A patient asked me a question yesterday, “What are some of the things you like to do in your free time?”

After thinking about it for the past 24 hours, I realized something:
I genuinely enjoy being around people---family, friends, patients, even random conversations at the store.

But hands down, my favorite person to spend time with is my wife. After that, it’s my kids.

One of the favorite things to do with my kids is to share a meal together.

If we’re not eating at home, our go-to lunch spot is Blaze Pizza, and when it comes to breakfast… IHOP is the happening place for us.

IHOP brings back memories for me.

When I was a kid, my grandma (Granny to me) used to take me to IHOP at the mall. I’d always order “Pigs in a Blanket”, pancakes wrapped around sausage links, and I always chose blueberry syrup to drench them in. (Not sure if it’s still on the menu today, but back then, that was the only thing I would order)

Fast forward to this morning, I was out to breakfast at IHOP with my 14-year-old son when he looked at the menu and asked:

“Dad, are you going to order from the 55+ menu?”

I laughed and said, “Wait… what? There’s a senior menu?”

Turns out there is and apparently, I’ve been eligible for the discount the past four years…and never noticed.

All those breakfasts with my kids since moving to Florida, and I missed it.
Not because the benefit wasn’t available, but because I wasn’t paying attention.

And that got me thinking.

How often does this happen with our health?

Every week, I meet people quietly struggling with:

• Fatigue
• Poor sleep
• Nagging pain
• Brain fog
• Muscle tension

Not because they’re neglecting their health, but because they didn’t realize something better was possible.

Perhaps they are making a bunch of false assumptions.

“I guess this is just aging.” “I’ve just been under stress.” “This must be my new normal.”

However, the truth of the matter is that what’s going on beneath the surface can sometimes be corrected with a little detective work and the right approach.

So what’s the takeaway? When it comes to your health, what you don’t know can limit you.

And what you do discover when you pause, ask questions, or do the right testing is you can open the door to:

• More energy
• Better movement
• Deeper sleep
• And greater effectiveness in the things you love to do

Recently, a dad brought his 15-year-old son to me as he was preparing for a big tennis tournament in two weeks and wanted him to be at his best.

We discovered a few stressors that were slowing down his game and cleared them, allowing his body to function at optimum levels.

Yesterday I received a text from the dad that his son won the final!

Here’s the picture that came along with the text