calories such as soda, diet soda, and juice.
• Ensure an adequate protein intake, especially in the morning, aiming for approximately 1-2 grams of protein per pound of ideal body weight.
• Incorporate a variety of vegetables into every meal, with an emphasis on organic options.
• Experiment with fasting or intermittent fasting once a week.
• Optimize vitamin D levels.
• Take a spore-based probiotic daily.
• Engage in batch cooking to simplify meal preparation.

2. Sleep

The significance of adequate sleep is unanimously acknowledged among health experts. There is a consensus that good sleep is more crucial than diet or exercise. Optimal sleep requirements and strategies may vary, but quality rest is essential for everyone.

Personally, I track my sleep using an Oura ring to assess how different factors impact my sleep. This data has revealed that going to bed by 10:30 has a positive effect on my deep sleep and REM cycles. I have also noticed that consuming alcohol adversely affects both of these sleep stages.

Sleep Minimum Effective Dose

• Sleep in complete darkness to optimize sleep quality.
• Maintain an optimal nighttime temperature between 60-67 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Practice the 4-7-8 breathing technique recommended by Dr. Andrew Weil: Inhale for 4 counts, hold for 7 counts, and exhale for 8 counts.
• Avoid consuming caffeine after noon.
• Consider incorporating magnesium for improved sleep quality through options like a magnesium spray, Epsom salt bath, or oral supplement.
• Avoid exposure to artificial light after dark; refrain from using screens and switch to orange light bulbs in the evening. If screen time is unavoidable, use the f.lux app or wear blue blocker glasses.
• Elevate your feet or legs before bedtime for 10-15 minutes, either by lying down with your feet at a 90-degree angle on a chair or propping your legs up against a wall.
• Explore the benefits of a weighted blanket if you struggle with falling asleep or staying asleep.
• Aim to spend 5-10 minutes in direct sunlight upon waking to regulate your circadian rhythm for better sleep at night.

3. Hydrate

Did you know that approximately 60% of our bodies are composed of water? Hydration stands out as one of the most essential practices for our overall well-being. Proper hydration enhances energy levels, promotes radiant skin, extends the feeling of fullness, and aids in detoxification.

The water within our bodies is not just plain water but a balanced solution of saltwater. Over-hydration can disrupt the delicate mineral balance, so it is crucial to increase salt and mineral intake alongside water consumption to facilitate better absorption.

Since incorporating a daily routine of drinking 32 ounces of water with a teaspoon of salt, my skin has remained soft even during the winter months.

Hydration Minimum Effective Dose

4. Movement

Consistent and varied movement throughout the day is more beneficial than a one-hour workout followed by prolonged sedentary periods. Engaging in regular movement helps counteract the negative impacts of extended periods of immobility.

One study even suggested that in certain work environments, smokers may be healthier than non-smokers due to their frequent breaks and movement. While I do not advocate smoking, we could all benefit from periodic breaks for movement and activity.

Physical exercise plays a vital role, particularly in activities like strength training and high-intensity workouts, which offer long-term advantages for cardiovascular health, bone density, and cognitive function. In this post, you can explore various home workout options.

Throughout the day, incorporate activities such as kneeling, playing with your children, or engaging in functional movements. If you work at a desk, take regular breaks to move your body.

Fitness Minimum Effective Dose

• Incorporate low-intensity movement into your daily routine, such as walking, hiking, or changing positions regularly.
• If your work involves prolonged sitting, consider using ergonomic chairs that stimulate movement or opt for sitting on a stability ball. Alternatively, adopt “floor culture,” as recommended by podcast guest Aaron Alexander, which involves sitting on the floor to encourage movement and improve posture.
• Engage in high-intensity workouts once or twice a week. For example, perform 75 continuous kettlebell swings with maximum weight three times a week, gradually increasing it to 150 continuous swings.
• Integrate sprint sessions twice a week into your routine. Visit this post for a structured sprinting program to get you started.
• Commit to strength training at least twice a week to strengthen bones and enhance overall health. Start gradually to prevent overtraining and injury.
• Incorporate daily jumping activities, such as light jumping on a trampoline or doing jumping jacks, to promote bone health.

5. Connection

Establishing close relationships and fostering a supportive community are essential pillars of health that apply universally. Human connection significantly affects our well-being and longevity, surpassing the impact of smoking cessation and doubling the significance of regular exercise. Neglecting social connections poses a greater threat to health than obesity, smoking, poor diet, or insufficient physical activity.

