Welcome to The Feel Good Life! A newsletter about health, prevention, empathy, and hope. I’m Dr. Mariana M.D. and I’m here to teach you how to not go to the doctor. Get started by checking my easy, medically-guided course on managing stress and daily habits, right here.
It’s time!
A lot has happened since the start of this newsletter - even though it wasn’t long ago. And for it all I’m deeply grateful. It’s all calling me to keep growing, to keep thinking big and dreaming far.
In September (2023) this newsletter was launched and the work began.
Between October and December, the first course was successfully published.
In December I also took a much needed break in between holidays, travels and changes.
January started with a good dose of planning for what’s coming ahead.
And now February comes with the next exciting steps in our health journey together.
Today I want to share two big things coming ahead, inspired by my big ideas and above all, by your outstanding support.
Here’s a sneak peek of today’s BIG news:
Feel Good Medical Consultations starting February 2024
Save the date! Q&A for our first course: Don’t Stress It!
All details ahead. Here we go!
BIG NEWS #1:
Launching Feel Good Discovery Calls and Consultation Services
Now, I’m thrilled to announce the official opening of my medical consultation services here on Substack!
What kind of consultation is this?
These are Integrative and Preventive Medicine consultations.
“Wait, Mariana, what does that even mean?” Let me explain: Integrative Medicine is the medical approach that combines the most well-researched practices and treatments from both alternative medicine and conventional medicine. And Preventive Medicine is a combination of medical practices that are designed to avoid disease and illness. It is all a proactive approach to patient care.
Basically, they’re both in charge of helping you stay healthy rather than having to cure illness when it has already hit.
Preventive and Integrative Medicine doesn't mean surgery; it doesn't mean feeding you pills either. Instead, it means:
Understanding your body
Learning what it needs
And actually giving it what it needs
By understanding a person’s habits and lifestyle, Preventive doctors (like myself) can connect all dots between your physical, mental and emotional self. We do this by learning all about who YOU are: your mind, your body, your emotions, your habits, your lifestyle, your joys and concerns, and what your own body needs in its unique way. This way we can help you not just to maintain your wellbeing but to prevent a large range of preventable diseases, such as cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic, just to mention a few.
I have seen this in my medical practice every day since day one. After 18 years of professional experience, both as a Palliative Care and Chronic Pain specialist and as Preventive Medicine Doctor, trust me when I say I’ve seen both sides of the spectrum. And after such a journey, I’m absolutely clear and convinced: Prevention is EVERYTHING. The earliest you can begin, the more you can prevent, and the best quality of life you will get to enjoy.
For example:
You’ve been suffering from chronic bloatedness and acidity, triggering headaches and feelings of low energy and unpredictable mood-swings - and you have no idea where to start, or what you could even do to ease these symptoms at home without arranging a potentially expensive & time-consuming medical appointment.
Solution: we’ll explore common digestive issues, analyse your behaviour to look for patterns that might be impacting your wellness, and create easy, doable steps for easing discomfort, maintaining long-term digestive health and only using medical intervention as a last port of call after you’ve achieved a sustainable healthy lifestyle for yourself and your gut!
You’re struggling with anxiety, and it’s affecting your ability to sleep. Insomnia is becoming an increasing problem, and you know you could be doing things in a healthier way, but you’re so stressed and overwhelmed that it seems impossible to know where to start.
Solution: Healthy body = healthy mind. We’ll tackle your anxiety by shoring up your body’s natural defenses - starting with establishing a healthy sleep pattern that will give your body its best chance to repair and strengthen itself at night, allowing you to tackle the stresses of your life with a clear head and the maximum mental energy available to you every day!
You’re simply exhausted, a bottomless fatigue that seems to worsen every day. You feel like your body is your enemy, not your friend, and it’s working against you - nothing seems to wake you up, even stimulants like coffee and sugar, and you miss the days you could live on no sleep. You’d love a doctor’s perspective, but you’re not sure there’s anything medically “wrong” with you - although this is already impacting your lifestyle in a really bad way. Help!
