A streamlined stack of supplements designed to meet your most critical needs - Adapt Naturals is now live. Learn more

Are You One of the “Walking Unwell”?

by

Published on

chris kresser parasites

Today, millions—if not billions—of people around the world are suffering from what I call “chronic unwellness.” They may not be seriously ill, but they never feel completely well.

They have nagging symptoms that prevent them from feeling their best, and often stand in the way of accomplishing their goals or living life to the fullest.

Symptoms like:

  • Bloating, gas, constipation or diarrhea, and other uncomfortable digestive issues
  • Sugar cravings and blood sugar swings throughout the day
  • Difficulty losing weight, no matter what you try
  • A hard time falling asleep, not sleeping soundly, and waking up tired
  • Afternoon ‘crashes’ making every day a little harder than it should be
  • Chronic stress making you less productive and more distracted
  • Embarrassing and/or painful skin breakouts

These symptoms are so common in our society that they’ve come to seem normal. But they’re not normal; they’re the “canaries in the coal mine,” signs that our bodies are malfunctioning and our health is moving in the wrong direction.

Find out why “chronic unwellness” is more serious than you might think—and what to do about it.

What’s more, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, these symptoms don’t tend to go away on their own. In fact, they get worse rather than better over time. Why? Because symptoms are the ultimate expression of underlying disease processes. They don’t exist on their own or come out of nowhere; they are the outward, noticeable signs of dysfunction in our bodies.

To use an analogy, symptoms are like warning lights on the dashboard of your car. If the engine light comes on, it’s a sign that something is wrong. What do you do when that happens? You probably take your car into the shop to get fixed, because you know that the longer you drive around without addressing the problem, the greater the chance that your car will be seriously damaged.

These symptoms are robbing you of your joy and making every day more difficult. But, more than that, here’s why you really should pay attention to these “warning lights” on your “dashboard:

  • Carrying extra weight. Two-thirds of Americans are now overweight, and one-third are obese. This is a huge problem, because a recent study found that excess weight accounts for 1 in 3 deaths among middle-aged and elderly adults.
  • Poor quality—and not enough—sleep. Disrupted sleep is a clear sign of physical and/or psychological/emotional distress. In addition, people who sleep fewer than 7 hours a night have a higher risk of death and greater prevalence of obesity then those who sleep 7–8 hours a night.
  • Chronic stress, anxiety, depression, or brain fog. Our brain is arguably the most important organ in our body. If it’s not functioning well, nothing else will either. We now know that cognitive and mood disorders are often caused (at least in part) by underlying inflammatory conditions, and chronic stress can itself trigger inflammation.
  • Skin breakouts. The majority of skin conditions are inflammatory, so if you struggle with skin breakouts, there’s a good chance you’re dealing with underlying inflammation.
  • Chronic pain. If you’re constantly feeling aches in your muscles or joints, that’s also a sure sign of an underlying inflammatory process.
  • Digestive problems. I’m sure you know by now how important gut health is to overall health. While many people may simply accept gas, bloating, constipation and loose stool as “normal,” the fact is these symptoms are signs of deeper problems that can lead to everything from inflammation, to autoimmune disease, to heart disease.
  • Fatigue, low libido, loss of mojo. Do you have a hard time waking up? Do you crash in the afternoons? Do you find yourself struggling to get through the day? Are your sex drive and “mojo” distant memories? So many people accept this as a normal part of aging, but in truth it’s yet another indicator that something is wrong.

If you’re experiencing two or more symptoms on this list, that’s a sign that there’s a problem that needs to be addressed. If you had two warning lights on your car dashboard, you probably wouldn’t just stick duct tape over them and hope for the best, would you? Yet that’s often what many of us do when it comes to our own “warning lights.” Not a good idea!

The good news is that, in many cases, these symptoms of chronic unwellness can be successfully addressed with some simple (but not always easy!) diet and lifestyle changes.

Like what you’re reading? Get my free newsletter, recipes, eBooks, product recommendations, and more!

14Four: The Solution to “Chronic Unwellness”

As many of you know, I suffered from a debilitating chronic illness for over a decade. During that time I saw over thirty doctors on three continents and more alternative medicine specialists than I can count, took numerous medications, and spent thousands of dollars on supplements.

