For more than two decades, Julie Taw, M.D., has practiced medicine. Passionate about helping people connect how they live with how they feel, she blends root-cause and functional medicine with lifestyle strategies and mind-body tools. Relying on her experience balancing a demanding career, motherhood, and her own health, she believes that real wellbeing isn’t about doing more but about doing what truly matters. Board-certified in Internal Medicine and an assistant clinical professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Taw has trained medical students and residents in the power of trust and patient-centered care. Her expertise deepened through certification with the Center for Mind-Body Medicine and the Institute for Functional Medicine, as well as leadership roles at Wellness at Goldman Sachs and six years at Parsley Health. She also hosts Medicine with Meaning, a podcast sharing empowering conversations about health and wellness.
What does wellness mean to you?
For me wellness starts with inner peace and calm. That makes total sense, but the hard part is getting there. It starts with the relationship that I have with myself. Something I have had to work on is quieting that critical inner voice and practicing self-compassion. From this foundation of self-honoring, all the other aspects of wellness are built. I am more likely to eat healthy, move my body daily, and honor the need for sleep and recovery. I am more likely to maintain healthy boundaries and not override my own needs. Also, when I am compassionate with myself, it helps me to be more compassionate with my family and friends. Loving relationships and meaningful connection with others are what matters most to me. Aligning with meaning and purpose is what ties it all together. In fact, that is what prompted me to create and host my podcast called Medicine with Meaning, where I discuss how all of this is connected to our physical health.
What are your favorite things to do to maintain your personal wellbeing?
I walk regularly on the bridal path in New York City’s Central Park. Brisk walking is my favorite form of exercise, and being in Central Park gives me a sliver of nature and peace
while living in a noisy and crowded city. We know that being in the presence of trees calms our nervous system and helps us reconnect with the human part of us when life wasn’t so hectic and full of modern stressors. Getting outside and taking a break from work and family is refreshing and invigorating. At this stage of my life, it would be hard to live in NYC if I didn’t have my regular walks in Central Park.
What is your favorite healthy food, and do you have a favorite way of preparing it?
I love broccoli and, luckily, my family does too. I roast it with avocado oil, keep it crispy, and season it with salt. It’s very simple and so easy to make. It makes me feel so good eating this super food, knowing that it has so many health benefits. Broccoli supports detoxification pathways, gut health, heart health, hormone health, and it’s rich in key nutrients.
What is your favorite healthy beverage (alcoholic or non-alcoholic), and do you have any insider tips for preparing it?
I love a good matcha latte. I think they are delicious and they give me a gentle caffeine boost that feels calm and steady. Green tea has L-theanine, which has a calming effect, and the caffeine helps energy and focus. It also has phytonutrients that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that are so healthy and life affirming.
What is your greatest wellness achievement?
I have the most beautiful lens to practice medicine, which was created by the solid foundation of attaining board certification in internal medicine and combined with my training and certification in mind-body medicine and functional medicine. Over the past 25 years of clinical experience I have learned so much with my patients about how to support health and wellbeing. My own health journey, along with balancing a demanding career with family, has given me deep insight and understanding for women who do so much and experience burnout. Through this lived experience and my expertise in holistic medicine, I have created The Well-Being Ecosystem™, which is a framework and program to help other women bring harmony back to a health ecosystem that has been under strain for too long. I take the knowledge and wisdom from my 1:1 practice and bring it to a group setting online so that more women can have access to this tried-and-true approach.
What is the best piece of wellness advice you have ever received and from whom?
It was from a couple in their 90s who have been happily married for 75 years! You could see and feel the love, joy, and respect they had for each other. I asked them what was the key to their successful marriage and long life, and they said that they never go to bed angry at each other. Whatever they were doing, they got it right. Research does show that people in supportive, stable, emotionally healthy relationships tend to have better survival and health outcomes than people who are socially isolated or in high-conflict relationships. It was so beautiful and inspiring to see and feel their love and connection. I’ll have what she’s having!
What is your favorite place for a healthy vacation or escape?
Because I live in New York City, I always prefer to vacation in nature. I enjoy going on hikes and staying in settings with lots of trees and a body of water nearby. Being in nature with a water view is what my nervous system craves. My favorite place is St. Lucia where we stayed in a beautiful home with breathtaking views of the vast ocean from a mountaintop rain forest. Every night, we heard the melody of rainforest birds and animals vocalizing. We loved eating the tropical fruits that were so sweet and delicious, unlike anything we had ever tasted. It was a delightful multisensory experience, and so calming for my nervous system.
What is your go-to for de-stressing?
Because I carry stress in my muscles, I love a massage for destressing. It physically feels good to release the muscle tension. And it feels so relaxing and luxurious to be in a spa. It sends the signal to my body and mind that I am caring for myself.
What brings you joy?
Having a delicious and healthy home-cooked meal with my husband and teenage kids where we are talking, laughing, and connecting brings me the most joy. With their busy schedules, it happens less often than I would like. What matters most to me is family, love, and connection. Aligning with what matters most brings me deep joy.
