Hello, thank you for being here.

For the past 18 months, since I last wrote, I lived in a cave called Thesis. For the final 12 of those 18 months, I ended up spelunking. This is why you have not heard a word from me.

Being that spelunking involves traversing deep, unlit cave systems, passing through tight spaces, and occasionally rappelling down ledges or rock climbing, it feels like an excellent metaphor to describe the process. Caving, potholing, spelunking. I have heard that spelunking specifically refers to unprepared or inexperienced explorers. The word comes from Speleology, the scientific study of caves and their ecosystems, so the fact that there is an actual -ology associated with the metaphor and the process of research? Perfectly apt for my liking.

I want to share a small note I wrote to myself in January 2025.

Do it scared, do it messy, just do it.

Take each task one step at a time.

See each task as small.

Break them up if needed.

See each task as one brick, or one hurdle

See it as an opportunity to learn. Be excited for it.

Expect to be embarrassed and ashamed all year.

You will be humbled 1000s of times this year. It’s OK.

I submitted in December 2025. I received high distinctions for my thesis. I graduated in February 2026. Masters of Lifestyle Medicine (Distinction). Dean’s list. I am now also a Fellow of the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine. It was messy, it was polished, it was gruelling, it was amazing.

I am going to be writing to you all again, once a month. I had always planned to, but at times, I was waiting for the perfect idea, or a week where I had more time. Academic research, coupled with clinic, lecturing, parenting and life has taught me (finally) that perfection and more time are a total farce. I also need to offer you something that is deep, evidence based, researched and rigorous, and that takes time to do well.

However, the other entity that is propelling me forward again, is AI. We have just lived through the influencer chapter, the Googling era. These are morphing into something else. I am observing people I have read for years now switching to AI writing. If you write anything as part of your work, you will surely be noticing this too. I can feel my brain turn to glop when I read it. Let’s be human, let’s read books, let’s read the words of humans and write as a human.

I would rather spelunk in the dark than outsource my thinking to a machine. That’s where I was for the past 18 months.

I want to hear from you. In your life or work, where are you finding biochemistry and science confusing, or hard to apply? I have many ideas for what’s to come, but it’s important to hear from you. I know that poor "research", the influencer chapter, the AI era, it’s impacting you, your patients, and our practices.

Please be prepared for a lot of biochemistry, physiology, phytopharmacology, nutritional biochemistry, exercise and sleep physiology, mindset practices, emotional health, quantum physics, astrobiology, and a dash of awe and philosophy. Some book, interview and nature prescriptions. All are how I practice Lifestyle Medicine.

Thank you and be well,

Annalies

Annalies Corse MLMed (Distinction), BMed Sc, BHSc, FASLM

Medical Scientist | Lecturer | Naturopath | Lifestyle Medicine Practitioner

Fellow of the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine

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