Good, Better, Best: Why Better Health Doesn’t Require Perfection
Imagine you’re standing in the grocery store looking for something to snack on.
You want the chips.
You know the ones. Maybe they’re your favorite, maybe you’re hungry, or maybe you’ve simply had a long day and they sound good.
But then you remember that you’re trying to eat healthier.
So you start looking at the other bags. You read a few labels. One has ingredients you don’t recognize. Another looks better, but it costs twice as much. There’s an organic option, but you’re not sure it’s worth the extra money. Five minutes later, you’re still standing in the aisle trying to figure out which choice is the right one.
Have you ever done this?
I have.
We live in a time when we have access to more health information than ever before. That’s a wonderful thing, but it can also leave us believing that there is a perfect choice for everything—and that if we don’t make it, we’ve somehow failed.
I don’t believe health works that way.
Over the years, a simple framework—Good, Better, Best—has become one of the ways we think about health and everyday choices at MWI.
It guides the choices I make in my own life, and it reminds me that the best choice for someone else must begin with understanding the person, not simply prescribing the ideal.
True healing has to consider the circumstances surrounding each person.
What Is Good, Better, Best?
Good, Better, Best is not a set of rigid rules. It isn’t a scorecard, and “Best” isn’t a prize you win for doing everything correctly.
It’s simply a way to look at the choices available to you and ask what makes sense right now.
Good: A positive, realistic choice that moves you in a healthier direction.
Better: A step beyond good when your circumstances and resources allow it.
Best: The choice that offers the greatest support for you, in your current circumstances, while still being realistic and sustainable.
That last part matters.
“Best” does not automatically mean the most expensive option. It doesn’t necessarily mean organic, homemade, specialized, or complicated. And it certainly doesn’t mean perfect.
Sometimes the theoretically “best” choice isn’t actually the best choice for your life.
If frozen vegetables are what you can afford, what your family will eat, and what you can consistently put on the table, I would much rather have you eat those vegetables than worry because they aren’t fresh or organic.
If a 20-minute walk is what your body can safely manage right now, that may be your best form of exercise.
If you’ve had a difficult week and the best thing you can do for your sleep tonight is turn off the television half an hour earlier, that’s worth doing.
Good, Better, Best gives us room to move forward without making perfection the goal. Because perfection was never the destination in the first place.
Your “Best” Will Not Always Look the Same
This is another part of the framework that I think is important to understand.
Before making a decision, you might ask yourself:
Given my health, finances, responsibilities, access, energy, knowledge, and circumstances today, what is a good choice I can make? Is there a better choice that’s realistically available to me? And what is actually best for me right now?
Because “Best” can change.
It can change when you’re sick.
It can change when money is tight.
It can change when you’re traveling.
It can change when you’re caring for someone else.
It can change as you learn more.
It can change as your health improves.
And sometimes Good is good enough.
I would rather see someone make a good choice consistently than make the theoretically perfect choice once, become overwhelmed, and give up.
Health is built through what we can sustain.
What Good, Better, Best Can Look Like with Food
Let’s go back to that grocery store.
Perhaps you’re trying to improve the way you and your family eat.
Your Good choice might simply be cooking at home more often. Maybe you start adding more vegetables, fruit, beans, protein, nuts, seeds, or other whole foods to meals you already enjoy. Instead of changing everything at once, you begin with what is affordable and available where you normally shop.
That’s progress.
As you become more comfortable, Better might mean reading labels more often, comparing products, reducing your reliance on highly processed foods, paying closer attention to added sugars, or choosing foods with simpler ingredient lists. When your budget allows, you might begin paying more attention to how some of your food is grown and produced.
And Best?
That’s where I want to be careful, because Best should be personal.
No. Best IS personal.
For one person, it might mean eating more local and seasonal produce or choosing organic foods when they’re accessible. For another, it might mean preparing more meals from scratch. Someone managing a particular health concern may benefit from a more individualized nutrition plan.
