“When you hold the keys to this one critical bodily process, you can be an outlier—a truly positive kind of outlier.”

Means reframes health as something both attainable and exceptional, positioning herself as a guide on the journey to optimal health. By suggesting that mastery of one process—metabolism—can set a person apart in a positive way, Means attempts to give readers a sense of agency and hope.

“It was increasingly becoming clear to me that although I was surrounded by practitioners who got into medicine to help patients, the reality is that every institution that impacts health—from medical schools to insurance companies to hospitals to pharma companies—makes money on ‘managing’ disease, not curing patients.”

This excerpt uses a logical critique to highlight systemic flaws in modern healthcare. By juxtaposing the altruistic intentions of individual practitioners with the profit-driven motives of institutions, Means exposes a dissonance that undermines the mission of medicine. The argument shifts blame from individuals to entrenched systems, which invites readers to question their own trust in conventional healthcare. This logical structure reinforces her broader argument for prevention and holistic care, positioning it as a necessary alternative to a system incentivized by chronic illness.

“When in doubt, always start by asking questions.”

Means’s perspective reflects a commitment to the foundational principle of inquiry—seeing the “why” behind observable phenomena. By acknowledging the limitations of her own knowledge and the importance of remaining open to new information or new approaches, Means imbues her narrative tone with humility. Adopting this mindset also allows Means to model a thoughtful, patient-centered approach to health that values exploration over assumption.