Ideally, prioritizing human connection should take precedence over other health strategies. Nonetheless, in today’s digital era, genuine human connections are often overshadowed by technological distractions.

• Nurture your significant relationships by scheduling regular date nights with your partner or family game nights. Make family dinners a regular occurrence.
• Cultivate and maintain friendships through regular gatherings. Organize moms’ nights out or rotate dinner parties with friends.
• Stay in touch with friends who reside in different locations through texts, video calls, or phone conversations. Consider utilizing apps like Marco Polo for exchanging video messages.
• Engage with your neighbors by establishing a consistent camaraderie with those you enjoy spending time with.
• Contribute to a local nonprofit organization through volunteer work. This involvement not only deepens your community engagement but also enables you to meet new people.
• Join or initiate a group related to a hobby you enjoy. Whether it’s painting, knitting, reading, or hiking, seek out local meetup groups to connect with like-minded individuals and expand your social circle.

6. Breathe

Effectively managing stress is a prevalent concern in our modern world. Stress, alongside sleep quality and community support, can exert a more substantial impact on health than diet or exercise. Regrettably, managing stress is a challenge for many.

Stress management is a daily practice that varies among individuals. It encompasses reducing negative stressors and introducing positive stressors that enhance the body’s resilience. These beneficial stressors, termed hormetic stressors, are low-level stresses that confer long-term benefits to the body, similar to the adage “that which does not kill me makes me stronger.”

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) serves as a valuable metric for understanding the body’s response to stress. Reflecting the variability between heartbeats, HRV is considered a reliable predictor of health and longevity, correlated with the autonomic nervous system.

A higher HRV is linked to a reduced risk of mortality and an extended lifespan. Personally, I track my HRV using an Oura Ring and have observed enhanced HRV through activities like breathing exercises, meditation, sauna sessions, cold plunges, and regular movement.

Stress Minimum Effective Dose

• Discover a calming practice that centers you, whether it’s meditation, prayer, time outdoors, or another method. Consistency is key.
• Explore stress-reducing activities like sauna sessions, cold plunges, or high-intensity exercises.
• Consult a healthcare provider for supplements that support stress management, such as adaptogens like Ashwagandha, Omega-3 fatty acids, green tea antioxidants, or calming herbs like lemon balm.
• Practice journaling to reflect on your thoughts and experiences. Personal favorites include The Daily Stoic and its accompanying journal.
• Allocate quality time with loved ones since human connection and close relationships can ameliorate stressors.
• Monitor your HRV to discern the factors that positively influence it. In the absence of HRV tracking, prioritize activities that enhance your well-being.
• Experiment with tapping as a stress reduction technique. Learn more about this approach in this post or podcast episode.

7. Intention

An essential prerequisite for progress is establishing a clear direction. Many individuals harbor vague health aspirations like “lose weight” or “get healthier” without delineating clear objectives or devising a roadmap to achieve them.

Wellness is a continuous journey, not a fleeting destination. Defining intentions and setting clear goals can facilitate this journey and shift focus from superficial markers like scale weight to holistic health and equilibrium. Utilizing a clear focus can foster consistency and motivation throughout the process.

Personally, I find myself most committed and motivated when working toward specific milestones, whether it’s attaining a targeted weightlifting goal, enhancing a particular biomarker, or improving sleep quality. App technology, such as Oura, My Fitness Pal, or other health-tracking apps, aids in monitoring progress and identifying patterns.

Intention Minimum Effective Dose

• Compile a list of objectives and concentrate on accomplishing one goal at a time.
• Break down your goal into manageable tasks to outline a feasible path toward achieving it. Allocate these tasks in your calendar for enhanced accountability.
• Utilize your preferred tracking app or device to monitor progress. Consider maintaining a health journal to track insights and milestones.
• Experiment with habit stacking, a method that bolsters habit formation by linking new habits to existing routines.

In our daily lives, we encounter a myriad of stressors, from suboptimal food choices and sedentary habits to heightened stress levels and a scarcity of genuine human connections. Adding further stress by feeling inadequate or misguided in addressing these concerns can be as detrimental as the issues themselves. Cultivating a healthy mindset and achieving equilibrium are crucial endeavors.

What are your health goals? Have you discovered any Minimum Effective Doses in your health or fitness journey? Share your insights below!