The lifestyle plan that works to take your health into your own hands
Many books are published about nutrition, lifestyle and health. Dietitian/journalist Karine Hoenderdos reads and assesses books for Health Net. This time: ‘Take five’ by Filip de Keyser and Heide van de Keere.
Short and sweet
According to the Flemish authors, the ‘big five’ of a healthy lifestyle are: nutrition, exercise, mindset, meaning and social connection. The authors use the knowledge from the so-called ‘Blue Zones’ to formulate concrete actions: five actions per lifestyle goal, on which you work for five minutes a day. The book is therefore a lifestyle plan that you fill in yourself.
Who are the authors?
Filip de Keyser is a rheumatologist with many years of work experience, both clinically and in scientific research. Heide van de Keere holds a master’s degree in pharmaceutical care and works as a health journalist. Together they wrote several other books, such as ‘A clear view on rheumatism’ and ‘People with arthritis’.
What is this book about?
Many people want to live a healthier life, but are not sure where to start with a healthy lifestyle. This book tries to help with that, with a five-five-five plan. The authors first distinguish five important components of a healthy lifestyle: nutrition, exercise, mindset, meaning and social connection. They call these ‘domains’. (This is different from other lifestyle books, in which sleep and coping with stress are often separate lifestyle factors.) Each domain is explained in the book, with after each chapter a set of actions you can choose from to improve your lifestyle. The second step is that you choose five action points yourself from all these actions. The third step is that you spend five minutes every day on those action points. You carry out an action point, or you think about how you can carry out or plan an action in your day. In this way you create a personalized plan to improve your lifestyle, according to the authors. The book also contains chapters with background information about the so-called ‘Blue Zones’, about behavioral change and habit formation.
What can you practically do with this book?
If you read the book and follow the directions, at the end you will have a personal plan to improve your lifestyle, in different areas. I think you can definitely take steps towards a healthier lifestyle with this. The authors assume the effect of a number of small actions, which ultimately lead to a larger effect. What I like is the emphasis on the ‘bright spots’, as the authors call them. These are actions that you used to be successful in the past or are still doing and which you feel are good for your health and that you enjoy doing them. For example, if you used to be a member of a choir, or if you always took Sunday afternoon walks with your family, you can dust off those habits and include them in the selection as an action. The cases described in the book provide examples of such bright spots.
Examples of nutritional actions include choosing smaller plates or stopping using your phone during a meal. When moving, it is, for example, taking a detour to work or doing a balance exercise while brushing your teeth. Mindset is about ‘rethinking’ and seeing opportunities instead of threats. Actions here are, for example, writing down what made you happy that day, or bringing flowers into your home. Meaningfulness revolves around small or large activities that give meaning to your day. Examples are learning something new or passing on knowledge, doing volunteer work or writing your life story. The fifth domain, living in connection, involves actions such as connecting with your neighbors, joining a club or doing volunteer work.
Final verdict
The set-up of the book is original and it is nice that it eventually leads to a concrete action plan. Here and there I find the background information presented somewhat confused and the language is not always simple. But all in all: a very nice and inspiring book for anyone who wants to take action for a healthier lifestyle.
Take five, the lifestyle plan that works to take your health into your own hands, Filip de Keijser and Heidi van de Keere, Publisher Lannoo, 2021, 427 pages, ISBN 9789401480161, € 19.99.