Why “Common” Symptoms Aren’t Normal

The Suboptimal Middle Most People Don’t Recognize

Not everyone is bedridden.

Not everyone is thriving.

Many people exist somewhere in between.

Dr. Cole describes this space as the suboptimal middle, where symptoms like fatigue, anxiety, sluggishness, digestive discomfort, and low-grade inflammation quietly dull quality of life without fully stopping daily function.

You’re not collapsing. But you’re not feeling great either.

And because these symptoms are so common, they are often dismissed.

Normalized. Minimized. Ignored.

But here’s the truth: Just because something is common does not mean your body is supposed to feel that way.

Why Modern Bodies Are Struggling

One of the most important frameworks in this episode is the idea of an epigenetic mismatch. Our genetics have not meaningfully changed in thousands of years.

But our environment has.

• Ultra-processed foods 
• Synthetic chemicals 
• Environmental toxins 
• Chronic stress 
• Sleep disruption 
• Microplastics, PFAS, heavy metals 

The body is constantly adapting to inputs it was never designed to process at this scale.

The result?

• Inflammation
• Metabolic dysfunction
• Immune dysregulation
• Energy depletion

Medication Isn’t the Missing Nutrient

The U.S. is one of the most heavily medicated societies in history. Yet chronic illness continues to rise.

Dr. Cole makes a powerful observation: If sickness were caused by a pharmaceutical deficiency, we would be the healthiest population, not the most chronically ill.

Medication can absolutely be a tool. But it is rarely the full solution.

Because symptoms are often driven by:

• Lifestyle inputs
• Environmental exposures•
• Inflammatory load
• Metabolic stress
• Nervous system burden

Factors that conventional medicine is not always structured to address.

The Big Bucket vs Small Bucket Reality

This episode introduces one of the most relatable concepts in functional medicine.

Bucket capacity.

Some people have larger physiologic resilience. Others have a smaller tolerance.

You cannot change the size of your bucket. But you can change what goes into it.

For smaller bucket individuals, exposures like mold, toxins, inflammatory foods, and chronic stress hit differently. What looks manageable to one person becomes overwhelming to another.

This is where awareness and reduction matter.

Not perfection. Not elimination of everything.

Measurement. Awareness. Adjustment.

Health Isn’t Just What You Eat

We often talk about air, water, and food.

But Dr. Cole expands the lens.

What are you feeding your nervous system?

• Stress load 
• Trauma history
• Relationships
• Information diet
• Technology exposure

Mental inputs become biological outputs.

Chronic stress is not abstract.

It is inflammatory.Hormonal.Neurological.

The Shift That Changes Everything

One of the most important reframes from this conversation:

Health is not about perfection. It is about alignment.

Doing more of what loves you back. Reducing what drains your capacity. Supporting your body’s resilience rather than constantly fighting symptoms.

Why You’ll Want to Listen to This Episode

If you’ve ever wondered:

• Why fatigue feels “normal” but never resolves• Why symptoms linger despite normal labs• Why chronic illness keeps rising• Why some people tolerate exposures better than others• Why wellness feels harder than it should

This episode connects the dots.

Clear science.

Honest conversation.

Real-world clinical insight.

And a perspective that replaces normalization with understanding.

Final Word

If symptoms like fatigue, anxiety, brain fog, or digestive issues have quietly become your baseline…

Pause here.

Common does not mean normal.

Your body is not being dramatic. It is adapting.

And when the right inputs change, outcomes can change too.

Listen to Episode #111 of Never Been Sicker now.

Because feeling “fine” is not the same as feeling well.