Why “Making America Healthy Again” Needs a Rewrite.
Why true health isn’t about going back, but moving forward…together.
If you’ve been following health and wellness conversations lately, you may have heard the term MAHA: Making America Healthy Again. It’s a phrase that’s starting to take root in circles beyond the wellness world, though, like so many acronyms, it can mean different things depending on who’s using it.
At its heart, MAHA is about returning to the fundamentals of health: nourishing our bodies, moving in ways that support longevity, caring for our mental and emotional well-being, and reconnecting with community. It puts the emphasis on taking ownership of our own health and not waiting to get sick to take care of ourselves. While the acronym echoes a certain political slogan, I want to be clear - MAHA should not be about politics. In fact, health should never belong to one party, one ideology, or one camp. Health is universal. It’s human.
I have followed the “MAHA Movement” fairly closely, and if I’m being honest, the word that always sticks out to me in the phrase is “again.” Again implies we were once truly healthy, and now we’re not. It suggests we need to go back, rather than forward. But the truth is, America has never had a golden age of perfect health. We’ve always wrestled with access, equity, education, and systems that work for some and not for others. So instead of trying to reclaim an idealized version of the past, I believe MAHA should be about creating something new - a future where health is more accessible, more holistic, and more mindful.
So what does Making America Healthy (no “again”) look like in practice? To me, it starts small. It starts at home. Here are three ways we can begin to live out our health, right now:
Food as Medicine
Health doesn’t need to begin with a complicated meal plan or the latest supplement trend. It can start in your own kitchen. Cooking with whole, real foods - foods that your grandmother would recognize - can transform not only your physical health but also your emotional relationship to nourishment. Making space for family dinners, learning where your food comes from (hello, farmers markets!), and choosing fresh over processed whenever possible are small but powerful ways to reclaim health at home.
Movement as a Lifestyle
Exercise doesn’t have to mean hours in the gym or chasing a step count. In the MAHA framework as well as in the Blue Zones, movement is woven into the fabric of our day. It’s walking the dog, doing yoga in the morning sun, dancing while you cook, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. These choices don’t just support physical health - they regulate stress, balance hormones, and cultivate joy.
Mostly Mindful Living
One of the most overlooked foundations of health is how we think and feel. Stress, burnout, and disconnection are major drivers of illness in our country. A mostly mindful approach means creating pauses: five deep breaths before a meeting, setting boundaries with your phone, practicing gratitude at the dinner table. When we begin to slow down and live with greater awareness, our bodies follow suit.
Last Thoughts
For me, the idea of making America Healthy also represents the intersection of my own life’s work: straddling both traditional healthcare and holistic wellness. As the Director of Marketing for a large healthcare system, I see the extraordinary work that modern medicine does every day: saving lives, advancing technology, creating access. As a yoga teacher and health coach, I also know that prevention, self-awareness, and mindful living are equally essential. The two aren’t opposites; they’re partners. We don’t need to choose between holistic care and traditional care; we need to weave them together. That’s the true path forward.
So maybe MAHA isn’t about making America healthy again. Maybe it’s about making America healthy - for the first time. By starting at home, in our kitchens, in our daily movements, in our thoughts, we begin to shift the culture. And in doing so, we plant the seeds for a healthier, more mindful future - together.
Be well friends.
Meg