Moai: The Power of Community

In Okinawa, Japan, the word moai represents something deep: a support network of friends, family, and neighbors who walk through life together. They meet regularly, listen to each other, offer support, and celebrate moments big and small.

It’s a reminder that life is better when shared

That’s the essence of this newsletter.

A space to connect, share, and grow together. What truly sustains us isn’t what we do alone, but the relationships we build along the way.

In less than a month, we’ve grown to 1,000 people in this community.

A thousand stories, journeys and reasons for being here.

To celebrate, I want today to be about connection. I’d love for all of us to share something—an idea, a thought, a recommendation, a story… whatever feels right to you.

I’ll start:

My Reason for Being Here: My Mother

Some of you already know my mother passed away from lung cancer while I was in university. I found out about her diagnosis on the last day of my first-year exams.

My father called me and said I needed to go see her (they were separated at the time). When I arrived, my mother told me she had been diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer, despite never having smoked a single cigarette in her life.

She followed the treatment recommended by her oncologists. She underwent chemotherapy… but it didn’t work. She passed away a year later.

That was when I came across the story of a doctor who had been diagnosed with metastatic ovarian cancer, a prognosis similar to my mother’s. But she, in addition to receiving traditional medical treatment, also incorporated exercise, nutrition, psychology… everything that contributes to our overall well-being. Everything we now call integrative medicine.

She healed.

Olympic athletes have an entire team of specialists supporting them every step of the way to win a medal. But cancer patients, who are fighting for their lives, what do they get? In our current healthcare system, the only thing we offer them is a pill

How is that possible?

A Couple of Years Later: Simba

As if it wasn’t enough, not long after, I had to put my cat, my baby, to sleep.

We had shared 23 years together.

After That: Depression

All of this sent me into a deep depression that lasted for years.

I didn’t want to see anyone, not even my own family. I remember walking through the streets like a ghost, unable to understand how people around me could laugh, as if life were normal.

One day, I decided to go to the doctor and ask for help.

The solution? An antidepressant. That was it.

I was studying to take care of others, yet this was how the healthcare system took care of me, with a single pill.

No therapy, no support. Just a pill.

Kitchen Accident

Okay, let’s add a bit of humor.

As if everything else wasn’t enough, during my years in med school, I burned myself in the kitchen with a pressure cooker. I ended up hospitalized, had to go into the operating room three times, and spent three months getting daily wound care (not exactly a fun experience).

I burned my abdomen, and for those three months, my aunt was by my side every single day.

It’s in moments like these that you realize who’s really there for you.

According to her (though I’m not sure I believe it!), one time when I came out of surgery, still under sedation, I wandered around the hospital mumbling, "I love you, Auntie! I love you so much!"—how embarrassing!

The best part?

The only thing inside that cursed cooker was one carrot and half a cabbage.

Moral of the story?

I should probably stick to writing about health instead of playing with kitchen explosives.

Insomnia

I’ve been dealing with this for years, and I’m starting to realize that one of the biggest challenges in maintaining a stable sleep schedule is staying socially connected.

Sleep and social connections, both are important.

But many moments with loved ones happen late at night: dinners, evening walks, going to the movies. I’m struggling to find the right balance.

Ikigai

Up until about two years ago, I thought I was still struggling with depression. But it turns out, what I was really missing was my ikigai, my purpose in life.

Ever since I made a radical change and decided to dedicate myself to writing, there hasn’t been a single day I didn’t wake up excited to live.

If you’re feeling the same way, maybe this is what’s happening to you too?

My First Book

Very soon, my first book will be published (and hopefully the first of many): Delicious Longevity: Practical, Science-Based Guide to Holistic Wellness and Lasting Health through Nutrition.

This has been a project I’ve truly loved working on, and I’m confident it will help many people.

My Advance Reader Copy team has been sharing incredible feedback, and yesterday, I even teared up after reading a message from one of my readers.

Why I Built Zenith Within

As a doctor, patient, and family member, I have witnessed firsthand the importance of integrative and preventive medicine.

This is why I advocate for integrative medicine, which goes beyond traditional treatments. It considers the whole person—nutrition, exercise, mental and emotional health, sleep, stress management, gut health, and more—because everything is interconnected and plays a role in our well-being.

Conventional medicine primarily focuses on curing disease (or attempting to), rather than preventing it. But as the saying goes, “prevention is better than cure.“

These experiences shaped my approach to medicine and inspired me to share what I’ve learned and keep learning.

Break free from misinformation with science-backed insights, practical health tips, the latest research, and expert myth-busting—all from a certified Medical Doctor. Join 3,000+ like-minded people now!

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To your health,

Sara Redondo, MD