How to follow The 4 Pillar Plan from Dr Chatterjee book.

There are four main elements to The 4 Pillar Plan: Relax, Eat, Move and Sleep. For each pillar, I have set out five interventions, summarised below.

I would much rather you score two in every pillar, giving you a total score of eight, rather than five out of five in two separate pillars, giving you a total score of 10.

The numerical score might be smaller but the balance would be greater – and that’s the real point. For most of my patients, most of the time, scoring three in each pillar, resulting in a total score of 12, seems to be about right.

It is simply impossible, however, for me to say what will be the right amount for you. Some of you will need to do more, some can get away with less.

It is also possible to take each pillar in isolation. You may feel, for example, that your diet and exercise are already under control, whereas your sleep needs more attention. Achieving balance is what will lead to the biggest improvements and, most importantly, the sustainable ones. This is designed to be a whole-life plan rather than a quick-fix gimmick.

As you move from two interventions to four, from four to eight and from eight to 18, you are building fantastically strong foundations, becoming more resilient and more able to bounce back when life does throw you its inevitable curveballs. These small changes become your new habits and these new habits become your health.

If 10 minutes of meditation is too hard, start with one minute. If cutting out sugar is too daunting, start somewhere else. The key to this plan is to balance across all four pillars. Above all, enjoy. It’s a recipe for a longer, healthier and happier life. And you only have the one.

RELAX

1. Me-time every day
2. Weekly screen-free sabbath
3. Keep a gratitude journal
4. A daily practice of stillness
5. Eat one meal per day around a table – without an e-device

EAT

1. De-normalise sugar (and retrain your taste buds)
2. Eat five different coloured vegetables every day
3. Eat all of your food within a 12-hour window
4. Drink eight glasses of water per day
5. Un process your diet by avoiding any food product that contains more than five ingredients

MOVE

1. Walk at least 10,000 steps per day
2. Do a form of strength training twice a week
3. Do a form of high-intensity interval training twice a week
4. Make a habit of exercise snacking
5. Do daily glute exercises to help warm them up

SLEEP

1. Create an environment of absolute darkness
2. Spend at least 20 minutes outside every morning
3. Create a bedtime routine
4. Manage your commotion
5. Enjoy your caffeine before noon
6.  
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