I hear “I’m alright” a lot.
In fact, I hear it so often that I’ve started paying attention to what usually comes before it.
“I have cancer, but I’m alright.”
“I’ve put on a bit of weight, but I’m alright.”
“I’m stressed, but I’m alright.”
“I have diabetes, but I’m alright, I take a tablet.”
“I have high blood pressure, but I’m alright, I take a tablet.”
“I eat the same sandwich every day, but I’m alright.”
“I don’t sleep very well, but I’m alright.”
And every time I hear it, I find myself asking the same question.
Are you, really?
Because if your body is giving you all these signs, how “alright” is it actually feeling underneath?
Now, I want to be clear here. I am not saying people with health conditions cannot live full, meaningful lives. They absolutely can. And I am not saying medication is not important when it is needed.
What I am talking about is something else. Somewhere along the way, we have started confusing managing symptoms with being well.
We take a tablet, a supplement, a multivitamin, and assume everything is under control.
But if it really was that simple, surely we would not be surrounded by so much tiredness, weight gain, poor sleep, and chronic ill health.
I often meet people who are doing “all the right things” on paper. They take supplements every day, yet they are still exhausted.
They are bloated.
They are not sleeping well.
They are carrying excess weight.
Their digestion is off.
Their blood sugar is unstable.
Their blood pressure is creeping up.
And still, they say, “I’m alright.”
The truth is, the body needs more than a pill.
It needs nourishment.
It needs movement.
It needs sleep.
It needs fresh air.
It needs real food that supports health, not works against it.
And it needs attention when something feels off.
One thing I have learned over the years is that the body rarely breaks down overnight. It usually gives us warning signs for a long time. The challenge is that we get used to them.
We normalise being tired.
We normalise poor sleep.
We normalise digestive discomfort.
We normalise stress.
We normalise carrying extra weight.
Then we call it ageing. Or bad luck. Or genetics.
And we carry on saying, “I’m alright.”
But maybe the better question is not whether you are alright.
Maybe the better question is whether you are thriving.
Do you wake up with energy?
Do you feel strong in your body?
Do you sleep well?
Do you digest your food comfortably?
Do you feel well most days?
Because that is the standard we should be aiming for.
Not just getting through the day.
Not just managing symptoms.
Not just being “alright.”
If any of this resonates, don’t ignore it. Your body is communicating with you. The sooner you listen, the easier it is to make changes before those quiet signals become something louder.
Prevention rather than cure.
Milvia Pili
Functional Nutritional Therapist
Blue Zone Nutrition
