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The Importance of Holistic Health in Whole-Body Health

By Crystal C

If you had told me years ago that health isn’t just about running, eating well, or lifting weights, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. As a runner, a fitness & nutrition coach, and a hormone specialist, I’ve spent years learning how the body works. But it wasn’t until I personally experienced burnout, fatigue, and stubborn weight gain (even when I was “doing everything right”) that I truly understood the importance of holistic health. 

Like so many women, I used to think exercise and eating “healthy” were enough. I was logging miles, lifting weights, and watching what I ate, but something still felt off. My energy dipped, my runs felt harder, and I struggled to see progress. That’s when I took a deeper look at my health beyond just workouts and food. 

What I learned changed everything. 

To me, holistic health means looking at the big picture – not just how many miles you run or how clean your meals are, but how all the pieces fit together: 

  • Movement – Strength training, running, walking, or any activity that supports longevity. 
  • Nutrition – Fueling with whole food and balanced meals that support my hormones, metabolism, and recovery. 
  • Hormone health – Understanding how stress, sleep, and diet impact metabolism and energy. 
  • Mindset & stress management – Learning how overdoing it (in workouts and in life) can backfire. 
  • Recovery & rest – Prioritizing sleep, downtime, and proper fueling to support the body. 

For me, the biggest shift happened when I stopped looking at these things as separate. I used to think running more would make me a better runner, but the truth is that balancing strength training, nutrition, and hormones made me a better runner. 

As a coach, I see this all the time: 

  • Women running more, eating less, and wondering why they’re stuck in a cycle of fatigue, cravings, and frustration. 
  • Strength training getting pushed aside because cardio feels like the only way to burn calories. 
  • Hormones changing and making what “used to work” suddenly stop working. 

I get it because I’ve been there. But once I shifted my focus to whole-body health to fueling properly, training smarter (not harder), and balancing my hormones, everything changed. My runs felt stronger, my energy returned, and I finally saw the progress I had been chasing. 

If you’re feeling stuck, tired, or like you’re spinning your wheels, take a step back and ask: 

  • Am I fueling my body in a way that supports my energy and metabolism? 
  • Am I building strength to support my running and overall health? 
  • Am I prioritizing sleep and recovery to avoid burnout? 
  • Am I managing stress in a way that supports my hormones and overall well-being? 

It’s not about doing more — it’s about doing what actually works for your body. 

Holistic health isn’t about perfection. It’s about understanding your body, making small changes, and creating balance so that you feel good, stay strong, and avoid burnout. 

I’ve learned this through my own journey and through coaching others. When we stop trying to outwork a body that needs support and instead, give it what it needs, that’s when real progress happens. 

If you’re feeling stuck, I encourage you to take a whole-body approach. You might be surprised at how much better you feel when all the pieces start working together.