Dr Chatterjee is famous for being BBC One’s ‘Dr in the House’ and has been a medical professional for 20 years. He believes that good health has become far too confusing and we’re often taught to ‘cure illness’ by merely treating our symptoms, which he says has led to the current epidemic of chronic illness and lifestyle related conditions, preventing us from living our lives fully.
At FizzPopBANG we love a powerful mission and Dr Chatterjee’s dream ‘to change the way we look at illness’ is just that - he believes that we need a lifestyle prescription focusing on the root cause of these diseases rather than a prescription of pills that merely focus on the symptoms. Through his simple 4 pillar plan (based on robust scientific research) he is helping millions of people live better.
Us FizzPopBANGers love to make the most of life and as a team we are keen to understand more about how we can make practical changes to feel our very best every day. On a personal level I have an added layer of interest in this book - I had a rather significant birthday last year (21 again!) and this coupled with a number of my friends having health scares has put life into perspective more than I’d like. So, reading this book has given me the tonic I need to refocus on my own personal wellbeing in a very practical way…
There is also a great perspective here for companies thinking about how to build a culture that gets the best out of everyone everyday…yet again we are reminded that behaviour change isn’t about big gestures or sticking plasters, it is about the small things we inject everyday that build to an overall habit or change.
We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
Who’s this book for?
Anyone who wants to make the most of their energy and live life to the fullest…
Whether you live and breathe a healthy lifestyle and want some more tips or are just getting started – I honestly believe this book contains something for everyone. Personally, before reading this I had already spent a lot of my energy focusing on the ‘Eat’ and ‘Move’ pillars but I had definitely neglected the ‘Relax’ and ‘Sleep’ pillars - this book has provided a wealth of practical tips for me to improve my wellbeing without much effort.
In a nutshell…what’s it all about?
The 4 Pillar Plan divides Chatterjee’s lifestyle prescription into four pillars: Relax, Eat, Move and Sleep. Each pillar is further sub-divided into five interventions designed to provide a small and realistic step towards better health. Whilst these type of integrated health plans are nothing new, this feels very different in the way it’s written – firstly it is all based on interesting scientific research (in my opinion just the right amount of detail to spark interest but not too much to get lost in). Secondly, it’s hugely practical and compelling (and thankfully non-preachy!). Overall, it’s a wellness guide that will encourage almost anyone to make simple, all-around improvements to the way they live.
Read this if you’re curious to learn about:
Some of the research behind wellness and how to make small changes to get the most of your own wellbeing in everyday life.
Relax
How screen time can impact your well being
The importance of me time everyday
Why connection with others is so important
Eat
How de-normalising sugar can give you energy and change your taste buds
The benefits of Micro-fasting on long term illness, digestion & sleep
Move
Hiit and strength training to fight aging and cardiovascular disease
Movement snacking
Fighting the sleepy glute syndrome
Sleep
The importance of bedtime routine
Caffeine consumption
Darkness and the impact of blue light on sleep
Where to look if you want to know more
Since reading this book I have become obsessed with Dr Chatterjee’s podcast ‘Feel Better, Live More’ where he chats with leading experts in all the fields he talks about in his book and explores the subjects in more depth. Each podcast ends with actionable tips that you can implement to really get the most out of your own wellbeing.
A juicy quote to end on...
“In the past five to 10 years, research about lifestyle has just exploded. We thought that sequencing the human genome was going to give us all the answers. But we’ve realised that genetics only account for 10% of our health outcomes; 90% of what happens to us is determined by our environment, our lifestyles and our behaviour. I think that’s empowering. So, let’s give people this information!
My own view is, yes, personal responsibility is important, of course it’s important, but we also have to try and create a society which makes it easier to make healthier choices. How many people these days are waking up in the morning and jumping out of bed, ready to go? And yet I believe that is our default birth right as human beings!”