Why Learning How Your Body Works Might Be the Best Medicine

Nina Scheets
Mar 4
4 min read

Updated: Mar 10

You know those moments when you learn something and you just sit there thinking… wait… what?

That was me when I learned about William Stewart Halsted, one of the doctors who helped shape the modern medical training system at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Halsted helped create the hospital residency system, the model where young doctors train for years inside hospitals working incredibly long shifts. In fact, the word residency comes from the idea that doctors practically lived at the hospital.

At the time, this was considered groundbreaking. The idea was that the more hours a doctor spent in the hospital, the better they would become.

But then I learned something that completely stopped me in my tracks.

Halsted became addicted to cocaine while experimenting with it as a surgical anesthetic in the late 1800s. Later, he developed a dependence on morphine as well.

And when I first learned that, my reaction was basically… wait… what?!

No one raised their hand and said, “Hey maybe the guy running on cocaine and no sleep shouldn’t be designing the training system for doctors?”

Instead, the culture that came out of it was doctors working around the clock, barely sleeping, pushing through exhaustion like it was some badge of honor.

And we all just accepted that as normal. Like that was the gold standard of dedication.

But if you think about it, it makes zero sense.

You can’t take care of other people if you’re completely depleted yourself.

It’s like the announcement on the airplane. Put your oxygen mask on first before helping someone else.

Maybe the real lesson here is that taking care of yourself isn’t selfish… it’s actually the smartest place to start.

How Did We Get Here?

Around the same time, powerful philanthropists like John D. Rockefeller helped fund the restructuring of medical schools after the Flexner Report.

Medical education became more standardized and science based, which helped eliminate poorly run schools. That part was a good thing.

But it also pushed medicine heavily toward:

• pharmaceuticals

• surgical intervention

• treating disease after it appears

From my point of view, it gradually created what many people now call a “sick care system.”

A system that is incredible in emergencies, trauma, and surgery… but not always focused on helping people stay healthy in the first place.

What I See From Behind the Chair

This is where my perspective comes in.

When you spend decades working closely with people, you start noticing patterns.

Hair.

Skin.

Eyes.

Energy.

Your body tells a story.

And I see it every single day behind the chair.

Sometimes someone sits down and you can immediately tell something is off.

The skin looks dull.

The hair looks fragile.

The eyes look tired.

Lately I’ve noticed something else too.

People using the newer weight loss drugs often look… different.

The skin can look gray.

The face can look more hollow.

Sometimes the skin looks looser and more aged.

To me it looks like a trade off.

And personally?

No thank you.

I would rather learn how the body works and support it naturally than shortcut the system and pay the price later.

Your Body Isn’t a Mystery

Here’s something I say to clients all the time.

You know how your phone works.

You know how your car works.

You know how to update apps, troubleshoot devices, and figure out new technology.

But your own body?

The most advanced system you will ever live in.

Most people were taught about the body in school, but not the parts that truly matter for everyday health. We memorized diagrams and body parts, but we weren’t really taught how this incredible system works together to keep us alive and well.

The truth is, we are living, breathing organisms, and everything in the body is connected. Muscles support and feed the bones, and bones provide important nutrients the body needs to stay strong. The food we eat isn’t just calories. It becomes nourishment that feeds the cells that make up every tissue in the body.

When you start to understand that connection, you begin to see your body differently. It isn’t something separate from you. It’s a system that responds to how you move, how you eat, and how you care for it every single day.

People Didn’t Always Look This Sick

When you look at photos from the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, something stands out.

People just looked… healthier.

Stronger posture.

More natural muscle tone.

Clearer skin.

Why?

Because people moved their bodies more.

They walked more.

Worked with their hands more.

Sat less.

And while food was never perfect, the chemical load in our food supply was nowhere near what it is today.

Your body has natural detox systems. But they rely heavily on movement to keep everything flowing.

Today we have the opposite situation.

People sit for hours.

