Dr. David Orman

Two people can eat the exact same food, follow the same diet plan, and even take the same supplements, yet their outcomes often look nothing alike. One person experiences clarity, steadiness, and renewed energy. The other feels sluggish, inflamed, or unchanged. The difference is rarely the food alone. It is the internal state of the body at the moment the food is consumed. Digestion depends on blood flow, stress levels, enzyme activity, and the overall tone of the nervous system. When the body is tense and reactive, even healthy food can feel like an intruder. When the body is calm and open, nourishment is absorbed fully.

The hidden factor is the terrain. It is the inner environment created by the gut microbiome, the hormonal balance, the adrenal rhythm, and the emotional state. Some people carry residual inflammation like a quiet fire smoldering beneath the surface. Others have a stable internal landscape that welcomes nutrients rather than fighting them. Two identical meals interact with two very different terrains, and this shapes the entire healing response. A nutrient entering a stressed system becomes fuel for stress. The same nutrient entering a regulated system becomes fuel for repair.

True nutrition is not what enters the mouth, but what the body can use. Healing begins when digestion is supported, stress is lowered, and the terrain is restored. This is why meditation, breathwork, movement, and emotional clarity are as vital as food choices. They shift the inner world so nutrition can become medicine. When the internal terrain is aligned, the same meal that once caused stagnation now becomes a catalyst for strength, energy, and recovery.