Coconut-and-Fish Thinking
How quick approaches can trick you into thinking you're doing your best.
Hello Health Heroes!
I want you to picture something. You’re stranded on an island, with no one around you. That means, there are no experts, no Google, no grocery store on the corner. All you have are coconuts and fish.
When you’re hungry, you eat fish. When you’re thirsty, you crack open a coconut because it nearly missed cracking open your head as it fell from the palm tree.
That’s how most people approach health: we don’t decide, we react. Whatever washes up first—an influencer’s supplement ad shows up on your phone, a friend’s suggestion about what to do with your health appears out of nowhere, like the tide delivering it directly to your sandy feet, a trendy diet, or a neighbor’s solution that suddenly appears and becomes our next thing, Coconuts and fish.
Sure, you can survive on coconuts and fish. Many people do the same with their health: they scrape by, just managing symptoms, just getting through the day. But surviving isn’t the same as thriving. To thrive, you’d need more—clams, berries, fresh water, and fire.
In health, that means better questions, deeper exploration, and root-cause thinking. That’s when life gets richer, easier, and more sustainable. That’s when you connect the dots between what is really going on and what to do about it, which allows you to thrive, not just survive.
Maybe it feels like you’ve been doing everything “right.” You follow the advice, you try the hacks and fixes, you keep searching for the next answer. It can certainly feel like you’re doing everything you can. But consider that the best approach to your health isn’t based on more effort, but a more strategic approach.
Islands almost always have more. Clams are buried in the sand, and berries are waiting in the bushes, while seaweed washes up on shore. A whole seafood gumbo awaits! There are even ways to collect rainwater, so you don’t have to rely on coconuts every day. Make a fire and you’re ready to open an island restaurant.
To thrive on our health island, we must look differently, explore differently, and ask different questions. That’s what reframing your health mindset looks like. So, instead of grabbing the first health fix in sight, what if you paused? You get curious? You zoom out and regain perspective? Sure, that health fix is an option, but what else can you do? Suddenly, new options appear—the ones you didn’t see when you were just surviving on coconuts and fish.
I believe we waste precious time that could have been spent addressing the root cause of the issue by not asking ourselves questions and becoming curious. Questions get to the heart of the matter.
We all succumb to this at one time or another, and none of us is immune. We’re all on our own health island, trying to survive or thrive. Consider these stats:
Chronic disease in the U.S. is at its highest level in history.
Obesity is increasing rapidly in the U.S., while 45 million Americans diet every year.
The U.S. has the most expansive (and expensive) healthcare in the world, and yet our life expectancy is declining, not increasing.
72% of Americans say they feel overwhelmed by health information.
77% turn to the internet first, where misinformation spreads six times faster than facts.
Nearly half of adults struggle even to understand or use health information.
So, what do we typically do? We cling to the quick fix in front of us. It’s classic psychology at work, and we’re simply playing out the research findings. But not you, not anymore.
Why We Think This Way
Psychologists call it availability bias, which is our brain’s tendency to grab onto whatever information is most immediate, vivid, or easy to recall. On the island, that’s coconuts and fish, so I call it coconuts-and-fish thinking. In modern life, it’s often the flashy supplement ad or the latest trending diet that your friend is trying.
Social pressure also plays a part in our decision to try new health trends, so adding coconut and fish enthusiasts to your island makes you more likely to succumb to tribal thinking and follow the crowd.
It’s also fueled by cognitive ease, which is our brain's love of the path of least resistance. Quick answers feel good immediately, so we grab them—even if they’re not the best solutions.
And if you’re overwhelmed or anxious, which most of us are when facing a health issue, the brain doubles down on additional shortcuts (called heuristics), because it’s wired to conserve mental energy. Simply put, it’s easier that way, and we like easy.
The Why Ladder
One of my favorite tools is something I call the Why Ladder. It’s deceptively simple. You keep asking “why” until you reach the root cause. For example, maybe you don’t feel well. Why? Because you didn’t sleep. Why? Because you stayed up scrolling on your phone. Why? Because you were bored. Why? Because you felt lonely. Suddenly, the real issue isn’t sleep at all; it’s loneliness. And no amount of a melatonin supplement that our friend recommended will solve that.
Some health issues aren’t discoverable with a “why,” so that’s when we know to seek help or more information. That’s when we can call for help and get someone to take us off the island.
How to Counteract Our Quick Fix Tendency
The antidote to falling for quick fixes is intentional questioning. Curiosity interrupts bias.
Instead of reacting, try reframing:
Ask “What’s really going on here?” before “How do I fix it?”
Zoom out: What would this problem look like in a different context?
Borrow wisdom from other fields: engineers redesign systems, athletes recover smarter, farmers cultivate balance. Their approach might ignite a new one for you!
It feels slower at first, but trust me, it saves time, money, and disappointment down the road. Survival is possible with coconuts and fish, but thriving requires better questions!
So the next time you catch yourself grabbing the nearest “solution,” pause. Remember, our brain is wired this way. Coconuts and fish aren’t your only solution. And remember that you’re also wired for curiosity, perspective, and wisdom, so keep asking questions and you’ll find a better answer at the end. That is where true healing can begin!
To Your Health,
Alice
P.S. We have Health Navigator Coaches who can help you discover your next best step. Please reach out to me at alice@thehealthnavigator.org to learn more. You are not alone!
The Health Shift, by Strategic Action Health
Dr. Burron is a co-founder of Strategic Action Health, dedicated to helping organizations help their employees make better health decisions. Come check us out here!
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