Many people reach a point where their body is signalling strain, but the story is unclear. Energy becomes unpredictable. Sleep stops feeling restorative. Symptoms fluctuate. The impact is real, even when routine results do not explain it.
In clinic I have met thousands of people living in this space. They often say:
“I cannot keep going like this, and I do not know where to start.”
“Tests look normal, but I feel unwell.”
“I feel out of sync with my body, I cannot read what it is asking for.”
I recognise this because I have lived it too.
I am Dr Jasmin Tzortzakakis Malik, a UK GP with over 20 years of experience, including trauma informed and inclusive healthcare. I have also lived with long-term illness, including five years of long COVID. It left me depleted and unsure how to recover within a system that often has limited clarity for persistent, fluctuating symptoms.
For a long time, I approached recovery in the way many of us are taught: try harder, push through, improve lifestyle, build resilience. My body did not respond in predictable ways. Exercise could trigger severe fatigue for days or weeks. Inflammation appeared across my body, including my joints, lungs, and liver. My metabolic markers deteriorated. My biological age was recorded as being in my eighties, despite my actual age being in my early forties. I was pre diabetic, close to the diagnostic threshold, and my cholesterol was sky high despite a healthy diet.
Before illness, I was running marathons, climbing mountains, and functioning at a pace I considered normal. The turning point was accepting that the next step was not more effort. It was about learning how to pause, observe, and work with my physiology rather than against it, and then building back in a way that my body could sustain.
That is the basis of Your Health Comes First, an award-winning educational programme focused on preventive health awareness and practical understanding of body systems, symptoms, and early signals. It is structured around the 10 Principles of Energy and Wellness, providing a clear way for people to map patterns, reduce avoidable strain, and strengthen their foundations over time, alongside medical care. The programme has been recognised by the Evergreen Awards as the Best Preventive Health Educator in the UK for 2025. evergreenawards.com
