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The Big 5
"The research backs up every claim made in the book. The Big Five could very well change your life for the better with very little effort." Deepak Chopra
The fundamental promise of every exciting medical discovery, diet, and exercise program is the same: do this, buy this, or eat this and you will look better, live longer, and feel healthier. But few books can make the promise of this one: if you adopt the following five simple habits you will live a longer and healthier life, guaranteed.
- Drink coffee
- Exercise regularly
- Add nuts to your diet
- Get plenty of vitamin D
- Meditate regularly
No gimmicks, no catches, on ifs, ands or buts.
Presented by a trusted expert, The Big 5 includes easily digestible data from studies conducted by reputable universities, involving thousands of subjects. As there's no profit-driven industry promoting these ideas, many people aren't aware of the incredible benefits of incorporating them into their lives. Now readers can see how these five things offer many more proven benefits than the latest expensive supplements, fad diets, jazzy exercise programs, or state-of-the-art gym equipment.
PRAISE FOR THE BIG 5
"Sage, succinct and easy-to-follow advice on how to live healthier" Vikas P. Sukhatme, MD ScD, Victor J. Aresty Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
"The Big Five are evidence based, easy to do, and critically important for a happy, healthy future." Frank J. Domino, M.D., Professor of Family Medicine & Community Health, University of Massachusetts Medical School
The fundamental promise of every exciting medical discovery, diet, and exercise program is the same: do this, buy this, or eat this and you will look better, live longer, and feel healthier. But few books can make the promise of this one: if you adopt the following five simple habits you will live a longer and healthier life, guaranteed.
- Drink coffee
- Exercise regularly
- Add nuts to your diet
- Get plenty of vitamin D
- Meditate regularly
No gimmicks, no catches, on ifs, ands or buts.
Presented by a trusted expert, The Big 5 includes easily digestible data from studies conducted by reputable universities, involving thousands of subjects. As there's no profit-driven industry promoting these ideas, many people aren't aware of the incredible benefits of incorporating them into their lives. Now readers can see how these five things offer many more proven benefits than the latest expensive supplements, fad diets, jazzy exercise programs, or state-of-the-art gym equipment.
PRAISE FOR THE BIG 5
"Sage, succinct and easy-to-follow advice on how to live healthier" Vikas P. Sukhatme, MD ScD, Victor J. Aresty Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
"The Big Five are evidence based, easy to do, and critically important for a happy, healthy future." Frank J. Domino, M.D., Professor of Family Medicine & Community Health, University of Massachusetts Medical School
224 pages, Paperback
First published May 10, 2016
70 people are currently reading
770 people want to read
About the author
Sanjiv Chopra
29 books31 followersDr. Sanjiv Chopra is Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. For 12 years he was the Faculty Dean for Continuing Education at Harvard Medical School. He is also a bestselling author and sought after motivational speaker. He has seven books, including The Big Five, Live Longer, Live Better, Brotherhood, Leadership By Example, and Dr. Chopra Says. In addition, he has over one hundred publications to his credit and he has received numerous awards including the Excellence in Teaching Award from Harvard Medical School.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
July 29, 2016
Not sure I needed to read this to know what the "big 5" things are that we can do to live a longer and healthier life. I could have just read the blurb to know what they are; coffee, exercise,nuts, vitamin D and meditation. Too many statistics and dry facts made this a tedious read. I did realise however that I already do three out of five so maybe not a total waste of time. Now to add the other two and I should be right!!!
August 31, 2016
Very well written and researched. My only criticism is that while all research is quoted, the citations are not provided in footnotes or an index. Having said that, the book is written for the layperson and makes a strong case for the health benefits of drinking coffee, Vitamin D, daily exercise, eating nuts & meditation.
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July 24, 2017From Tom: "You’ve heard of Deepak Chopra, I’m sure. Being healthy, wealthy, and spiritual – he covers it all. You could spend the next year of your life reading and listening to his work at ICPL.
Deepak’s brother, Sanjiv Chopra, is pretty special too. Sanjiv is a professor at Harvard Medical School, and, like his brother, he’s authored many works.
His latest is The big 5: five simple things you can do to live a longer, healthier life. I find it easy to overlook books like these. They’re everywhere you look, and what does any one have to offer that ten or a hundred others do not?
