I Polled My Patients - Here Are 10 Things They Taught Me
The habits, treatments and small changes they found most helpful after years of trial and error.
You’ve tried everything, but haven’t yet succeeded. This is the collective trial-and-error of my practice which might just offer a shortcut.
Welcome to the Physician-Led Health Coaching weekly newsletter. I’m Dr. Ashori, a board-certified physician & health coach. I help people fix brain fog, fatigue, and stubborn weight before they turn into real disease.
1. Stress
Acknowledging the source but not obsessing over it
Having a therapist or close friend to talk to about the source
Stress often can’t be avoided but we can cope or manage well with it. It should never be about becoming better at tolerating an unhealthy situation.
More sleep, magnesium, and ashwagandha didn’t offer long-lasting fixes. The goal is to gain enough clarity and headspace to address the root-cause.
2. Sleep
Tiring yourself physically but not mentally/emotionally during the day
Perfecting common triggers like sleep apnea, caffeine, sugar, pain, and anxiety
Not trying to perfect sleep, just improving it
Yoga nidra, melatonin, and Ambien might be effective tools but most of my patients ditched them as standalone strategies.
3. Weight Loss
More fiber for long-term weight loss
Setting eating windows for those who love snacking
Carbonated water, tea, decaf coffee, and fruits for the snackers
I’ve had quite a few people in my practice who couldn’t tolerate GLP1s. I’m surprised when I read about the blatantly positive responses others seem to have online. While weight loss medications remains a great tool, they don’t address the root cause of weight loss.
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4. Fatigue
Making active time for recovery
More exercise (counterintuitively)
Taking iron
Taking iron supplementation came up a few times so I included it. But I’ve not found it to be particularly helpful.
Fatigue often happens because we don’t have enough downtime from daily stressors and the exercise we do is too intense.
5. Unfocused/Brain Fog
More sleep + better sleep quality
Reducing mental overload (most learned to delegate more)
More nutrition, fewer calories
Stimulants and ADHD medications were effective for some people in the beginning. But they often cause tolerance, requiring higher dosages which comes with side effects.
Struggling with Brain Fog? Fix it with my Brain Fog Reset program.
6. Bloating/Constipation & IBS
Identifying food triggers (cold foods, fruits, bread)
Playing around with the type of and amount of fiber.
Stress management
In #3 my patients taught me that more fiber helped them with long-term weight loss. But not everyone responds well to fiber. It needs a thoughtful and gradual approach.
7. Acne and Eczema
Simplifying skin care routines (fewer products, fewer treatments)
Sticking with the same treatment even when there are occasional flares
Completely cutting out added sugar and refined carbs
I wrote about rosacea before and what I learned from my older patients with that condition.
While medications were very effective for both acne and eczema, they also had plenty of side effects.
8. Hair Loss
Identifying why you’re having the hair loss
Sticking with one treatment long enough to see results
Poor nutrition + iron deficiency had huge wins in men + women
Many started with complicated regimens, peptides, meds, and over time they didn’t have long-term results. It seems that simplifying the treatment once the underlying cause is identified had the best results.
9. Back Pain
Almost always muscles or tight fascia (not herniated disc or sciatic issues)
Improving strength and mobility
Rebuilding confidence and cultivating the belief that you can be pain-free
After surgeries, injections, and meds many of my patients realized that their back pain was from some tight structure, a weak muscle somewhere, or inadequate overall strength.
10. Metabolic Health
DEXA scan to help guide weight management
Walking, more so than other exercises
Less refined carbs.
I know these seem intuitive but many of my patients believed they were eating healthy, unrefined diets until we recorded each meal for 2 weeks.
Most of my patients tried so many different things. Some tried them not long enough to see results. And many got caught up with medication, surgeries, and complicated regimens with few results.
The theme is that you have to try different things but consistency matters most. Don’t give up if you don’t see results right away (hair), and don’t assume you’ll never improve (back pain + acne.)
Disclaimer:
Dr. Mohammad Ashori is a U.S.-trained family medicine physician. The content shared here is for education and general guidance. It is not personal medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and it does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Humans are complicated and your personal details matter. Your healthcare team is your best resource before making medical decisions, changing medications, or managing symptoms. This information is to help you add more depth to those conversations.
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