Though I normally share only the best novels I read, I’m making an exception for this non-fiction work because of its impact.

To be clear, it said nothing I hadn’t heard before. In fact, most of it was taught back in my public school days. Somehow, though, I was ready to really hear the lessons and implement changes in my life.

Dr. Attia powerfully mixes science and storytelling as he explains most of us will succumb to the four horsemen: heart disease, cancer, diabetes, or neurodegenerative diseases. They not only shorten our lives, but they lower the quality of our later years.

The solutions he outlines aren’t magic supplements or miracle cures. Rather, he outlines the best weapons at our disposal: diet, exercise, sleep, and mental health.

Two months ago, I embraced his suggestions. I’ve dropped 15 pounds and my weight is lower than it has been in two decades. My resting heart rate decreased 10% to the same level as a physically fit man twenty years younger.

Best of all, for someone who has long suffered from sleep maintenance insomnia (the curse of waking up in the middle of night and not being able to go back to sleep), I’ve increased my average night’s sleep by a full hour. I can’t explain how nice it is to consistently wake up refreshed and ready to go.

My only wish for the book is that I had read it earlier. Then again, I probably wasn’t ready to embrace it.