Introduction: Why Your Baseline Matters

You know your root causes. You know your protocol sequence. You're ready to begin.

But before you start, there's one critical step: documenting your baseline.

Your baseline is your "before" snapshot—where you are right now, today, before you implement your personalized protocol.

Why this matters:

• Progress tracking: You need a clear reference point to measure progress. Without baseline data, you can't see how far you've come.
• Motivation: Reviewing your baseline weeks later—when you've improved significantly—is incredibly motivating.
• Pattern recognition: Your baseline data reveals patterns you might not consciously notice.
• Course correction: If you plateau or regress, comparing to baseline helps identify what shifted.
• Long-term perspective: In moments of doubt, baseline data reminds you how much you've actually improved.

This lesson teaches you how to create a comprehensive baseline snapshot specific to YOUR root cause type(s).

What a Baseline Snapshot Includes

Your baseline snapshot documents:

1. Symptom levels (current severity of your specific symptoms)
2. Functional capacity (what you can and can't do right now)
3. Eating patterns (what you currently eat without judgment)
4. Lifestyle patterns (sleep, stress, movement)
5. Root-cause-specific metrics (measurements specific to your type)
6. Emotional and mental state (how you feel overall)
7. Photos or measurements (visible changes you can track)

• General Baseline Metrics (All Root Causes)

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• If Gut-Driven Is Your Primary Cause
• If Cortisol-Driven Is Your Primary Cause
• If Sugar-Driven Is Your Primary Cause
• If Omega-Driven Is Your Primary Cause
• If Toxin-Driven Is Your Primary Cause
• If Deficiency-Driven Is Your Primary Cause
• If Autoimmune-Driven Is Your Primary Cause

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• Eating Pattern Documentation
• Lifestyle Pattern Documentation
• Photo and Measurement Documentation

Key Takeaways from Lesson 2.4

1. Your baseline is your reference point—you need it to measure progress
2. General metrics apply to everyone—pain, energy, digestion, brain fog, mood, sleep, function
3. Root-cause-specific metrics matter—track what's relevant to ALL 7 types
4. Documentation includes eating, lifestyle, and physical measurements—the complete picture
5. This isn't about judgment—baseline is neutral observation of where you are now
6. Regular reassessment shows progress—compare week 4, 8, 12 to this baseline

What's Next?

In Lesson 2.5, you'll learn the Food-Symptom Connection Tracker—how to track what you eat and how you feel to identify patterns specific to your root cause type.

But first, complete your Baseline Snapshot in the Resources Tab so you have a clear starting point.