Ramkrishna Bhattacharjee's Key Ideas from Brave New Medicine
by Cynthia Li

To be healthy is to be in sync with your inner and outer rhythms. Your organs have their own circadian rhythms, turning on and off at different times in a twenty-four-hour cycle and your days are governed by the rhythms of sunlight, among other forces.

• Eating

The more regular, the better. A regular schedule allows your digestive organs and all the hormones involved in digesting, absorbing, and using food for energy, to function optimally.

• Sleeping

Consistent sleep is necessary for energy and mental focus, as well as for detoxification, tissue growth, and repair.

Healing doesn’t occur in isolation. The people and environment with which you surround yourself can support your journey. But first, you have to open yourself up to receive. Let go of shoulds and should-not. And reach out.

1. Find a practitioner you trust. 
2. Talk with your partner or a close friend
3. If your energy is low or your brain is foggy, consider setting up a  rotating meal service, where friends and family can sign up to drop off
4. If friends ask to help, suggest practical things: grocery shopping, laundry, medication/supplement pick-up.
5. Connect with a support group for chronic fatigue patients.

If getting outside is logistically challenging, bring in houseplants or fresh flowers. Any bit of nature can stimulate the healing rest-and-digest phase.

1. Choose organic produce and meats whenever possible.

2. Shop at a farmer’s market if available.

3. Use stainless steel and/or ceramic cookware. Avoid non-stick pots and pans.

4. For food storage, use Pyrex glass containers or recycled jars.

5. Filter chlorine from your drinking water, as well as other chemicals and pollutants.

6. Use an air purifier in your home and office to reduce allergens.

7. Remove dust by using a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter.

8. Wash hands with warm water and castile soap.

9. Use biodegradable cleaning products.

10. Reduce/eliminate plastics that are off-gas.