Yet in the end, the most important factors in my recovery were also the most simple: diet, movement, stress management, and sleep.

I’ve seen a similar phenomenon through my work with patients. Although I do work with patients who are typically quite ill, in many cases it is focusing on these basics that yields the best results.

This is why I’m excited to introduce 14Four. It’s a new program designed to help you “reboot” 4 key areas of your life in 14 days:

  • Diet: reboot your diet with nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory foods that deeply nourish your body
  • Movement: reboot your energy levels with exercise techniques that don’t require any special equipment or a gym membership
  • Stress management: reboot your brain with simple yet effective techniques for managing stress and increasing resilience
  • Sleep: reboot your sleep with easy-to-follow tips for improving both your sleep duration and quality

What Makes 14Four Different Than Other Diet Programs?

  • It’s not just about food. As you noticed, 14Four helps you to reboot your movement, stress management, and sleep, in addition to your diet. In my work with patients, and in my own experience, I’ve learned that addressing these other factors is just as important (and in some cases more important) than addressing diet.
  • It emphasizes preparation. 90% of success is preparation. Many diet challenge programs throw you into the deep end of the pool without any of the preparatory steps that are critical to successful change. 14Four includes a 2-week “on-ramp” phase designed to ease your transition and improve your results.
  • It’s an all-in-one solution. All you have to do is follow along. There are no decisions to make, there’s nothing to figure out. We tell you exactly what to do and give you everything you need to make it happen, from delicious daily meal plans and recipes, to workouts of the day (based on your fitness level), to exercise video demos, to guided stress management audios and videos.
14Four is really all about the basics. There’s nothing sexy or exotic about it. It’s not the next miracle cure from the rainforest or a secret shortcut promising dramatic results with no effort.

But don’t let its simplicity deceive you: it works incredibly well, and you just might feel like a miracle did happen after you finish the program. Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best ones.

Who Would Benefit from the 14Four?

14Four is a great choice if:

  • You’ve got a lot of nagging symptoms and problems, but don’t know where to start14Four focuses on the four key areas that restore health and reverse disease: diet, physical activity, stress management and sleep.
  • You’re suffering from a chronic illness, and want to heal it naturally. Conventional medicine is great with trauma and catastrophic care, but lousy when it comes to preventing and reversing chronic illness. 14Four will empower you with the knowledge and tools you need to take care of your own health, naturally.
  • You want to transition to a Paleo diet and lifestyle, but could use some extra help14Four gives you all of the resources, tools, and support to be successful.
  • You feel like you could use a tune-up. Let’s face it, with the craziness of modern life it’s easy to fall off the wagon with diet, sleep, stress management, or physical activity. We all know these things are important, but practicing them daily is another story. 14Four can help you get back on track and feeling your best. (I plan to do one myself once every quarter, at the beginning of the summer, fall, winter, and spring.)
  • You want to maximize your performance and prevent disease before it starts. Maybe you’re feeling pretty good overall, but you want to take your health and performance to the next level—and do everything you can to maintain your good health and extend your lifespan. 14Four is a great choice for accomplishing these goals because it focuses on the diet and lifestyle factors we know are most important to performance and long-term health.

Special Offer: Get Free Bonuses If You Join in the Next 3 Days

If you sign up for 14Four before Saturday, October 25 at midnight, you’ll qualify for the following free bonuses:

  • Membership in the “14Four Founders Group”, which gives you exclusive access to four weekly Q&A webinars with me starting next week. I’ll answer your questions as you move through the program.
  • A discounted price of $37. The price will go up when this offer expires.
  • 10 entries into the raffle (described below)

The raffle will feature the following prizes:

  • One 16 GB iPad Mini with Retina Display
  • One Magic Bullet NutriBullet Pro 9000
  • Three $200 gift certificates to US Wellness Meats
  • Twenty signed copies of my book, Your Personal Paleo Code (published in paperback as The Paleo Cure in December 2014)

If you’re not ready to sign up for 14Four, you can still participate in the raffle by Tweeting about 14Four or following me on Facebook. Posting on Twitter will earn you three entries and following me on Facebook will get you one entry.