Beyond the Grocery Store
Although food is an easy way to understand Good, Better, Best, I use this way of thinking in many areas of health.
Take movement.
Good might be walking around the block.
Better might be walking regularly and adding some strength exercises.
Best might be a personalized routine that considers strength, cardiovascular health, mobility, recovery, your goals, and what your body can safely do.
Or consider sleep.
Good might be going to bed a little earlier.
Better could mean establishing a consistent bedtime and reducing caffeine or screen exposure later in the day.
Best might involve looking more closely at why you aren’t sleeping well and addressing the factors that are specific to you.
You can apply the same thinking to stress, household products, supplements, hydration, and many other areas of daily life.
You don’t have to change everything at once.
Ask yourself: What is one thing I could make a little better?
Then start there.
Why the Individual Matters
One reason Good, Better, Best fits so naturally with functional medicine is that functional medicine asks us to look at the whole person.
Two people can have the same complaint and still need very different things.
Their genetics may be different. Their diets may be different. Their stress levels, sleep, family responsibilities, finances, medications, environments, and histories may all be different.
So why would I expect the same “perfect” plan to work for everyone?
I don’t.
This is why I believe good health guidance has to begin with the individual. Where are you now? What is getting in the way? What can you reasonably change? And what might be the next better step?
That is where the progress begins.
Regardless of where you start, let it be from a place of kindness. Be kind to yourself, and remember to extend the same kindness to others.
Final Thoughts
There will always be another article telling you what you should eat.
Another product you’re supposed to buy.
Another habit you’re supposed to start.
Another thing you’re supposed to eliminate.
Learn. Ask questions. Read labels. Make informed choices. Improve what you can.
But don’t allow the pursuit of better health to convince you that anything less than perfect is failure.
Sometimes you’ll choose Best.
Sometimes you’ll choose Better.
And sometimes Good really is good enough.
What matters is that you’re making choices with greater awareness and moving in a direction that supports your health.
Then, when you’re ready and your circumstances allow, you can ask a very simple question:
Could I make this a little better?
That’s enough to keep moving forward.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Good, Better, Best
Why does MWI use the Good, Better, Best framework?
Because health decisions rarely happen under perfect circumstances. Good, Better, Best gives us a practical way to think about healthier choices while still considering the realities of everyday life—things like finances, access, time, responsibilities, energy, and individual health needs.
Do I always need to choose “Best”?
No. In fact, that’s one of the most important ideas behind this framework. “Best” isn’t a requirement, and it isn’t always the most realistic or appropriate choice. A good decision you can make consistently may support you far more than an ideal decision you can’t sustain.
What if I can’t afford the “Better” or “Best” option?
Work with what you have. Cost, access, geography, work, family responsibilities, and time all affect the choices available to us. Start by looking for realistic improvements within your circumstances. Better health should not depend on being able to buy the most expensive option.
What if I make a choice that isn’t my healthiest option?
You’re human. There will be birthdays, vacations, restaurants, busy days, family traditions, cravings, and times when health simply isn’t the only factor in a decision.
One choice does not define your health.
Rather than feeling guilty about it, return to the habits that support you when you can. Good, Better, Best is meant to give you flexibility, not create another reason to judge yourself.
Can I use Good, Better, Best for things besides food?
Absolutely. You can apply the framework to movement, sleep, stress management, supplements, household products, personal care, and many other areas of life. Start with what you’re doing now and look for one realistic way to improve it.
How do I know what’s actually “Best” for my health?
There isn’t one answer that applies to everyone. Your health history, medications, lifestyle, goals, finances, environment, and individual needs all matter. For everyday decisions, use the best information you have and choose what is realistic and sustainable.
For medical concerns, testing, supplements, specialized diets, or significant health changes, work with a qualified healthcare professional who understands your individual situation. If you’re looking for a practitioner who uses a functional medicine approach, the Find a Practitioner tool at the Institute for Functional Medicine can help you search for an IFM-trained clinician.
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