Why "Generic" Self-Care Advice Wasn't Enough for Me, and What I Tried Instead

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This article was written by Dr. Julie Kokesch (Dr. Julie K) and is republished on ForeverBetty with her explicit permission.

All rights to this article remain with Dr. Julie Kokesch. We are honored to share her work as part of ForeverBetty's mission to make trusted, evidence-informed menopause education more accessible while connecting women with experienced practitioners.

The Challenge with One-Size-Fits-All Menopause Advice

If you're in perimenopause or menopause, you've probably heard the same advice countless times: move your body, get better sleep, manage stress, and eat whole foods.

It's good advice—but it's also the same advice nearly every woman receives, regardless of her unique health, lifestyle, or individual needs.

That was my experience, too.

I was already doing "all the right things." I followed the generalized biohacking recommendations commonly shared by doctors, books, and podcasts, yet I still felt like something was missing.

Looking Beyond Generic Wellness Advice

Curiosity led me to explore a tool that most conventional healthcare providers don't typically discuss: a personalized reading based on my own birth data.

The insights weren't generic. They offered individualized suggestions about how my body processes food, what types of environments support my well-being, and other highly personalized recommendations that broad wellness advice simply can't provide.

After all, generic advice is designed for everyone—and therefore, for no one in particular.

My Personal Experience

I want to be clear about what this experience was—and what it wasn't.

This approach did not replace medical care, nor am I suggesting it will produce the same results for everyone.

What I can share is what happened in my own case.

I tracked my progress the same way I would encourage any patient to do: with objective data and laboratory testing.

Over the course of three months, I incorporated the personalized recommendations from my chart while continuing the evidence-based foundations I was already following and working alongside my hormone specialist.

During that time, I experienced measurable improvements, including:

A biological age reduction of 15 months (measured through a Harvard-affiliated laboratory I have used consistently for more than three years)
Improved Hemoglobin A1c
Lower blood pressure
A noticeable improvement in my overall appearance and energy

None of these changes replaced medical care. Instead, this personalized approach complemented the care I was already receiving.

Why I Chose to Share This Story

The women I work with are intelligent, capable, and often frustrated by one-size-fits-all advice that only creates small improvements.

Personalized healthcare isn't a new concept.

In fact, tailoring care to the individual is one of the foundations of good medicine.

For me, this was simply another tool—one that helped make the fundamentals more meaningful because the recommendations were specific to me rather than generalized for an entire age group.

Personalized Midlife Health Starts with Better Questions

If you're navigating perimenopause or menopause and feel like you're doing everything "right" but still not seeing the progress you'd hoped for, it may be worth asking a different question.

Instead of asking:

"What should every woman do during midlife?"

Consider asking:

"What does my body specifically need?"

That's a question I encourage every woman to continue exploring—with her healthcare team and with any additional evidence-informed tools that help her better understand her own body.

The goal isn't to replace medical care.

The goal is to build a personalized approach that supports your overall health and helps the fundamentals work more effectively for you.

Self-care rocks.