Why Can’t I Get Better? The 3 Foundations That May Be Keeping You Stuck — Gut, Stress & Sleep | E173

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In this episode of Made for Health, Dr. Aaron Hartman begins a new series with a question he hears almost every day: “Why am I not getting better?”

You may be doing everything you think you’re supposed to do. You’ve seen doctors and specialists. You’ve changed your diet, tried supplements, addressed your diagnosis, and worked hard on your health. Maybe you’ve improved 20%, 40%, or even 60%—but then something happens. Progress stops, symptoms linger, and you feel stuck.

Before jumping to more complicated possibilities like mold, Lyme disease, mast cell issues, hormones, or advanced testing, Dr. Hartman argues that it’s worth returning to the foundations. In his clinical experience, three of the most commonly overlooked areas are gut health, stress, and sleep.

He explores how nutrition, the microbiome, food reactivity, detoxification, stress and trauma, nervous-system regulation, and restorative sleep can influence the healing process. The goal isn't simply to chase the newest health trend. It's to identify what may be blocking progress, address what's lacking, and build a stronger foundation for healing.

Key Topics Covered

• Why people can make significant progress and then suddenly get stuck
• The danger of chasing the newest health trend or treatment
• Why foundational health still matters in complex chronic illness
• Gut health and the microbiome
• Real food versus highly processed food
• Food sensitivities and immune reactivity
• Protein, minerals, and nutrition in detoxification
• Prebiotics, probiotics, postbiotics, polyphenols, and fiber
• Chronic stress and its impact on healing
• Health-related and healthcare-related stress
• Trauma and nervous-system dysregulation
• EMDR, tapping, somatic therapy, and parts therapy
• The default mode network and established brain patterns
• Why sleep is essential for repair and recovery
• Deep sleep, REM sleep, memory, and nervous-system regulation
• Why the basics should come before more complex interventions

Follow Dr. Aaron Hartman and Richmond Integrative & Functional Medicine

🌐 Website: https://richmondfunctionalmedicine.com/

🎒 Back-to-School 2026: Back-to-School Bundle

📺 YouTube: @AaronHartmanMD

Mentioned in this episode:

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Back to School Support for Parents

25% Off Back to School Support for Parents

Back to school asks a lot of parents, too. Support your body through the season with three physician-reviewed, foundation-first essentials: Twice Daily Multi, Quercetin + Nettles, and NAC. For a limited time, save 25% on the Back to School Support Bundle. Visit the link below ⬇️ Shop the Back to School Sale

Back to School Support for Parents