Getting Personal:
The theme with total wellness is that your body is unique, and the special diet and healthy lifestyle required to reach your goals is just as individual as you are. There is a good reason for repeating this as there is so much misinformation out there that has taught us from a young age that there is a single approach that works for all in terms of food and fitness.
There isn't, and here is what you do need to do; get personal. When embarking on your health journey, complete your essential lab work and if available, a comprehensive assessment of your health metrics as well. With this data and a consultation with your physician or certified nutritionist , it is much easier to develop a tailored roadmap for improvement that optimizes health and performance, spotting any potential issues early. It is also useful as a baseline to assess progress. Retesting after 6 or 12 months gives you a directly comparable data set to determine how far you have traveled towards your goals. It is often a welcome boost to your morale. Regular checkups also provide an 'early warning' system for problems that have either not gone away or materialized in a way that could lead to further health issues or disease down the line.
Lab results also put the idea of your biochemical individuality into an easily understood setting. Your health metrics will be very different from your spouse's, your friends, or even your siblings' and this illustrates why you need a personalized approach to achieving the functional health goals that you have.