# Health & Its Different Levels with Isabelle Daikeler | Podcast 135 of FITz & Healthy Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHBrO3P_6h0 Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/xHBrO3P_6h0 --- ## Quick Overview Isabelle Daikeler emphasizes that true health involves humility, self-awareness, and a holistic approach beyond rigid dietary rules, advocating for whole foods, sufficient water, and addressing mental and emotional well-being as foundational steps to reverse the global health crisis. **Key Points:** - Isabelle Daikeler, co-creator of Shakeology, overcame severe autoimmune disease and chronic fatigue by exploring alternative and Eastern medicine after Western doctors offered no solutions, learning to cook "concoctions that stank" from plants and herbs. - Her personal health journey led her from a dogmatic 30-year vegetarian/vegan diet to incorporating meat, as blood tests revealed she was "really low" in protein and missing enzymes, demonstrating that "what works for me needs to work for everybody" is not true. - Daikeler asserts that judging others' health choices stems from personal insecurity, stating, "Every time you need to disempower another there's an aspect of you who's insecure who doesn't feel like she fits in he fits in good enough." - For those overwhelmed by health information, she advises starting with basics: "get rid of everything that's processed everything that's canned and make it whole real food" and "drink more water," emphasizing that these simple changes alone can significantly improve health. - She highlights the critical role of mindset in health, explaining that if one "freak[s] out" when plans go awry, it "is showing you where you're out of balance inside," and true peace allows one to "flow with these disorganized days." - Daikeler stresses that "crap is crap" regardless of diet, referring to "Twinkies, chips, salty chemically loaded food" as never being good, and extends this to toxic chemicals in everyday products like makeup. - She encourages applying one profound principle from self-help books, like forgiveness, deeply into one's life rather than just reading many books, stating, "to really apply it all the way through until you feel free of that need to attack others and make them guilty of something... that alone is it." **Context:** Dr. Lauren Fitzgerald interviews Isabelle Daikeler, co-creator of Shakeology and wife of Beachbody's CEO, about her extensive background in sport nutrition, sports psychology, and her personal health struggles. Daikeler shares her journey from a debilitating autoimmune condition that Western medicine could not address, leading her to explore alternative and Eastern healing modalities. The discussion emphasizes that the podcast is not a Beachbody promotion but an educational dive into holistic health, highlighting Daikeler's unique perspective gained from overcoming severe illness and challenging conventional health dogmas. ## Detailed Analysis Isabelle Daikeler, co-creator of Shakeology and a former track and field coach with degrees in sport nutrition and psychology, shares her profound health journey, beginning with a car crash in her early 20s that led to debilitating fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, leaving her unable to function. After Western doctors offered no solutions and dismissed her pain, she turned to alternative and Eastern medicine, cooking plant-based concoctions from Chinatown and Koreatown, which eventually restored her health. This experience taught her the importance of whole, raw foods, adaptogens, and the quality of ingredients. Daikeler then discusses her shift from a 30-year dogmatic vegetarian/vegan diet to incorporating meat, a decision driven by blood tests revealing severe protein deficiencies that her plant-based diet could not address, despite being considered "right" by nutritionists. This humbling experience led her to reject dogmatism, emphasizing that "who am I to think that whatever works for me needs to work for everybody," and advocating for humility and non-judgment in health choices. She asserts that judging others' choices often stems from personal insecurity and that "eating at peace with oneself is the beginning of health." For those overwhelmed by health information, Daikeler advises starting with fundamental changes: eliminating all processed and canned foods, focusing on whole, real foods, and drinking plenty of water. She stresses that these basic steps alone can lead to significant improvements in weight, mental clarity, and overall well-being. Beyond diet, she highlights the critical role of mindset, explaining that one's reaction to life's "disorganized days" reveals internal balance, and cultivating inner peace reduces stress hormones. Daikeler praises Beachbody's platform for providing accessible, fundamental tools for exercise and nutrition, acknowledging the global health crisis driven by depleted soil, environmental toxins, and processed foods. She reinforces the "trifecta" of health: exercise, nutrition, and supplementation, noting that even a perfect whole-food diet might not suffice due to individual biochemistry and environmental compromises. Finally, she encourages deep application of self-help principles, like forgiveness, rather than superficial consumption of information, and urges a shift from objectifying the body to truly loving and listening to it, recognizing that "this body is you." ### Isabelle's Health Journey & Transformation - Overcame debilitating autoimmune disease after a car crash by exploring alternative and Eastern medicine - Shifted from 30 years of veganism to eating meat due to biochemical needs, challenging her own dogmatic beliefs - Learned humility and non-judgment in health, realizing "who am I to think that whatever works for me needs to work for everybody" ### The Importance of Mindset in Health - Emphasizes that "eating at peace with oneself is the beginning of health" and helps reduce inflammation and improve the microbiome - Highlights that reactions to life's "disorganized days" reveal internal balance and the need for mental work - Encourages deep application of self-help principles like forgiveness rather than just reading books ### Foundational Health Principles - Advises starting with eliminating all processed and canned foods, focusing on "whole real food" - Stresses the importance of drinking "lots of water" to combat widespread dehydration - Recommends addressing sleep issues by first examining "stressful thoughts" and internal world ### Critique of Health Dogmatism & Modern Challenges - Warns against blindly following popular health trends or "new doctors" without personal discernment - Discusses the pervasive issue of "crap is crap" in food, including chemically loaded and processed items - Extends the chemical concern to everyday products like makeup, noting that some food-banned chemicals are allowed in cosmetics ### Beachbody's Role in Health Empowerment - Praises Beachbody for providing "basic fundamental key points" for exercise and whole-food nutrition - Highlights its accessibility for diverse entry points, including programs like "The Bodi Mindset" for those hesitant to exercise - Explains Shakeology's purpose as addressing "the most lacking in people's diets" due to depleted soil and environmental toxins ### The Body as Self & Self-Love - Argues that the body is not separate but "it is you," emphasizing that negative self-talk or body shaming is "slapping yourself" - Encourages deep self-love and gratitude for the body, moving beyond objectification - Advocates for listening to one's body's needs rather than rigid dietary rules, even if it contradicts popular principles