One of the questions I find myself asking more and more lately is: Who wasn’t this advice written for?

As a physician, I spend a lot of time reading wellness recommendations. Morning routines. Hormone protocols. Nutrition plans. Workout programs. Supplement stacks. Some of them are excellent. Some leave me feeling underwhelmed.

“One of the questions I find myself asking more and more lately is: Who wasn’t this advice written for?”

For decades, much of medical research centered on male bodies, with women significantly underrepresented in clinical research. It wasn’t until 1993 that federal law required women to be included in NIH-funded clinical research.

That’s not ancient history; that’s within my lifetime.

And while we’ve made important progress since then, the gap hasn’t disappeared. A 2024 National Academies analysis found that only 8.8% of NIH grant spending between 2013 and 2023 focused on women’s health research. So we have decades of health information built largely around male physiology, often applied to women. And then, within the wellness industry, we have another problem: An outdated assumption that women are far more alike than we actually are.

“Within the wellness industry, we have another problem: An outdated assumption that women are far more alike than we actually are.”

The same protocol gets recommended to the college student and the woman navigating perimenopause. The same fasting schedule is promoted to the busy mother of three, the woman trying to conceive, the breast cancer survivor, and the elite athlete. The same supplement routine gets marketed regardless of medical history, medications, culture, budget, or season of life. And still, even today, the same advice is given to men as well as women.

Our hormonal rhythms are different. Our medical histories are different. Our genetics, medications, cultures, resources, goals, and seasons of life are different.

I’ve come to believe that one of the biggest blind spots in wellness isn’t a lack of information but a lack of personalization. It’s recognizing who that information came from, who it was intended for, and whether it makes sense for the person actually receiving it.

Because women deserve healthcare that recognizes something beautifully obvious: We’re different.

Wellness has historically been built around a narrow story

When people hear the word diversity, they often think about representation. That matters.

But I think diversity in healthcare also means recognizing that there is no such thing as the “average woman.”

“Diversity in healthcare also means recognizing that there is no such thing as the ‘average woman.’”

For decades, women were significantly underrepresented in medical research, and some of the numbers are pretty staggering. One historical review of clinical trials found that of nearly 79,000 participants, roughly 93% were men. That’s a mere 5,890 women to 72,951 men.

That matters because we now know that women aren’t simply smaller versions of men. Disease can present differently in women. Hormones influence our physiology throughout our lives. Medications can affect us differently. And even when women are included in research, the data isn’t always analyzed in a way that allows us to understand those differences.

We’ve made meaningful progress, but there is still so much we’re learning about the female body.

We’ve also become more aware of the conditions that disproportionately affect women but have historically been misunderstood or underdiagnosed, from endometriosis and PMOS to perimenopause and autoimmune disease.

These aren’t just research gaps, they’re reminders that biology is diverse and healthcare should reflect that.

The stories we hear shape the care we seek

Open social media, and you’ll quickly find advice from healthy twenty-somethings optimizing every aspect of their lives. Or skincare advice from women who’ve yet to see a wrinkle. Or biohacking advice from predominantly male influencers.

We hear far less from women recovering from cancer. Women navigating infertility. Women living with chronic illness. Women in menopause. Women balancing caregiving with demanding careers. Women whose budgets don’t allow them to buy twenty supplements every month. Women whose cultures approach wellness differently than Western medicine.

The stories we hear is due in part to the algorithm, which rewards content that’s simple, repeatable, entertaining, and widely applicable. Human health rarely works that way.

“The stories we hear is due in part to the algorithm, which rewards content that’s simple, repeatable, entertaining, and widely applicable.”

Nevertheless, we need to hear more stories and perspectives. The more we hear, the more permission we give ourselves to recognize our own. And sometimes, simply knowing that your experience belongs in the conversation can be healing in itself.

Not every woman starts from the same place

When we talk about diversity in wellness, we also must acknowledge that not every woman enters the conversation with the same experiences, opportunities, or risks.

Our genetics are different. Our cultures are different. Our relationships with food, movement, and healthcare are different. Even the diseases we’re more likely to develop — and the way they present — can vary across different populations.

“Our cultural backgrounds, family traditions, relationships with food, and experiences within the healthcare system all shape the way we approach health.”

I relate to this personally as an Asian woman. There have been moments when I’ve wondered who certain wellness advice was really written for, and who it unintentionally leaves out. Our cultural backgrounds, family traditions, relationships with food, and experiences within the healthcare system all shape the way we approach health.

