4. City: Optimizing Health and Cultivating Fraternity

“No one can live without friends” - St Augustine

Within the fortress walls of Mt. St. Michael, a thriving community sustained the monks through centuries of storms and sieges. They didn't survive alone and neither should you. This domain is where isolation ends and authentic fraternity and charity begins.

You'll need to build strong bonds with other Catholics in person, moving beyond surface-level Sunday handshakes (sign of peace anybody?) into genuine friendships forged through shared mission. Serving your home first, then your parish, then the world! Whether through ministry, volunteering, or simply showing up consistently. Consider finding a mentor or coach to accelerate your growth exponentially, giving you someone who's walked the path ahead and can guide you through the obstacles you can't yet see.

But unity isn't just spiritual. It's critical for the bodily systems that take your physical temple to the next level. This is where you move beyond basic consistency into optimization. At this stage you’ll refine your diet based on your unique needs, improve your training with progressive programming that builds on your fortress foundation, and prioritize adequate sleep as the recovery tool that makes everything else function properly

Take a deeper look into functional bloodwork and labs that reveal what's truly happening beneath the surface. Not just a “you look healthy” or “your labs are fine” from a general doctor.

Testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, thyroid function, inflammation markers, and nutrient deficiencies aren't vanity metrics; they're diagnostic tools that help you address root causes rather than symptoms. And they may just improve your ability to fight against sin. The battle is not flesh and blood, but your flesh and blood can have a huge impact in the battlefield of the mind.

The city thrives when its people are healthy, connected, and serving one another. You can't build God's kingdom alone, and you can't optimize your temple for your vocation without the wisdom of community and the precision of data-driven health strategies.

Still with me? Good!

Here’s a few strategies:

- Attend mass at the same parish regularly and stay for coffee and donuts or whatever is going on after mass. Introduce yourself to one new person every week
- Ask your parish coordinator to send out invites or add an event to the bulletin. Things like a game night, clothes swap, movie premier, or hike. Something you enjoy that isn’t inherently Catholic
- Join a team or group at your parish
- Get your labs tested by a functional Dr.
- Sleep 7 hours every night (unless you’re making friends)
- Buy a food sensitivity test to see what you can do to further improve your diet
- Hire a coach, this is great for both having someone to talk with and improve your health