Embracing Authenticity: The Healthiest Thing You Can Be Is Yourself

In a world of filters/fillers, performance, and pressure, authenticity has become a radical act of wellness. At  Rooted Health we believe that true health is not just about hormones, labs, or supplements —it’s about discovering who you really are and living in alignment with who you were created to be.  Authenticity isn’t just a buzzword but it has become my mantra.  It’s medicine redefined.  

Why Authenticity Matters (More Than You Think)

When we hide parts of ourselves - usually out of fear or shame - we experience the chronic stress of disillusion. That stress quietly erodes health by disrupting hormones, lowering immunity, raising inflammation, and worsening sleep and mood.  The human body is a complex machine.  

Living authentically allows:

1. Your nervous system to settle

2. Your relationships to deepen

3. Your body to begin healing

What Keeps Us from Living Authentically

• Fear of judgment or rejection 

• People-pleasing and perfectionism

• Cultural or family expectations 

• Burnout and disconnection from our inner voice

We often stumble upon midlife and beyond without a true sense of who we really are because we have been hiding for so long.  

5 Ways to Begin Living Authentically Today

1. Notice when you say “yes” but mean “no”

2. Reconnect with your body - think breath work, walking, even hormone balance

3. Drop the mask.  Just try showing up as the messiest version of you to that one friend or maybe spouse.  It is quite liberating and you will be surprised how many “same” responses you might receive!

4. Audit your life.  Do your commitments align with your values —or just your obligations?

5. Work with someone who sees the real you. A wellness partner, coach, or provider

   (aka me 😊) can help you get back to yourself.  

   
   

So now let’s get down to the real nitty gritty- the real nuts and bolts….authenticity in midlife - the great unmasking!

Midlife is often when women begin to wake up and say, “I don’t want to live like this anymore.”  Trust me, I have found myself in this spot more than once.  I am a slow learner. But the discomfort isn’t a breakdown.  It’s an awakening.  Africa was my awakening and I realize that it’s easy to slip back into the slumber of every day life and maybe you/I need an Africa every year or twice a year? But this awakening is a way for your body to call you back home to yourself as corny as that might sound.  

At Rooted Health, we believe healing happens when you stop pretending and start listening.  To your body.  To your heart.  To your truth.  Authenticity isn’t just freeing —it’s foundational to true wellness.  Let’s learn to stumble, fall, come as we are to approach midlife medicine in a way that allows us to live, lead, and love more authentically.