We also know that not every woman has had the same experience within the healthcare system. Some communities continue to face disparities in access to care, delayed diagnoses, or worse health outcomes. Those realities deserve our attention because they remind us that good medicine begins by listening.

The problem with one-size-fits-all wellness

There’s a reason I practice medicine the way that I do: I value deep curiosity instead of assumptions.

Having my own medical practice gives me the space to approach every conversation by first getting to know the person sitting in front of me. Their story, their experiences, their health history, and what matters most to them.

Unfortunately, our healthcare system doesn’t always give physicians the time or space to do that.

“Many physicians are doing extraordinary work within healthcare systems that simply weren’t designed for lengthy, individualized conversations.”

This isn’t a criticism of conventional medicine. Many physicians are doing extraordinary work within healthcare systems that simply weren’t designed for lengthy, individualized conversations.

When doctors are caring for a high volume of patients in limited time, personalization becomes much more difficult. It’s not because clinicians don’t value it, but because the system doesn’t always make space for it.

Functional medicine has given me the opportunity to slow down, ask more questions, and better understand the context behind a person’s health. Rather than asking, “What’s the best diet?” I ask, “Best for whom?”

Intermittent fasting may help one person while making another feel worse. Cold exposure may be invigorating for someone and completely inappropriate for someone else. A supplement that supports one woman may interact with another woman’s medications. Even something as foundational as exercise changes across different seasons of life or to support different phases of the menstrual cycle if you’re still menstruating.

Health isn’t static, and neither are we. Just because something worked for someone else doesn’t mean it’s supposed to work for you.

The future of wellness is personal

One of my favorite parts of medicine is listening to a patient’s story. In many ways, I think this is where modern wellness still has room to grow.

Every patient comes into their appointment carrying so much more than a diagnosis. They bring their childhood experiences, relationships, work, stress, sleep, culture, values, fears, and hopes. Those things don’t always show up on a laboratory report, but they shape health in profound ways. Only the patient can tell me that story.

“Every patient comes into their appointment carrying so much more than a diagnosis.”

That’s why I don’t believe the future of wellness is about finding the perfect protocol or the one routine that works for any one group. I believe it’s about creating care that’s personal enough to honor the individual. Sometimes that includes medication. Sometimes it’s nutrition, therapy, supplements, movement, or deeper conversations about stress and lifestyle. More often than not, it’s a thoughtful combination of several approaches.

The goal has never been choosing one philosophy over another. It’s about choosing the right tools for the right person, at the right time. To me, that’s what truly personalized medicine looks like.

Women deserve better

I don’t think women need more wellness advice. I think they deserve healthcare that’s thoughtful enough to recognize they’re different. Each woman is as unique as a fingerprint, and she deserves to be treated with a precision that understands what makes her health uniquely hers.

“Women deserve healthcare that’s willing to ask better questions before rushing to answers.”

Women deserve healthcare that’s willing to ask better questions before rushing to answers. Healthcare that recognizes biology without reducing women to a single diagnosis, hormone, or stand-alone protocol. Healthcare that values scientific evidence while also making room for lived experience, recognizing that every person’s story provides important clinical context.

Most of all, I think women deserve care that honors their individuality. The healthiest path for one woman may not be the healthiest path for another, and that’s not a failure of wellness. It’s simply the reality of being human.

To me, diversity isn’t just about who’s represented in the conversation (though that definitely deserves a serious upgrade). It’s about recognizing that no two women are exactly alike, and our healthcare shouldn’t treat us as though we are.

“No two women are exactly alike, and our healthcare shouldn’t treat us as though we are.”

That’s the future of wellness I hope we continue building. One that’s more curious than prescriptive, more personal than performative, and always centered on the unique human being sitting in front of us.

It’s also the perspective I carry into my own medical practice. I want every person who walks through my door (or meets with me virtually) to feel like their care was actually designed for them.

Dr. Jaclyn Tolentino is a board-certified family medicine physician specializing in functional medicine, women’s health, hormone optimization, metabolic health, and longevity. She has been featured in Vogue, The Wall Street Journal, and Women’s Health. As both a physician and a breast cancer survivor, she is passionate about delivering thoughtful, personalized care that empowers patients to better understand their health. Follow her on Instagram for updates and insights.