The Absorption Gap Exposed: 4 Hidden Reasons Your Wellness Routine Is Failing
In this episode of our Reclaiming Wellness series, I’m pulling back the curtain on a hidden barrier that may be sabotaging your health without you even realizing it — The Absorption Gap. You can be eating clean, following the perfect workout plan, meditating daily, and still feel tired, foggy, or stuck. I know, because I’ve been there.
This isn’t about a lack of effort — it’s about whether your body and mind are actually able to receive and integrate the benefits of all you’re doing. Today, I’ll reveal the four hidden filters that block healing — biological, neurological, cognitive, and emotional — and show you how to reset them so your wellness practices finally land.
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The episode gives you insight. The Ignited Life gives you the tools.
We’re not stopping at insight today. I’m giving you the full framework to move from “almost okay” to aligned:
Bonus workbook + journaling prompts inside your download
The 4-layer system to rebuild wellness from the inside out
Guest insights from top neuroscientists, doctors, and authors
A breakdown of how to spot the Wellness Gap in your own life
Practical tools to reconnect body, mind, work, and soul
In case you didn’t already know, John R. Miles (@John_R_Miles) takes your comments and questions for Momentum Friday right here every week! If you want him to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Momentum Friday episodes, drop us a line at [email protected]. Now, let’s dive in!
“You can eat well, sleep well, even meditate every day—but if your body isn’t ready to receive, the benefits slide right past you.”
From Pushing to Receiving: The Shift That Unlocks Real Wellness
In this conversation, I explore why so many of us chase better health through more effort — more workouts, more supplements, more optimization — and still feel like we’re falling short. The truth is, we can’t force our way to healing. Our bodies and minds operate more like ecosystems than machines, and ecosystems don’t thrive under pressure — they flourish when the conditions are right. I unpack how chronic stress, environmental triggers, and misaligned habits can keep us in a constant state of output without ever letting the benefits sink in. I also share the surprising role that timing, nervous system regulation, cognitive space, and emotional honesty play in creating the receptivity we need for genuine transformation.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
Why healing is ecological, not mechanical, and what that means for your daily routines.
How timing influences results and why even a “healthy” habit can work against you if it’s out of rhythm.
The critical link between safety and recovery, and how to create cues your nervous system trusts.
Why constant learning without integration leaves you stuck in the same patterns.
How authenticity and emotional safety directly impact your ability to absorb change.
Why is this a Must-Listen?
Because this episode reframes wellness in a way that frees you from the endless cycle of doing more and feeling less. I take you beyond the surface of health trends and into the deeper work of creating an internal environment where transformation can actually take hold. If you’ve ever wondered why your results don’t match your effort, this conversation will give you a new way to see — and solve — the real problem.
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Living Through the Absorption Gap: My Turning Point and the Shifts That Changed Everything
Personal Story of the Absorption Gap
A few years ago, I was unknowingly living deep inside The Absorption Gap. From the outside, my life looked like a model of peak discipline — clean eating, strict intermittent fasting, high-intensity workouts, early mornings, supplements, breathwork, and mindfulness practices. But behind the scenes, my energy was crashing, my cholesterol was climbing, my weight was creeping up, and my focus was slipping away.
I couldn’t figure it out. I was doing everything “right,” yet nothing was landing. That’s when it hit me: I was pouring endless inputs into a system that simply couldn’t receive them. My biology was out of rhythm, my nervous system was in constant fight-or-flight mode, my mind was overstimulated, and emotionally, I was hiding behind a mask of “performing wellness” instead of living it.
The moment I understood The Absorption Gap, everything shifted. I stopped treating my health like a productivity project and started creating the conditions my system needed to actually integrate the effort I was making.
Practical Shifts I Made to Tackle the Absorption Gap
1. Biological — Support Your Rhythm, Not Just Your Rules I adjusted my workouts so they aligned with my energy cycles, moved intense sessions away from peak cortisol times, and matched my meals to my actual metabolic needs. This reduced inflammation and made my body more receptive to the nutrients I was giving it.
2. Neurological — Begin From Safety, Not Just Structure Instead of starting my mornings in high gear, I slowed down. I added stillness before movement, sometimes walking without a podcast or simply sitting in silence. This cued my nervous system to relax, giving my body permission to digest, repair, and recover.
3. Cognitive — Replace One Input Stream With Output I traded constant consumption for integration. After learning something meaningful, I’d pause, reflect, and write down a single sentence about what it opened for me. This turned noise into signal and allowed insights to take root.
4. Emotional — Stop Performing Wellness I dropped the need to “look fine” when I wasn’t. I started telling the truth about how I felt to people I trusted. This created emotional safety and allowed me to heal without the pressure of appearance.
The Lesson of the Absorption Gap
Understanding The Absorption Gap taught me that the problem was never my discipline — it was my body’s and mind’s capacity to receive. Once I opened the four key filters — biological, neurological, cognitive, and emotional — my wellness routine finally started to work. The changes weren’t instant, but they were lasting, because they came from alignment, not force.
RESOURCES FROM THE SHOW “The Absorption Gap Exposed: 4 Hidden Reasons Your Wellness Routine Is Failing”
Please note that some of the links on this page (books, movies, music, etc.) lead to affiliate programs for which The Passion Struck podcast receives compensation. It’s just one of the ways we keep the lights on around here. Thank you so much for being so supportive!
American Psychological Association (APA) – Resources on resilience and coping: apa.org
Psychology Today – Articles on mental health, resilience, and personal growth: psychologytoday.com
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About John R. Miles
John R. Miles is a transformative leader, blending military precision with entrepreneurial flair to ignite purpose and intentional living in millions. A former U.S. Navy officer and Fortune 50 executive, John transitioned from the C-suite to become an international bestselling author and host of the globally acclaimed Passion Struck® podcast, which has ranked as the #1 alternative health podcast in over 25 countries.
John writes about the science of behavior change, personal mastery, and purpose-driven leadership, drawing from his extensive research in neuroscience and psychology, plus over 700 interviews with trailblazing experts. His book, Passion Struck: Twelve Powerful Principles to Unlock Your Purpose and Ignite Your Most Intentional Life, has earned accolades, including Best Business Book at the 2024 International Business Awards.
With a mission to inspire others to live with passion and intention, John’s quirky blend of deep insight and approachable wisdom makes him a sought-after voice in leadership and personal development.
Passion Struck’s mission is to unlock the power of intentionality for the benefit of us all. To create a world where we live better, be better, and impact the world through our unique and powerful content.
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