Jun 28, 2025 Qi's Note

The world's most expensive house - Your body

While preparing for an interview with a special nutritionist blending modern science and traditional wisdom, I came across an Indian expert, Ryan Fernando. One line from his interview with Dr. Pal lingered in my mind:

💡

“Your body is your most expensive real estate.”

It struck me not just as a clever metaphor, but as a quiet indictment of how we live. Many of us treat our bodies like rentals: poorly maintained, only fixed when broken. But if this is our only lifelong residence, shouldn’t we treat it with care? I summarized 3 key takeaways from Ryan's sharing.

1. The Beginning of Health is A Shift in Attitude

Ryan, who is in his fifties but looks like he’s in his thirties, doesn’t rely on magic formulas. His secret? Treating his body like a long-term investment. He avoids processed sugar, chooses organic produce, monitors visceral fat, and plans nutrition for every life stage. He is not reacting to illness, but proactively managing well-being. That kind of sustained care—rooted in awareness and intention—is more potent than any pill or superfood.

2. Doctors Are The Last Line of Defense

Another point Dr Pal made was also stays with me, “Doctors are the last line of defense.” That philosophy resonates deeply with both Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda, which believe that true health begins not in the clinic, but in the kitchen, in daily routines, in emotional regulation. Waiting until illness arrives is like calling the fire department after years of ignoring the smoke. Real health, across traditions, starts with the choices we make every day.

3. Ancient Wisdom And Modern Science Are Not Opponents

Ryan uses body composition scales and smart nutrition tracking, yet he also respects the slow, cultural rhythm of habit change—254 days to form a new pattern, not the 21-day myth. Similarly, Chinese medicine is adapting to modern diagnostics while preserving its emphasis on constitution and balance. We don’t need to choose sides. Wisdom lies in integration.

Final Thought: Everything Begins With How You See It

We often ask: “What should I eat to stay healthy?” But perhaps the more important question is: “How do I see my body?”

Whether we tend to something or neglect it depends not on knowledge, but on attitude. If you see your body as a temporary space, you’ll treat it as disposable.
If you view it as your life’s one true home, you’ll clean it, protect it, invest in it—consistently and lovingly.

Health is not a trend. It is a relationship—between you and yourself. Every glass of warm water, every early night, every walk you take by choice—is a quiet act of reverence.