Kristen Blake Wellness

You’ve probably heard the Wolverine Stack mentioned lately… but what actually is it, and why are so many people getting curious about it? 👀

One thing I think we get wrong about recovery is assuming it’s only relevant when you’re an athlete or dealing with a major injury.

Your body is constantly recovering from something — workouts, travel, long days, old injuries, physical stress, life.

The Wolverine Stack is a recovery-focused protocol being researched around pathways involved in things like:
→ connective tissue + tissue remodeling
→ gut-barrier support
→ inflammatory balance
→ recovery + whole-body resilience

And no, it doesn’t replace the basics. Protein, nutrients, sleep, appropriate movement, stress support, rehab and medical care still matter.

I look at tools like this as exactly that: tools that can support the healthy foundation you’re already building.

If you’re curious about the Wolverine Stack and want the simple breakdown — including how it may differ depending on whether you’re dealing with a new injury or a lingering issue/optimization —

Comment STACK below and I’ll send it to you. 🤍

Educational only. Not medical advice. A licensed provider reviews every intake. Individual results vary.

Your CBC and CMP came back normal. Great.
But that doesn't necessarily mean you're metabolically healthy, adequately nourished, at low cardiovascular risk—or that the symptoms you've been complaining about aren't real. 😬

I'm not saying an annual physical and basic labs are not important.
Preventive screenings save lives. Your physician should be assessing your individual risk factors and making sure you're getting appropriate screenings and preventive care.

But an annual physical and basic screening labs aren't designed to answer every question about your health.
A normal CBC doesn't tell us whether you're insulin resistant.
A normal CMP isn't a comprehensive assessment of your nutrient status.
A basic lipid panel doesn't always tell us your complete cardiovascular risk picture.
A TSH within the laboratory reference range doesn't mean your thyroid function is perfect.
And a fasting glucose that's technically “normal” doesn't necessarily tell us what your insulin is doing to keep it there.

This is the distinction I wish more people understood:
Disease screening and health optimization aren't exactly the same thing.

One asks: “Do we have evidence of disease or something requiring medical attention immediately?”
The other also asks: “Are there patterns developing NOW that we may be able to improve before they become bigger problems?”

So when your P*P doesn't want to order anything besides a CBC and TSH (or maybe they don't want to order anything at all) it's because they are assessing for imminent danger (which is helpful!). But they're often not necessarily looking at prevention, optimization, and future health.

Now, not everyone needs every test, and MORE testing does not automatically equal better healthcare - the goal is to ask the right questions and then use the appropriate testing to help answer them.

But if you're being told: “Everything is normal!”
while you're sitting there thinking...“Then why don't I FEEL normal?”

It may simply mean it's time to ask some different questions.
That's the space between “nothing is wrong” and established disease that I think we need to talk about a whole lot more.
🔥 Agree or disagree?

We often wait until something is officially very wrong before deciding it’s time to do something about our health.

But many chronic diseases don’t appear overnight. They develop over YEARS.

Cardiovascular disease is a perfect example. We don’t go from healthy arteries one day to significant atherosclerosis the next. Risk can build quietly for years through elevated ApoB/LDL, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, smoking, inflammation, genetics and other factors—often without obvious symptoms until things become serious.

I’d much rather discover that someone’s ApoB is climbing, blood pressure is creeping up or blood sugar regulation is deteriorating while we still have the opportunity to intervene early than wait for a heart attack to make cardiovascular health a priority.

The same philosophy applies across health. It’s easier to address early insulin resistance than established type 2 diabetes. Easier to protect muscle and bone BEFORE significant loss. Easier to correct a developing nutrient deficiency before it creates major symptoms. And easier to change cardiovascular risk before advanced disease develops.

This doesn’t mean every disease is preventable or that genetics don’t matter. And it doesn’t mean we should live worrying about everything that could go wrong.

But you have so much control over your outcomes—and there is so much you can do in prevention. 🤍

Know your blood pressure. Understand your lipids. Pay attention to blood sugar and metabolic health. Get age- and risk-appropriate screenings. Build muscle. Eat well. Move your body. Sleep. Don’t smoke. Know your family history. And talk with your healthcare providers so you understand your individual risk.

