Book Review: "Feel Better in 5: Your Daily Plan to Feel Great for Life"
Author: Dr Rangan Chatterjee
I don't usually buy physical books anymore, but I wanted a paper copy of this, for the shelf for quick reference, but also because it has a lot of colour, illustrations and photos.
I discovered and have been impressed with the good Doctor through his podcast series. I find he is extremely knowledgeable in all the things I've been researching and educating myself about, including being trauma informed, the mind-body connection, and he also leads by example of self-application and self-discovery.
With over 20 years at the coal face of seeing patients as a General Practioner, he has discovered what works (“lifestyle medicine”) and what doesn't work (over-reliance on pills) for people with chronic illnesses. Indeed, Dr C. takes a refreshingly different approach to healthcare, and believes "health" has been over-complicated, while at the same time suffers from over-reductionism. He proposes simple lifestyle changes based not only on the best science and data, but also his real world experience with real people, and hence on what he has witnessed to have the most benefits for his patients long term. His definition of “lifestyle medicine” doesn't just focus on diet and exercise, but gives equal (or more) weight to relaxation and social connection/relationships, on which I am very much on the same page.
What Dr C. says about diet is a great example: about food, he says something quite profound, yet quite obvious once said, but which I have never heard anyone else really say before: that it is not just what we eat, but it is how and when we eat what we eat which is key. By “how and when”, he means the state of our nervous system during and after ingestion. It is well known that when our bodies are in stress states (fight, flight, or freeze), that our digestion is downregulated/offlined, since the digestive gut functions are not needed for life preservation in acute stress situations.
Indeed, I have written a lot myself about how biochemical disruptions, e.g. caused by a lack of specific enzymes, can be induced when our systems are chronically stressed, and how this can cause all sorts of disease-like symptoms, especially in regards to neurotransmitter production. So, to me, it is patently true that if we eat when our nervous system is in a stress state, no matter how “healthy” the food is, since important digestive enzymes and peptides may not be active, the food is not broken down properly into nutritious molecules, and toxic by-products can even be created instead.
Thus eating while stressed, or in environments which put the body into stress response states, e.g. at work in front of emails, or at home in front of the TV news, can negate many benefits of a healthy diet, and also promote food intolerances even for “good” food choice. Here, Dr C. recommends ensuring relaxation before eating, e.g. breathing exercises, a walk outdoors in a green space, and then choosing an appropriate stress free environment in which to eat (e.g. away from the desk or TV or smart phone), and also making mealtimes a social time - eating with relaxed others, while socially engaged.
The book itself takes a radically new simplified approach to getting started with taking responsibility for one’s own health, which is pragmatic, and highly actionable, with the over-arching concept being firmly rooted in the most up-to-date science of how to change habits of a lifetime (e.g. as detailed in the best selling book “Atomic Habits”). Essentially, he asks for just 15 minutes to start with (three lots of 5 minute slots) a day to set us on a path to better health and wellbeing. He divides wellness into three key elements: mind, body and heart. Heart is emotional health and social connection/human relationships, and is the reason I bought the book in particular, as this is the area where I still need to do the most work.
In each section, Dr C. provides a menu of “health snacks” which are suggested five minute activities under each heading. He asks we each select a snack from each menu (one for body, one for mind, one for heart) to do each day. Specific combinations are suggested for specific issues, e.g. sleep, but the important thing is to select something which we individually enjoy and can easily incorporate into our busy lives. Thus it is not a prescriptive approach at all, but more a path or way which can be tailored to each of our own needs and interests. As our capacity for health increases, we can then add more habits in.
This strongly aligns with my own suggestions for the anti-dotes to modern life, and my own “menu of options” approach, as covered in our short film:
Tips and tricks are provided for how to make these long term sustainable, and to become good habits, utilizing his best knowledge of how habits can be changed.
News
Some news on my collaboration with fellow substacker
of .The HOPE shortcut "Member Area" is now "HOPE Community".
This is our way to being able to help more people, and also a way you can financially support our work.
This change is to better reflect that our intention for this space is to provide fellowship and companionship on our healing journeys, as well as an online recovery retreat, where you can learn and onboard the knowledge and techniques for healing and recovery.
We know, and have experienced, not only the loneliness that comes with a chronic illness, but how it can be such a lonely path being one of the few who are hopeful and know they can heal, especially when friends, family, and doctors don't believe that healing, recovery, symptom reduction, or being drug independent, is even possible.
Instead of being alone and isolated, our HOPE Community is intended to connect you with like minded folks, and fellow travellers, including ourselves. Whether in the weekly group calls, asking questions and sharing experiences in the forum, listening to Community member's healing stories in Lilian's library, or following Gary's recounting of his own journey story, here you will find a sense belonging and togetherness, and the feeling that you are supported.
Here is where hope can grow into faith and action.
This months very special offer for Community member's is a free coaching session with Lilian.
This weeks discussion theme in the Community forum is "Hope vs Faith in Healing".
This weeks addition Gary's Content area is about the role of Dopamine Cell Receptors in Chronic Conditions.
This weeks instalment of Gary's Story is My Experiments with Dance as Therapy [this will be free to view for a couple of days].
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I am listening to this audio book, it’s very good. As an aside- I am currently wearing a cgm ( to see where I can improve blood sugar but not diabetic or pre) anyway the interesting thing- when I have some stressful interactions with my husband (we are struggling:( )my blood sugar spikes- regardless of what I had consumed just previously. Otherwise it is pretty dependent on what I eat...it has brought into clarity the stressful of this relationship and it’s effect on my personal health. And also how we are not connecting these- and how much we should!
Thank you, Gary. Looks very promising. I like simple, common sense advice.
RE: "Thus eating while stressed, or in environments which put the body into stress response states, e.g. at work in front of emails, or at home in front of the TV news, can negate many benefits of a healthy diet, and also promote food intolerances even for “good” food choice. Here, Dr C. recommends ensuring relaxation before eating, e.g. breathing exercises, a walk outdoors in a green space, and then choosing an appropriate stress free environment in which to eat (e.g. away from the desk or TV or smart phone), and also making mealtimes a social time - eating with relaxed others, while socially engaged."
Here is where I recognized myself most and where I can quickly make a positive change. Thank you.
Best.