Solution: Doctor to the rescue! You don’t have to be “sick” for your wellness to be suffering. The daily grind of a modern lifestyle, combined with all its unhealthiest habits, can knock your wellness completely out of whack and make you lose confidence in your own body. So many people feel this way, and so few of them go to a doctor about it - so they continue to suffer in silence. I’m here to listen, and to help you make simple, powerful changes that will transform your relationship with yourself, push back fatigue and stress, and feel like you’re ready to enjoy your life again.
We’ve all been there, myself included. If this is you, I’m here to help. Trust me, understanding your body, embracing lifestyle changes and seeing positive results in your health and wellbeing is 100% possible.
What this consultation is NOT:
In these consultations we won’t do medical diagnoses, prescribe lab tests or medication. These should always be in the charge of your local doctor. We can happily discuss any of these investigations and interventions to help you better understand them - but no changes in your medication or booking of medical appointments with your healthcare provider can be arranged directly through my online medical service.
How does the Feel Good Consultations work?
There are two kinds of consultation that you can access:
Discovery Call. These are free 30-min video calls in which we will talk about a specific health concern you want to explore and seek to understand.
Feel Good Consultation. A more comprehensive session in which we take a deeper dive into your health and wellbeing.
You can first book a Discovery Call and if it’s enough for you, that’s great!
But if you want more detailed, personalised guidance for taking next steps and creating long-term wellness management plans, then the Feel Good consultation is for you. In these sessions we will:
1) unpack and understand your health in detail
2) create a tailored action plan for your specific goals and needs, and
3) finish up with a final assessment and overview of the next steps you’ll be taking in your own time and at your own pace.
You can arrange for a Feel Good Consultation in 2 ways:
You take out an annual subscription to the paid version of this newsletter (click here), which will give you one Feel Good Consultation with me, to be taken anytime that suits you. (This is the most affordable option, since a regular private consultation can start at $100 - while my Substack annual subscription is only $60.)
You make a private booking with me using my online consultation calendar, making a one-off payment through its secure Stripe or PayPal payment function. The options here include a single consultation, or a 3-Consultation pack where one initial assessment and two follow-up consultations are included, for an average cost of $250.
You decide which option suits you best according to your needs. But if you are unsure, just jump on a free Discovery Call and let’s talk! Let’s find out what’s the best course of action for you.
The Discovery Calls start right next month: February 2024! There are just 10 slots available in this initial rollout, so don’t miss this opportunity.
I look forward to helping you take back control of your wellness in 2024!
BIG NEWS #2:
Q&A for Don’t Stress It! Course Q&A - Save The Date
During November and December 2023, I published an 8-part stress-management course here on Substack! I’m still buzzing from all the incredible feedback I got (and am still getting) from so many of you. But if you’re a new reader, no worries! It’s not too late to join in: anyone can go through the courses at their own pace (which is the whole magic of publishing and teaching on this platform).
In December, we took a break for the holidays - and now it’s time for the first Q&A for the Don’t Stress It! course. I’m looking forward to meeting you all!
When? 7th February 12h CT / 18h UK / 19h ESP
Where? Google Meet. Here’s the meeting link to join. (In case you need the meeting address to copy\paste, here it is: https://meet.google.com/gkz-amtu-yag)
See you on February 7th! Whether you’ve gone through the course already or you’re getting started, there’s time, no worries! Make sure you write down your doubts and questions in advance.
That’s a bang to get 2024 started!
I’ve got lots of exciting things coming soon (yes, more!), including just for paid subscribers. Just a reminder: if you become a yearly paid subscriber, you get a consultation for free!
Here’s the upgrade link again.
Thank you and see you next time!
Dr. Mariana
PS: If you have any questions or doubts about my new consultation service, just hit reply to this email or get in touch with me at thefeelgoodlife@substack.com - I will be right with you! :)
Exciting plans, Doc! 🤗
And so much more to come! 🥰🎊 Thank you for being here, Amy!