Book Review: The Perfect Long Weekend Read

by Laura Gale

I’ve just finished The 4 Pillar Plan by Dr Rangan Chatterjee and really enjoyed it. A quick and easy read, chock-full of useful and common-sense lifestyle advice and adjustments that take relatively little effort for big reward – what we’re all looking for, right?

As someone that drones on about this sort of stuff for a living, I’ve got some fresh ideas ready to pass onto patients, as well as lots of confirmation that the tasks I’m setting are kicking health goals in multiple ways.
Here are just five of my fave messages:

RELAXATION is paramount.  We need ‘me-time’ every day.  Even if it’s only 5 minutes, do something that is just for you and don’t spend a second feeling guilty about it.

MEDITATION doesn’t need to feel intimidating, difficult or like ‘something that other people do’.  Jump on YouTube and listen to a guided medication for 5 minutes.  Listen to your favourite song on repeat with your eyes closed. Be in nature and pay attention to the sights, sounds and smells without having your beak in your smart phone.

MOVE your body.  You don’t have to run a marathon, hell you don’t have to run at all.  The heart pumps blood, nutrients and oxygen around the body but the lymphatic system (our in-house cleaner, if you will) doesn’t have a pump. The only way it works and cleans out the junk is if you move.

GET OUTSIDE first thing in the morning.  Spending 20 minutes outside in the morning helps regulate our body clock and circadian rhythms; improving sleep, mood and even digestion.

Aim for FIVE a day.  5 different veggies, ideally 5 different colours.  Veggies are jam-packed with nutrients and fibre.  Especially PRE-BIOTIC fibre which is critical, even moreso than a probiotic, to developing and maintaining a top-notch microbiome which contributes to digestion, mood and the immune system.

There is so much we can achieve with diet and lifestyle change before we even think about herbs, nutrients or, as the case may be, medications. That’s not to say that they’re not wonderful, but it’s so important we get the foundations right to start with.

After a copy to read, we have a few of Functional Medicine Dr Chatterjee’s books available in our wellbeing store now.

For further information or to book a consultation with Laura contact the clinic on 5977 0117 or visit the website peninsulaherbaldispensary.com.au to book online. 

 

This article is intended to be informational only and represents the opinion of the author. It is not intended to be used as medical advice and does not take the place of advice from a qualified health care practitioner in a clinical setting. Please check with your healthcare practitioner before embarking upon any of the treatments discussed.