I actually read this book back in June. I wanted to spend some time implementing the advice in the book before recommending/reviewing it, so that is why I waited — and why I’m excited to share about it now.

The thing I love the most about this book is that it unites lots of seemingly contradictory pop-health tips and common pieces of advice under the one theory of Circadian rhythms. That might sound a little woo-woo, but the book is really not.

Dr. Panda is famous for being “the blue light guy”; he works in the lab whose research discovered that it’s bad for humans to look at our phones before bed. A lot of the content of this book is around sleep schedule, and how important it is (wow, it is important!!), but there are also sections on how/when to exercise and how/when to eat.

Basically, Dr Panda says that we should do the same things (wake up, exercise, eat our first meal) at the same times every day, and when we do, our body learns these patterns and is able to optimize cell operation in anticipation of this regular schedule. Eating at regular times encourages smooth digestion, exercising at regular times encourages fat burning, etc.

I’ve enjoyed taking a lot of his advice to heart, and I was able to make & stick with a lot of habits. It’s hard to keep a schedule when things get busy, but Dr. Panda also gives a little guidance about what to prioritize, e.g. the most important thing is waking up at the same time every day; not eating for 4 hours before bed is second most important, but you can get away with one cheat day per week. Along these lines, his advice isn’t militant: he suggests finding a schedule that works for you and sticking to it.

This flexible but cohesive guidance has been super valuable to me, and has helped me be more mindful of my habits (and eliminate some bad behaviors- esp. eating right before bed).

It’s very rare that I read any sort of “health” book about diet, exercise, or lifestyle (and I don’t remember how this book made it onto my reading list), but I really enjoyed this book and I think it’s a great “generalist” read for learning more about working together with your body and how to stay healthy.