What Does Mitochondrial Medicine Have To Do With Whole-Person Healing?

Mitochondrial Medicine Opens Powerful New Frontiers in Health

An almost playful term when appearing in memes, “Zoochosis” refers to something far more grim when our health is concerned. Similar to the way wild animals lose their natural instincts and behave differently in captivity, we humans—living divorced from nature—are losing touch with who we truly are.

Many of us spend our days hunched over laptops, isolated, staring at screens, and fueling ourselves with caffeine. By mid-afternoon, our energy crashes, anxiety spikes, and we’re left feeling like something’s missing. Weekends offer temporary relief—until the Sunday Scaries set in.

We were not designed to live like this.

Our bodies evolved to move, rise with the sun, connect with others, and eat whole, unprocessed foods. We were never meant to exist in a near-permanent state of fight-or-flight.

The more I learn about Justine Stenger’s research on Mitochondrial Medicine, and from Dr. Bruce Hoffman’s 7 Stages of Health & Transformation, the more I’m able to connect the dots between my own health struggles and gaps in my connection to a more natural state. 

We are Routinely Given Bad Health Advice

I’ve also been able to see the fallacy of some of the health advice out there.

Regarding sunlight in particular: since getting early morning sun and putting my bare feet on the dirt outside my front door the moment I get out of bed, and before I put my contacts in (for UV rays to activate receptors in my eyes that regulate circadian rhythm and other homeostatic processes; don’t worry I never look directly at the sun!), I’ve had more energy to the point where I’ve been able to reduce my caffeine intake.

Imagine that: a few minutes of sunlight and dirt exposure and suddenly you can effortlessly cut back on caffeine.

And since I’ve restarted my morning walks, my mood has never been better.

The Emerging Field of Mitochondrial Medicine and Whole-Person Healing

My years with Lyme disease and mitochondrial dysfunction, as well as Dr Hoffman’s approach to practicing medicine, introduced me to the concept of whole-person healing and the value and role of healthy mitochondria.

In short, I learned the hard way.

Dr. Hoffman’s protocol, rooted in mitochondrial medicine, helped reverse the “30 years of overnight aging” I experienced after an aggressive mold detox protocol.

He also focused on me as a whole person, asking about my personal and emotional life, which at the time was contributing to my ill-health.

How You Can Make the Shift from Ill-Health to Good Health

Now, I’m focusing on optimization, based also on mitochondrial medicine, which involves making manageable lifestyle changes to stave off the chronic illnesses that most 50+ year olds will develop.

Eating healthy – based on science, vs. others’ opinions, and on my body’s own bio-individual needs – made a huge difference in my Lyme symptoms. I continue to eat along those guidelines today, some 9 years later.

I follow a mostly keto diet: loads of vegetables, meat, fish, no refined sugar, limited dairy (mostly goat-based), and I only eat gluten rarely. I cycle in heavier carbs about once a week, and this has kept my gut healthy.

Healing Through Social Connection

Not all lifestyle adjustments involve the physical body. In fact, the most potent healing of all for me has been through making new, wonderful friends and seeing them regularly.

Social connection is the fastest, most effective way for us to regulate our nervous systems.

I’ve also incorporated mindset training into my daily routine, and I’m seeing my confidence rise as a result. Neuroscience tells us that boosting confidence also boosts dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in our brain’s reward mechanisms and in motivation.

In the interpersonal realm, I continue to be astonished at the healing power of doing something as simple as setting and enforcing personal boundaries.

These are all interventions I have become very skilled at helping others create this change within themselves, helping my clients to sleep better, feel less anxious, and to feel more energetic and thrive on a daily basis.

If you’d like support applying these principles in your own life, I’d love to help. Reach me at adrienne@360degreehealth.net.