A few years back, we included Dr. Robin Berzin, founder and CEO of Parsley Health, in our Women To Watch list. Since 2016, Berzin’s holistic medical practice, Parsley has seen 80% of patients improve or resolve their chronic conditions within their first year of care, through the use of personalized food, lifestyle, and proactive diagnostic testing, as well as medication. This is the medical care of the future, as, according to Berzin below, 1 in 6 Americans are living with a diagnosed chronic condition.
In her new book, State Change: End Anxiety, Beat Burnout, and Ignite a New Baseline of Energy and Flow, Robin draws on Parsley’s success and outlines significant principles to help us achieve a happier life by tending to our own health. That said, we thought we’d invite the trail-blazing doctor and entrepreneur to tell us about her own daily habits in our series, Daily Staples (explore the series with Wellness Mama and Dr. Will Cole). Read on, and explore this trail-blazer’s philosophy more fully in her new book, linked above.
Daily breakfast:I love to make what I call my ‘morning glory coffee’ to kick off the day; espresso blended with cinnamon and coconut oil, plus a hit of MCT oil. It has what I need to wake me up and healthy fat to fuel me.
Non-negotiable: Daily meditation and some form of movement. It’s not a should-do, but a must-do to keep my calm, focus, and energy up.
Once a week for my health I…Take an Epsom salt bath to reduce stress and inflammation.
Read more: TCM Reader Faves: Take An Epsom Salt Bath For Workout Recovery
If I could give just one piece of health advice it would be…My advice for anyone is to become your own health advocate and seek out own your health information. One in six Americans are living with a diagnosed chronic condition, but many more are suffering without clear information as to why.
Ask your doctor for key diagnostic tests that take a deeper peak under the hood and can identify if you have any commonly misdiagnosed conditions or missed diagnoses. I include a list of the essential tests we do for every Parsley patient in chapter four of State Change.
Best healthy food option on the go: I’m a huge fan of seeds and nuts; they’re the perfect snack. I like to pack a handful of crushed almonds, chopped macadamia nuts, and pumpkin seeds with a drizzle of EVOO in my bag for wherever I’m going – from the office, to the school pick-up line, to the airport.
Fave workout:Yoga. Controlled movement practices like yoga help me get out of my repetitive thought patterns.
During the pandemic, my favorite studio, Kula Yoga, added online classes, which has made it much easier for me to practice regularly as a mom and doctor.
Crazy health idea that actually works: If you make certain changes in your body, it can significantly improve your mental health. That’s the premise of my new book which looks at the science behind how anxiety, burnout, depression and fatigue are often symptoms of physical conditions that need to be addressed.
Feeling like crap isn’t normal, it’s actually your body’s way of setting off a powerful alarm system telling you to “look closer.”
At least once a week I cook…Wild, sustainably caught salmon. It’s a delicious fish chock full of marine omega-3s: that crucial fat that supports your immune system and lessens the kind of brain swelling that can lead to depression.
Read more: How To Cook Wild Salmon: The Ultimate Guide + 7 Best Methods
Ingredient in products I always avoid: Sugar.
Daily supplements: My go-to since my last pregnancy is Parsley’s State Change Supplement Bundle. We pulled together the supplements in this bundle to help with brain, gut and emotional health through the body. These supplements lower neuro-inflammation, plug nutritional deficiencies, and support a healthy microbiome. The bundle contains a multivitamin, omega-3, probiotics, and the vitamin D3/K2 dropper.
Can’t live without my… Sleep mask! With three little ones, a good night’s sleep is something I have to fight for. Blocking out the city lights helps get me (closer) to those precious eight hours.
Current reading list:Gabby Bernstein’s new book, Happy Days: The Guided Path from Trauma to Profound Freedom and Inner Peace.
Simplest way to improve health: Sleep: it’s when your brain takes out the trash. Getting 8-9 hours of sleep is the only way our brains can clean out the neurotoxins that accumulate throughout the day. Avoid screens at least one hour before bed, and go to sleep by 10PM to avoid getting that second wind of nighttime energy.
3 staples always on my vanity: Naturopathica’s Sweet Cherry Brightening Enzyme Peel, Alchemie’s Big Sur spray and Hynt Beauty bronzer.
5 things always in my travel gear:
My white sweater poncho by Paola Hernandez to keep me warm on the plane.
Outdoor Voices leggings for comfort and ease as I wrangle the kids together.
A book. (I like to pretend I’ll have time to read, but I rarely do.)
My nuts and seeds mix so we don’t have to eat the sugar-filled food in the airport.
Being totally honest: my laptop. Most of my travel these days is for work.
My current mantra: The story of your health is the story of your life.