ADAPT Naturals logo

Better supplementation. Fewer supplements.

Close the nutrient gap to feel and perform your best. 

A daily stack of supplements designed to meet your most critical needs.

Chris Kresser in kitchen
Affiliate Disclosure
This website contains affiliate links, which means Chris may receive a percentage of any product or service you purchase using the links in the articles or advertisements. You will pay the same price for all products and services, and your purchase helps support Chris‘s ongoing research and work. Thanks for your support!

114 Comments

Join the conversation

  1. I am reading (and now following the step plan for) The Paleo Cure but can’t’ find anything about stopping/getting off the PPI’s. Suggestions?

  2. Hello,
    One of the posts above refers to buying supplements.
    Is this a necessary part of the programme? I’ve just started seeing a nutritionist
    and so already on a recently implemented supplement regime also I’m in the UK and have been led to believe that shipping to UK is an issue anyway?
    Thank you.
    Very best wishes
    Loraine

  3. I am trying to plan my shopping but can’t tell when the program will let me view week three, since each week seems to unlock on its own. Can this restriction be lifted so I can plan on a start date.
    Thanks

  4. This doesn’t seem like the right place for support for 14Four after I am signed up, but I can’t find a better option. I have been following the week one prep and took the quiz (twice actually–you take it once and then when you take the Supplement Quiz it’s the same quiz.). The quiz says I scored high on everything (odd because the bulk of my answers were 1, with a few zeros, a few twos, and very few threes). But I decided what the heck, I’ll order the supplement package at 50% off, and then I see it’s sold out! And the site says to order early so we can start on time (I planned on my two weeks being Nov 9-22). If I can’t do this the way it’s recommended (with the supplements) I may want to take advantage of the moneyback offer, but that ends soon. What gives? Do you have to enter all zero’s to not score high? And will the supplements be back in stock in time for the people who started Oct. 26?

  5. The problem is, so many of these kind of problems develop gradually over time. Sometimes people don’t even realize there’s something wrong. Another often underestimated health hazard of today I’d like to mention is the safety of personal care products. Not all crap enters the body through the mouth.

  6. About 2 hours ago I posted a question here about the price on the web site not being accurate (I was being charged $47 not $37), and I asked for some assistance. Now I see my post is no longer on this Q&A page. I never got an email or any reply to my question. I’m a bit disappointed. I guess I’ll just read the e-books.

    • Peg, we moderate our comments for spam purposes, so I’m sorry your previous comment did not appear right away. The price changed to $47 today (Sunday 10/26). The promo price ended at midnight on 10/25.

  7. When I try to sign up, it is charging me $47, not $37. how do I get the discounted price? It’s already late here on the east coast and I’m not going to be on line for much longer (and I was away all weekend). I want to sign up, but I don’t want to get over-charged. Please advise. Thanks!

    • Peg, the price changed to $47 today (Sunday 10/26). The promo price ended at midnight on 10/25.

  8. I would really appreciate it if there is some way that (Catherine Wessling) can enter me into the raffle. I have tried many, many times to use the info presented here…I even used my desktop but see no widget, etc., etc., Please advise and hope you can enter me into raffle. Thank you. Obviously I have purchased the program… 🙂

    • The raffle ended last night at midnight, which is why the raffle widget is no longer on this page. I’ll see if I can enter you manually.

  9. Am I too late to enter my code into the raffle? I was unable at the time of purchase as I used my mobile. Now I am on my laptop but cannot find the widget at the bottom of the blog?

    • Yes, unfortunately the raffle ended yesterday at midnight. I’ll see if I can add you manually.

  10. Joined the program already as I just started excersises and stress management on my own besides the paleo kind of diet…and the improvements started to boost…what if I start all these in a professional and more structured manner…? Now one question I have regarding the 2weeks program. I follow a paleo like + low foodmap diet. I eat potatoes and white rice (jasmine only) as I do pretty bad on low carb or VLC diets. Can I maintain a modarate carb during the program?

      • Thanks a lot! One more question: wanted to order the 3 Adapta system products in bundle but it seems one of the product is unavailable therefore cannot place the order. Do you know when is it going to be available? International shipment costs a fortune so do not want to order twice….thanks!