The goal isn’t to wait until your body meets the criteria for something scary and THEN start caring for it.

The goal is to recognize the warning signs early enough that you may be able to change the trajectory.

You don’t need a scary diagnosis to make your health a priority. 🤍

Send this to someone you want to be healthy with for a very long time.

And if you want our help optimizing your health, type OPTIMIZE below.

Getting diagnosed with celiac disease and removing gluten is incredibly important.

But it shouldn't be the last conversation you ever have about your celiac disease.

I can't tell you how often someone comes to us who was diagnosed years ago, told “don't eat gluten,” and that's essentially where their celiac care ended.

But think about what may have been happening BEFORE that diagnosis.

If the small intestine has been damaged, nutrient absorption may have been impaired for months or even years. Iron, folate, B12, vitamin D and other nutrient deficiencies don't necessarily correct themselves the moment gluten disappears.

Bone health may need attention.
Thyroid function may need to be evaluated.
Your celiac antibodies should be followed.

And if you're supposedly gluten-free but still dealing with bloating, diarrhea, constipation, fatigue, anemia, weight changes or other persistent symptoms, that deserves investigation—not dismissal.

When we work with someone with celiac disease, whether they were diagnosed recently or 15 years ago, we want to understand the whole picture.
-How was the original diagnosis made?
-Are they truly avoiding gluten—including cross-contact?
-Have previous nutritional deficiencies resolved?
-Are there ongoing GI symptoms?
-Is their gluten-free diet actually nutritionally adequate?
-Have their celiac markers been appropriately followed?
-Are there signs that warrant additional evaluation by their gastroenterologist or another specialist?

Because celiac disease is an autoimmune disease—not simply a dietary preference.

Going gluten-free is the treatment. Comprehensive follow-up is how we make sure the treatment is working.

And one last thing: if you suspect celiac disease but haven't been tested yet, please don't use this post as a reason to immediately eliminate gluten. Talk to your healthcare provider about appropriate testing while you're still consuming gluten, because removing it beforehand can make obtaining an accurate diagnosis much more difficult.

Save this + Part 1 for your next appointment. 🤍

In honor of Celiac Disease Awareness Day, let’s get one thing straight: celiac disease is not a trendy way of saying “gluten doesn’t agree with me.”

It’s an immune-mediated disease with serious consequences — and it doesn’t always look the way people expect.

You can have celiac without chronic diarrhea or severe stomach pain. Clues can include iron deficiency, fatigue, nutrient deficiencies, headaches, neurologic symptoms, bone loss, skin changes, reproductive issues or another autoimmune condition. Sometimes there are few symptoms at all.

One study in this carousel followed 602 people with celiac disease for decades. All-cause mortality was 43% higher than expected. Among adults diagnosed with celiac, mortality was highest in the first year after diagnosis, then declined over time.

That does NOT mean a diagnosis suddenly increases your risk of dying. In some cases, illness may become significant enough that the underlying disease is finally uncovered.

The takeaway: celiac deserves to be taken seriously, properly diagnosed and managed. And diagnosis is only the beginning.

In our practice, we look beyond “avoiding gluten.” We assess symptoms, gluten-free diet adequacy and cross-contact, nutrient deficiencies, digestive function, bone health, associated autoimmune conditions, and whether ongoing symptoms or abnormal labs suggest something is still being missed.

The goal isn’t just “don’t eat gluten.” It’s addressing the downstream effects of the disease and giving the body what it needs to recover and thrive.

If you suspect celiac but have never been properly tested, ideally test BEFORE removing gluten. Once you’ve been gluten-free for a while, standard testing can become more complicated. Genetics can help narrow the possibility, but it is not diagnostic.

PART 2 tomorrow: what I look at after a celiac diagnosis + why some people still feel terrible despite eating gluten-free.

Save this one and send it to someone who still thinks celiac is basically a gluten intolerance.

Sources:
Quarpong W, et al. United European Gastroenterology Journal. 2019;7(3):377–387. DOI: 10.1177/2050640618814662.
Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics. 2006;24:541–552.

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