One of the biggest changes I made in my own health journey was stopping the guessing.
For years, like many people, I thought I was doing the right things. You read articles, you listen to advice, you buy supplements because somebody says they are “good for you,” and you hope for the best.
But hope is not a strategy when it comes to health.
What really changed things for me was testing.
And I haven’t spoken about this properly for a long time.
I still remember when I first did food intolerance testing. At the time, there were symptoms I had almost accepted as normal. Things like bloating, discomfort, certain reactions after eating, things people often brush off and live with for years.
When I got the results back and removed the foods my body was reacting to, the difference was incredible. Symptoms I had simply learned to tolerate started disappearing, and it made me realise how often people normalise feeling unwell because they don’t know any different.
And then came DNA testing, which for me was another eye-opener completely.
People forget that genetics can give us clues, not certainties. My results showed a predisposition towards hypertension, and instead of waiting for it to become a problem later in life, I used that information to make changes early. That’s what prevention is supposed to be.
I also discovered through testing why I struggled with sleep for years. I metabolise caffeine very slowly, which means even one coffee can stay in my system far longer than it does for other people. Suddenly it all made sense. What seemed “normal” to others was affecting my sleep massively, and without testing I would never have known.
Not waiting until something goes wrong.
Acting before it does.
This is why I always say knowledge is power when it comes to health.
The same happened with vitamins and minerals. Years ago, like many people, I would walk into a health shop, look at shelves full of supplements, and think, “Well, this sounds healthy.” But testing taught me something important.
Just because something is healthy doesn’t mean your body needs it.
And just because a supplement is popular doesn’t mean it’s right for you.
Now I take vitamins and minerals based on what my body actually requires, not based on marketing, trends, or guesswork.
There is a huge difference.
Because health is not one-size-fits-all.
Two people can eat the same food, take the same supplements, live similar lifestyles, and still have completely different needs.
This is where testing becomes so valuable. It gives you information about your own body instead of relying on generic advice meant for everybody.
And honestly, I think this is where healthcare should be moving more and more in the future. Prevention, early insight, understanding the body before symptoms become something more serious.
Of course, testing is not there to create fear or obsession, and it shouldn’t replace common sense or healthy habits. But used properly, it can take away so much of the guessing that people struggle with.
If you are reading this and feel as though you’ve been trying everything without really understanding what your body needs, sometimes the answer is not doing more. Sometimes it’s getting clearer information.
Because when you understand your body properly, you can support it properly.
And that changes everything.
Prevention is better than cure always
Milvia Pili
Functional Nutritional Therapist
