Your Body Isn’t Broken — It’s Asking for a Different Approach
A Functional Medicine Perspective on Real Healing in 2026
If you’ve ever been told “your labs are normal” while you’re exhausted, inflamed, gaining weight, anxious, not sleeping, losing hair, or feeling disconnected from your body — let me say this clearly:
Your body is not broken.
It’s communicating.
And most healthcare systems simply aren’t listening.
As we close out 2025 and step into 2026, I want to talk honestly — as a clinician, a woman, a mother, and someone who has spent over 15 years in medicine — about what real healing actually looks like… and why so many people feel stuck despite “doing all the right things.”
Why So Many People Feel Unwell — Even When Tests Look “Fine”
Traditional medicine is excellent at crisis care.
It saves lives.
It has a place.
But it was never designed to answer questions like:
Why am I so tired even when I sleep?
Why did my weight suddenly change?
Why is my anxiety worse even though nothing is “wrong”?
Why do my hormones feel off, but I’m told I’m “normal”?
Why do I feel older than my age?
That’s because most systems are trained to diagnose disease, not to optimize health.
Functional medicine looks at something different.
We ask:
What happened before the diagnosis?
What systems are under stress?
What root causes are driving symptoms?
What is the body missing, overloaded, or compensating for?
And most importantly:
What order does the body need healing in?
The Truth About Symptoms (That No One Explains)
Symptoms are not random.
They are not failures.
They are not inconveniences.
They are signals.
Fatigue is often a nervous system and mitochondrial issue.
Weight gain is often hormonal, inflammatory, or stress-driven — not willpower.
Brain fog is frequently blood sugar, gut, or cortisol related.
Anxiety is commonly rooted in physiology, not personality.
Your body is intelligent.
It is constantly adapting to stress, trauma, toxins, inflammation, nutrient depletion, and hormonal shifts.
When we suppress symptoms without understanding the why, we delay healing.
Why “Doing More” Isn’t the Answer
Many of my patients come to me already overwhelmed:
Too many supplements
Too many protocols
Too much conflicting information
Too much guilt for “not trying hard enough”
Healing does not require doing everything.
It requires doing the right things, in the right order.
That’s why at Live In Vitality, we focus on:
Reducing pill burden
Supporting the nervous system first
Stabilizing the gut and blood sugar
Addressing hormones after the foundation is built
Personalizing care — not copying trends
This is how you get results that last.
What Healing Actually Looks Like (In Real Life)
Healing is not linear.
It’s not overnight.
And it’s not perfection.
Healing looks like:
Waking up with more energy than you had last month
Feeling calmer without forcing it
Weight shifting naturally instead of fighting it
Sleeping deeper
Thinking clearer
Feeling connected to your body again
It looks like progress, not pressure.
And most importantly — it looks different for everyone.
Why 2026 Is the Year People Stop Settling
I believe 2026 is the year people stop accepting:
“This is just aging”
“It’s all in your head”
“Your labs are fine”
“You’ll have to live with it”
People are ready for answers, not band-aids.
They want to understand their bodies.
They want care that feels human.
They want providers who listen, explain, and partner with them.
That is exactly why Live In Vitality exists.
Our Philosophy at Live In Vitality Wellness Center
We don’t chase symptoms.
We don’t overwhelm.
We don’t rush.
We:
Look at the whole person
Use advanced labs when appropriate
Interpret results through a functional lens
Create phased, realistic plans
Support your body instead of fighting it
This is healthcare that feels different — because it is.
If You’re Reading This…
And something in you feels seen — trust that.
Your body isn’t failing you.
It’s guiding you.
And when you’re ready to listen, we’re here to help you translate what it’s been trying to say all along.
Here’s to clarity.
Here’s to energy.
Here’s to healing — done right.
Welcome to 2026.
Dr. Tracy Chery, DNP, APRN-C
Founder, Live In Vitality Wellness Center
Brandon, Florida
Functional Medicine | Hormone Optimization | Integrative Primary Care | Weight & Metabolic Health
