Resilient Health by Design

Your Five Daily Factors at Every Phase

Five things you control shape how you heal and how you age: sleep, movement, food, stress, and the people around you. We work on the same five at every step of care. What changes is how much we ask of you.

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The five factors

1

Sleep & Relaxation

When your body repairs itself.

2

Exercise & Movement

What keeps joints, muscles, and blood sugar healthy.

3

Nutrition

The raw material for healing.

4

Stress

What turns pain and inflammation up or down.

5

Relationships

The support that keeps you going.

These five come from the functional medicine model of health. Each phase below is also a one-page handout you can print.

Phase 1 · In clinic, Moorhead

Relief by Design: Calm the Pain

Your goal right now: lower pain and swelling so your body can start healing. Small, gentle steps work best. Don't try to fix everything at once.

1. Sleep & Relaxation

Poor sleep makes pain feel worse, and pain makes sleep worse. Breaking that loop is step one.

  • Aim for 7 to 9 hours. Go to bed and get up at the same time each day.
  • Sleep on your side with a pillow between your knees, or on your back with a pillow under your knees.
  • Avoid sleeping on your stomach, especially with neck pain.
  • Keep your bedroom dark, cool, and quiet. Put screens away 30 minutes before bed.

2. Exercise & Movement

Gentle movement helps you heal faster than bed rest. Think “motion is lotion.”

  • Walk 5 to 10 minutes, 2 to 3 times a day, at a pace that doesn't raise your pain.
  • Change positions every 30 minutes. Don't sit or stand still for long.
  • Skip heavy lifting, twisting, and high-impact exercise until we say you're ready.
  • Do only the stretches we gave you.

3. Nutrition

What you eat can turn swelling up or down.

  • Fill half your plate with vegetables. Add colorful fruit, fish, beans, nuts, and olive oil.
  • Cut back on sugar, soda, sweet drinks, fried food, and packaged snacks.
  • Limit alcohol. It disrupts sleep and healing.
  • Drink water through the day. Your urine should be pale yellow.
  • Cook with ginger, turmeric, garlic, and other herbs from your kitchen.

4. Stress

Stress tightens muscles and makes your nervous system more sensitive to pain.

  • Twice a day, try slow breathing: in for 4 seconds, out for 6 seconds, for 5 minutes.
  • Notice when you clench your jaw or raise your shoulders. Let them drop.
  • Remember: hurt doesn't always mean harm. Pain is your body's alarm, and we're turning the volume down.

5. Relationships

You heal better with support.

  • Tell your family or coworkers what you can and can't do right now.
  • Ask for help with heavy chores for a few weeks.
  • Keep your appointments. Your care team is part of your support system.

My one change this week

Call us right away or go to the ER if you have:

  • New numbness in your groin or inner thighs, or trouble controlling your bladder or bowels
  • Weakness in an arm or leg that is getting worse
  • Fever, chills, or unexplained weight loss along with back pain
  • Chest pain, trouble breathing, or a severe headache unlike any before

Phase 2 · In clinic, Moorhead

Rehabilitation by Design: Rebuild Your Strength

Your goal right now: rebuild strength, balance, and posture so the problem doesn't come back. Your pain is lower. Now we make your body stronger than it was before.

1. Sleep & Relaxation

Deep sleep is when your body repairs muscles, tendons, and joints.

  • Keep 7 to 9 hours, with the same bedtime and wake time, even on weekends.
  • Turn off screens 1 hour before bed. Bright light late at night delays deep sleep.
  • Skip caffeine after noon.

2. Exercise & Movement

This is the most important factor in this phase. Your home exercises rebuild what got weak.

  • Do your home exercises every day, exactly as shown. Quality beats quantity.
  • Walk 20 to 30 minutes most days.
  • Add difficulty only when we tell you to: more reps first, then more weight or time.
  • Take a 1-minute posture break every 30 minutes: stand tall, roll your shoulders back, take 3 deep breaths.

3. Nutrition

Your body needs building blocks to rebuild tissue.

  • Eat protein at every meal: eggs, fish, chicken, beef, Greek yogurt, beans, or lentils. A palm-sized portion is a good guide.
  • Keep filling half your plate with vegetables.
  • Eat fruits high in vitamin C, like berries, oranges, and kiwi. Your body uses it to make collagen.
  • Keep drinking water through the day.

4. Stress

Fear of re-injury can make you move stiffly or avoid activity. That slows recovery.

  • Remember that your exercises are safe. Mild soreness that fades within a day is normal.
  • Keep doing slow breathing: in for 4 seconds, out for 6 seconds, 5 minutes a day.
  • Write down one thing you can do this week that you couldn't do last month.

5. Relationships

People help you stick with it.

  • Share your goal with someone close to you.
  • Find a walking or exercise partner.
  • Ask us questions. If something doesn't feel right, we want to know.

My one change this week

What's next: when your strength, posture, and symptom scores reach our targets, you're ready for Vitality by Design™. That's where we move you from “normal” to your best.

