A while ago, I decided it was time to work on myself.

Not just a little.

I went all in.

So I signed up for a psychedelic retreat. (Yes, really. And before you start typing objections, my sister actually studied this at Harvard. 😉)

You know the kind of place…

Where everyone says things like:

“Your vibe attracts your tribe.”

By day three, I was almost starting to believe it.

I remember thinking:

“Liesbeth, this is going to be your year.”

And sure enough…

Not long afterwards, I met a wonderful man.

Great conversations.

Great sense of humour.

He seemed genuinely interested.

He texted.

He called.

He wanted to see me.

For a brief moment, I actually thought the universe had finally sorted out its paperwork.

Then I remembered…

The universe probably lives in Portugal.

Which explained quite a lot.

Because after a few weeks, that same man slowly turned into an emotional Wi-Fi signal.

Sometimes three bars.

Sometimes one.

But usually…

“No connection.”

Apparently, I’d wandered out of range.

My first thought?

“What did I miss?”

My second thought?

Well…

Probably my third.

“Hang on… this is actually far more interesting than I thought.”

As a practitioner, I see people every day whose bodies react long before their minds understand what’s happening.

Why should love be any different?

Maybe falling in love isn’t just chemistry between two people.

Maybe it’s neurobiology.

Perhaps it’s a nervous system that once learned that genuine closeness isn’t entirely safe.

That can leave someone longing for connection…

Right up until the moment real connection begins.

And that’s what fascinates me.

Not because I want to label people.

But because I’m becoming increasingly convinced that we only begin to understand human behaviour when we also understand the biology behind it.

That’s exactly why we work differently at Nederland Slank.

We don’t start with calories.

We start with the body’s building blocks.

Using blood analysis, we identify which nutrients the body needs to function at its best.

Only then do we look at regulating the nervous system. For that, we use an extensive neurotransmitter questionnaire, allowing us—when appropriate—to recommend targeted nutritional supplements that support healthy regulation.

Because a nervous system that’s constantly on high alert responds differently.

To stress.

To food.

And sometimes…

To love.

And no…

I still don’t know whether that retreat actually attracted my tribe.

But it certainly gave me a fascinating subject to explore.

And honestly?

I suspect the insights I’ve gained will last a lot longer than a few weeks of being in love.