#Inspiring People: Dr Rangan Chatterjee, GP and author.

Dr Chatterjee has a refreshing take on the causes of illnesses and even more so on how we treat them. Rather than prescribing drugs to relieve symptoms, he explains the importance of examining the manner in which we: relax, eat, move and sleep. Or the four pillars as he’s coined them.

Throughout the book he explains how we can make improvements across each area and the positive effect this can have on our overall health. He places emphasis on creating a balance across the pillars and not striving for perfection.

"A huge take away for me was to examine the lifestyle choices I was making, often unknowingly, and realising the effect they were having on my overall health."

After doing so I was able to make very small and manageable changes which resulted in a reduction in my headaches and a boost to my energy levels. But most importantly, I felt much happier as a result.

Some of the changes I made were as simple as limiting my caffeine intake to two cups of coffee a day and having these in the morning. Yes, really – I don’t know how I did it either! I also learnt to prioritise sleep, even over finishing a Netflix series or scrolling mindlessly through social media. But the biggest impact was by far was introducing regular movement in the form of Pilates and improving my diet with extra vegetables and home cooked meals. But be warned, loudly snacking on carrot sticks in the office doesn’t make you very popular.

Now don’t get me wrong, by no stretch of the imagination am I a health guru and I wouldn’t say I have it all figured out. In fact, writing this article and also reflecting on the changes in my life as a result of the pandemic I feel inspired to pick up the book again and see in which areas I might need to readdress the balance.

Dr Chatterjee has inspired me to take ownership of my own health and happiness, and in doing so completely transformed my outlook on life!