You eat clean. You follow wellness influencers. You’ve bought the supplements. Maybe even the tracking ring. But still,  you feel tired. Anxious. Unfulfilled.

You’re doing everything “right,” so why doesn’t it feel right?

As a surgeon and someone who deeply believes in healing from the inside out, I’ve seen a rising pattern — people who are technically healthy, but emotionally and physically exhausted. We’ve turned health into a checklist. And forgotten how to feel good living in our own bodies.

Let’s talk about what most wellness advice gets wrong — and what truly helps us live longer, better, and with more joy.

1. Health is not about optimization. It’s about rhythm.

The healthiest people I’ve met, from my patients to farmers in Istria to centenarians in Italy, don’t spend their days “optimizing.” They live with rhythm.

They:

• Eat when they’re hungry
• Walk because it’s part of their life
• Rest without guilt
• Laugh often
• Share meals, not macros

Try this:

Stop trying to “win” your health. Instead, build simple daily rhythms:

• Go to bed and wake up at similar times
• Take a short walk after lunch
• Eat real food without a screenYou don’t need more willpower. You need a calmer pace.

Want help creating structure? Try our new downloadable Mediterranean Wellness Planner – designed to simplify your days, not complicate them.

2. Gut health is about food but also about your nervous system.

Yes, what you eat matters. But how you eat, rest, and digest matters just as much.

As a gut surgeon, I’ve seen this in every patient: bloating, pain, IBS… often triggered by stress, rushing, and poor sleep.

What helps:

• Chew your food slowly
• Don’t multitask when eating
• Take 5 deep belly breaths before meals
• Walk 10 minutes after eating

This is more than wellness talk. These are real strategies based on how the gut-brain axis works.

3. You don’t need powders. You need connection.

People in Blue Zones don’t buy protein shakes or adaptogenic blends. They eat simply. And they stay connected — to nature, to purpose, to each other.

Chronic loneliness increases your risk of early death more than smoking 15 cigarettes a day. But shared meals and deep conversations? They protect your brain, your gut, and your heart.

Try this instead of supplements:

• Call someone you love
• Eat dinner at the table, even if you’re alone — without your phone
• Go outside daily, without tracking it

These are things money can’t buy, but they’re the real medicine.

4. Mediterranean lifestyle isn’t a trend. It’s a return.

We don’t need to invent new health trends. We need to return to what worked for centuries.

I  see it every summer in Istria and Tuscany — people walking to the market, cooking with herbs, drinking wine slowly, resting in the afternoon, and laughing with friends.

The Mediterranean lifestyle is accessible, joyful, and affordable. 

Start here:

• Move naturally (gardening, walking, dancing)
• Eat mostly plants, beans, olive oil, and fish
• Rest mid-day if you can
• Enjoy your meals
• Be present with people, even briefly

These changes add years to your life — and life to your years.

5. Most wellness noise just makes you more stressed.

You don’t need 100 tips. You need 3 that actually help you feel better.

Here are mine:

• Sleep is sacred. Protect it.
• Go outside daily. The sun is your medicine.
• Keep things simple. Eat, move, rest, repeat.

That’s it.

Ready to live well — simply?

You don’t need more. You just need to come back to what matters.

Warmly,

Maruša Zamorano, MD, gut surgeon, endoscopist, and co-founder of danielandmarusa.com

Mom. Wife. Surgeon. Mediterranean at heart.

#SurgeonUnboxed