Meanwhile the body is dealing with more chemicals, more processed foods, more stress, and less physical activity.

You know those moments when you learn something and you just sit there thinking… wait… what?

That was me when I learned about William Stewart Halsted, one of the doctors who helped shape the modern medical training system at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Halsted helped create the hospital residency system, the model where young doctors train for years inside hospitals working incredibly long shifts. In fact, the word residency comes from the idea that doctors practically lived at the hospital.

At the time, this was considered groundbreaking. The idea was that the more hours a doctor spent in the hospital, the better they would become.

But then I learned something that completely stopped me in my tracks.

Halsted became addicted to cocaine while experimenting with it as a surgical anesthetic in the late 1800s. Later, he developed a dependence on morphine as well.

And when I first learned that, my reaction was basically… wait… what?!

No one raised their hand and said, “Hey maybe the guy running on cocaine and no sleep shouldn’t be designing the training system for doctors?”

Instead, the culture that came out of it was doctors working around the clock, barely sleeping, pushing through exhaustion like it was some badge of honor.

And we all just accepted that as normal. Like that was the gold standard of dedication.

But if you think about it, it makes zero sense.

You can’t take care of other people if you’re completely depleted yourself.

It’s like the announcement on the airplane. Put your oxygen mask on first before helping someone else.

Maybe the real lesson here is that taking care of yourself isn’t selfish… it’s actually the smartest place to start.

How Did We Get Here?

Around the same time, powerful philanthropists like John D. Rockefeller helped fund the restructuring of medical schools after the Flexner Report.

Medical education became more standardized and science based, which helped eliminate poorly run schools. That part was a good thing.

But it also pushed medicine heavily toward:

• pharmaceuticals

• surgical intervention

• treating disease after it appears

From my point of view, it gradually created what many people now call a “sick care system.”

A system that is incredible in emergencies, trauma, and surgery… but not always focused on helping people stay healthy in the first place.

What I See From Behind the Chair

This is where my perspective comes in.

When you spend decades working closely with people, you start noticing patterns.

Hair.

Skin.

Eyes.

Energy.

Your body tells a story.

And I see it every single day behind the chair.

Sometimes someone sits down and you can immediately tell something is off.

The skin looks dull.

The hair looks fragile.

The eyes look tired.

Lately I’ve noticed something else too.

People using the newer weight loss drugs often look… different.

The skin can look gray.

The face can look more hollow.

Sometimes the skin looks looser and more aged.

To me it looks like a trade off.

And personally?

No thank you.

I would rather learn how the body works and support it naturally than shortcut the system and pay the price later.

Your Body Isn’t a Mystery

Here’s something I say to clients all the time.

You know how your phone works.

You know how your car works.

You know how to update apps, troubleshoot devices, and figure out new technology.

But your own body?

The most advanced system you will ever live in.

Most people were taught about the body in school, but not the parts that truly matter for everyday health. We memorized diagrams and body parts, but we weren’t really taught how this incredible system works together to keep us alive and well.

When you start to understand that connection, you begin to see your body differently. It isn’t something separate from you. It’s a system that responds to how you move, how you eat, and how you care for it every single day.

People Didn’t Always Look This Sick

When you look at photos from the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, something stands out.

People just looked… healthier.

Stronger posture.

More natural muscle tone.

Clearer skin.

Why?

Because people moved their bodies more.

They walked more.

Worked with their hands more.

Sat less.

And while food was never perfect, the chemical load in our food supply was nowhere near what it is today.

Your body has natural detox systems. But they rely heavily on movement to keep everything flowing.

Today we have the opposite situation.

People sit for hours.

Meanwhile the body is dealing with more chemicals, more processed foods, more stress, and less physical activity.

The result?

The body gets sluggish and overloaded.

Movement Is Medicine

Movement is not just about exercise or looking fit.

Movement:

• improves circulation

• supports detox pathways

• strengthens muscles that protect the spine

• supports metabolism

• improves mood and brain function