Once I read Dr. John Ratey’s book, Spark, several years ago, I started recommending it to many clients and friends, to the point that I probably annoyed people. Dr. Ratey explains in Spark that vigorous aerobic exercise in the morning boosts cognitive performance, and he cites work done in the Chicago area with students who came to school early to work out before class. They showed significant increases in cognitive capacity, regardless of whether they came from privileged suburbs or impoverished inner city neighborhoods.

Given that it’s just one physician and one study, I get how people can dismiss it as not being relevant to them.

Now, though, I’ve read another of Dr. Ratey’s books, Go Wild. Most of the book provides an explanation for the final chapter, which are his recommendations for building health and well-being. Unlike many health books I’ve read lately, the build-up to his set of recommendations is interesting and straightforward. Moreover, it might just motivate you to make a change or two.

His first recommendation is to find your lever. By that, he basically means the first simple step that will serve as a domino to cause other unhelpful behaviors to fall away as easily as other dominoes in a row. His co-author, Richard Manning, suggests that for most of us, the lever to pull to start everything in motion is likely going to be food or movement.

For food, they advise eliminating sugar, grains, and any processed foods, and to do this forever, not just as a fad diet. Unlike other books on the subject, they don’t advocate for zealous adherence, just moving toward this way of eating.  For movement, they suggest doing something you like, especially if it involves being outdoors.  In fact, they emphasize the importance of being outdoors for well-being on many levels. They also stress the importance of sleep and good relationships.

I think most of us know the basic prescription:  eat right, move right, live right.  This book, though, makes it seem simpler to accomplish than other books I’ve read on the subject. It’s a good read for anyone looking to make changes without reading a dozen books on the subject of physical and emotional health.