Call us if:

  • Pain returns and lasts more than 2 days
  • You notice new numbness, tingling, or weakness
  • An exercise causes sharp pain

Phase 3 · By video

Vitality by Design™: From Normal to Optimal

Your goal right now: move from “normal” to your best. Your labs and symptom scores guide the plan. We focus on one change at a time, starting with what matters most for your body.

1. Sleep & Relaxation

Good sleep balances your hormones, blood sugar, mood, and energy.

  • Keep 7 to 9 hours on a steady schedule.
  • Get 10 minutes of outdoor light within an hour of waking. It sets your body clock.
  • Eat your last meal 2 to 3 hours before bed.
  • Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and free of phones.

2. Exercise & Movement

Now we build fitness, not just recovery.

  • Aim for 150 minutes a week of brisk activity, like 30 minutes on 5 days.
  • Do strength training 2 days a week, working all major muscle groups.
  • Take a 10-minute walk after meals. It lowers blood sugar spikes.
  • Sit less. Stand or move for a few minutes every hour.

3. Nutrition

Food is information for your genes and cells.

  • Build meals from whole foods: vegetables, fruit, beans, nuts, seeds, fish, eggs, and quality meat.
  • “Eat the rainbow”: aim for 5 or more colors of plants each day.
  • Work up to 25 to 35 grams of fiber a day. Add it slowly and drink water with it.
  • Keep added sugar and ultra-processed foods as rare treats.
  • Follow the food changes in your personal plan first. They're based on your labs.

4. Stress

Ongoing stress drains energy, disrupts sleep and digestion, and raises inflammation.

  • Pick one daily practice for 10 minutes: slow breathing, prayer, meditation, journaling, or a walk outside.
  • Protect one block of time each week that's just for rest or fun.
  • Notice your top stress sources. We'll work on them together.

5. Relationships

Connection is part of health, not separate from it.

  • Spend time each week with people who lift you up.
  • Join a group, class, church, or club that fits your values.
  • Share your health goals at home. Change is easier when the people around you support it.

My one change this week

How we track progress: you fill out a symptom questionnaire each month. The target is a score under 10, plus labs in the optimal range, not just “normal.” When you reach both, you're ready for Longevity by Design.

Contact us if:

  • Your symptoms get worse for more than a week
  • You have a reaction to a food or supplement change
  • Anything new or concerning comes up. For urgent symptoms, call 911 or your primary care doctor.

Phase 4 · By video

Longevity by Design: Keep Your Vitality for Life

Your goal right now: keep the health you've built and slow how fast your body ages. Your genetic and biological-age tests show where to focus. Longer life is the bonus. More good years is the goal.

1. Sleep & Relaxation

A steady sleep schedule is one of the strongest habits for a long, healthy life.

  • Keep the same bedtime and wake time every day, within 30 minutes.
  • Protect 7 to 9 hours. Treat it like an appointment you don't cancel.
  • Plan real recovery: a rest day each week and time off from work each year.

2. Exercise & Movement

Heart fitness and muscle strength are two of the best predictors of how long and how well you'll live.

  • Endurance: 2 to 3 hours a week at a steady pace where you can still talk.
  • Intensity: once a week, short bursts where talking is hard, like 4 rounds of 1 to 4 minutes.
  • Strength: 2 to 3 days a week. Muscle protects your joints, bones, and blood sugar as you age.
  • Balance: a few minutes most days, like standing on one foot while brushing your teeth.

3. Nutrition

Now your plan is matched to your genes.

  • Follow the food priorities in your personal genetic report first.
  • Keep protein at every meal to protect muscle. Needs go up as we age.
  • Eat a wide range of plants, herbs, and spices. Their natural compounds protect your cells.
  • Keep sugar, alcohol, and ultra-processed foods to a minimum.

4. Stress

Long-term stress speeds up aging. Purpose and recovery slow it down.

  • Keep your daily calming practice: breathing, prayer, meditation, or time in nature.
  • Watch for early burnout signs: poor sleep, brain fog, low patience, or feeling flat.
  • Know your “why.” People with a clear sense of purpose tend to stay healthier as they age.

5. Relationships

Strong relationships are linked to a longer life, on a scale similar to quitting smoking.

  • Invest in close friendships and family time every week.
  • Give back: mentor, volunteer, or serve. Helping others helps you.
  • Stay connected to a community that shares your values.

My one change this quarter

How we track progress: we recheck your biological age and pace of aging with a simple finger-prick test during the year. You also fill out a symptom questionnaire every 3 months. If symptoms rise, we adjust your plan.

Contact us if:

  • Your symptom score climbs, or you notice a new health change
  • Life gets hard and your habits slip. That's when support matters most.
  • For urgent symptoms, call 911 or your primary care doctor.

Not sure which phase you're in?

Where you start is decided by your symptom score and your exam. A free 30-minute Discovery Session is the first step.

Book a Free Discovery SessionTake the Vitality Assessment

These handouts give general health and lifestyle information. They are not a substitute for your personal plan or for care from your own doctor. If you have a medical emergency, call 911.