It's the driver of over 130 health conditions.

One of my best friends was venting to me the other day about a list of symptoms she's been struggling with. Bloating. Hair loss. Weight gain. Irritability.

She'd tried everything to fix them. PRP for her hair. Minoxidil. Birth control pills. Lots of doctor visits. None of it really working.

I know what you're thinking—sounds like perimenopause! But before we blame everything on hormones, I suggested the same thing I've been telling her for literally a decade: try going gluten-free.

For whatever reason, this time it landed.

Five days later, she texted again. Bloating gone. Puffiness erased. More energy. And she felt calmer during a stressful week than she normally would.

It was a perfect reminder: inflammation doesn't always show up the way we expect. Not red, swollen joints. Not an obvious autoimmune diagnosis.

Far more often, it shows up quietly—as bloating, hair thinning, fluid retention, stubborn weight, anxiety, or a metabolism that feels stuck.

Conventional medicine trains us to chase symptoms at the surface without asking what's driving all of it underneath.

Very often, the answer is inflammation.

Here's how to recognize the subtle signs—and cool the fire.

Non-celiac gluten sensitivity is more common in women and linked to IBS, anxiety, and depression (Gut, 2026).

And, two-thirds of adults have reduced tolerance to dairy (Smithsonian Magazine, 2022).

Both quietly drive gut inflammation, hormone disruption, and metabolic stress.

A 30-day elimination has been shown to:

Acute inflammation is protective (injury, infection, healing). Chronic inflammation is low-grade immune activation that never shuts off.

It's a shared driver behind 130+ conditions—autoimmunity, heart disease, infertility (Fiber Fueled, Bulsiewicz 2026).

Inflammation disrupts insulin, thyroid conversion, estrogen metabolism, and cortisol rhythms. That's why symptoms feel random even when they share the same root.

Common signs:

70% of the immune system lives in the gut (Nutrients, 2021). Gut irritation increases immune activation and systemic inflammation—even without GI pain (Microorganisms, 2025).

This gut–immune loop often underlies hormone imbalance, mood changes, and metabolic dysfunction.

Hair loss meds, bloat fixes, sleep aids, and anxiety treatments don't resolve upstream inflammation. Symptom suppression ≠ resolution when the immune system is chronically activated.

Start with gluten and dairy—the most common hidden triggers in women.

If symptoms improve: reintroduce one at a time after 30 days to identify your specific triggers.

If no improvement: consider additional testing (KBMO food sensitivity panel at Parsley) or eliminate alcohol, which increases gut permeability ("leaky gut") (Int J Mol Sci, 2021).

Blood sugar swings raise cortisol and inflammation—making fat loss harder and amplifying symptoms.

Protein first at meals (≥30g) to blunt glucose spikes.

Include fiber with carbs (8–10g per meal).

Walk or do 10 squats 15–30 min after eating to pull glucose into muscle.

Fiber feeds different gut bacteria, increasing SCFAs like butyrate that calm immune signaling.

Aim for 30-50g fiber daily from 20-30 different plant foods per week:

⚠️ If bloating worsens as fiber increases, pull back—this may signal SIBO or dysbiosis.

Chronic stress raises cortisol and inflammation—blunting recovery and metabolism.

5 minutes of meditation daily. Body scan or mantra-based practice is enough to lower baseline cortisol.

Slow breathwork for 2–3 minutes. Inhale through nose, long exhale through mouth (~4–6 breaths/min) activates the vagus nerve.

Consider the Apollo Neuro device. Wear during work blocks or before sleep to shift nervous system toward calm.

The goal: You're not avoiding all inflammatory foods forever. You're identifying your specific triggers, removing the upstream driver, and giving your body space to reset.

This week we're in Costa Rica for my kids' winter break. Dream of dreams! I feel so blessed to have created this moment in time.

As someone who has a hard time slowing down, I need a full three days to arrive and settle into beach rhythm. I also take a very different approach to time off—it's all about indulging, but indulging in the workouts, food, longer meditation sessions, and deep sleep that I have a hard time getting to routinely in NYC.

There's nothing wrong with a more traditionally indulgent vacation. Listen, I'm going to Italy for my birthday later this year and that trip will be all pasta, wine and late nights if I do anything right.

But we choose Costa Rica for our winter family trip precisely because of how healthy we get to be here together.

For those of you in places like Florida and California who are like, "We feel so sorry for you Robin, we get to do this all year!"—heard, chef! But I hear from a lot of you—even you sunny state dwellers—that finding time and space to live out your full longevity fantasies is still pretty hard to accomplish day to day.

So here's my longevity fantasy itinerary for you! And inspiration to treat time off as a time to get super extra when it comes to health.

The week includes:

I'm at the point in my life where this is it, and there's no FOMO for anything else. We'll definitely be social here, but even the social hangs are centered on sauna, cold plunge and beach time. The shared values of healthier living bring us closer together.

I want to be doing this for a long long time. I can see myself at 95, in this same spot, watching the sunset over the ocean with my kids, grandkids, husband and friends. Everything I'm doing here makes that more likely, and makes me feel amazing now.

Win, and win.

Stay strong, stay curious and breathe, 

Robin

If you're dealing with symptoms that feel "unrelated" or haven't responded to standard treatments, it's worth testing for inflammation.

At Parsley, we run comprehensive panels including hs-CRP, fasting insulin, and food sensitivity testing (KBMO). Book your labs or consult here.