Two of the big five, exercise and meditation, you’ll find almost anywhere. I exercise but do not meditate. How am I supposed to meditate when there’s Twitter? Or podcasts?
Another one is Vitamin D. Almost every organ in the human body requires Vitamin D to function properly. It helps your body fight cancer, heal from injury, and to be less prone to heart attacks, Alzheimer’s, and ADHD. You get Vitamin D by eating fortified foods, taking a supplement, or by spending time in the sun. I don’t take a supplement but get plenty of the other two.the-big-five
Eating nuts is worth your while too. They’re full of proteins, healthy fats, and antioxidants. Heart health and lowering the likelihood of developing diabetes are two of the benefits. I do well on this one, since I’m pretty much an almond fanatic. I’m always working on a bag at work and at home.
Coffee is the last of the big five. Or maybe it’s the first. Doctor Chopra gives coffee the opening chapter and this is from page two: “Coffee is really good for you… in fact, coffee actually may well be the healthiest beverage you can drink.” Think about how awesome that is.
Coffee’s drawbacks, like insomnia, heartburn, and increased urination, are old news. Chopra gives us the good news. Here are some things from which coffee offers protection: liver cirrhosis, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, gallstones, and many types of cancer. It improves both mental and physical performance. People who drink coffee even tend to live longer.
So how much should you drink? Unless it causes physical distress, Chopra argues, then have as much as you like. For me, that’s about a pot a day."
Deepak’s brother, Sanjiv Chopra, is pretty special too. Sanjiv is a professor at Harvard Medical School, and, like his brother, he’s authored many works.
His latest is The big 5: five simple things you can do to live a longer, healthier life. I find it easy to overlook books like these. They’re everywhere you look, and what does any one have to offer that ten or a hundred others do not?
Two of the big five, exercise and meditation, you’ll find almost anywhere. I exercise but do not meditate. How am I supposed to meditate when there’s Twitter? Or podcasts?
Another one is Vitamin D. Almost every organ in the human body requires Vitamin D to function properly. It helps your body fight cancer, heal from injury, and to be less prone to heart attacks, Alzheimer’s, and ADHD. You get Vitamin D by eating fortified foods, taking a supplement, or by spending time in the sun. I don’t take a supplement but get plenty of the other two.the-big-five
Eating nuts is worth your while too. They’re full of proteins, healthy fats, and antioxidants. Heart health and lowering the likelihood of developing diabetes are two of the benefits. I do well on this one, since I’m pretty much an almond fanatic. I’m always working on a bag at work and at home.
Coffee is the last of the big five. Or maybe it’s the first. Doctor Chopra gives coffee the opening chapter and this is from page two: “Coffee is really good for you… in fact, coffee actually may well be the healthiest beverage you can drink.” Think about how awesome that is.
Coffee’s drawbacks, like insomnia, heartburn, and increased urination, are old news. Chopra gives us the good news. Here are some things from which coffee offers protection: liver cirrhosis, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, gallstones, and many types of cancer. It improves both mental and physical performance. People who drink coffee even tend to live longer.
So how much should you drink? Unless it causes physical distress, Chopra argues, then have as much as you like. For me, that’s about a pot a day."
January 14, 2018
The 5 things are: coffee, vitamin D, exercise, nuts, and meditation. Fairly dense book which summarizes a wide range of medical research on each of these topics. The chapter on exercise was pretty “duh,” but the others were quite interesting. After reading this, I will immediately double the amount of Vitamin D3 supplement that I currently take (from 1000 to 2000), and incorporate a small amount of nuts into my diet each day. At some point, I hope to also explore meditation more.
Equally as interesting to me was the brief part at the end that discussed the 2 other things that didn’t make the cut for the book: aspirin and diet. (Excluded because they are not one-size-fits-all and can cause harm to some, so it would be misguided to blanketly recommend those to everyone.)
The book didn’t have a real conclusion chapter! For this book, it didn’t really matter, but it really struck me because it is so unusual for non-fiction not to have a conclusion chapter. But I could relate to this, because the conclusion chapter in my dissertation was by far the hardest part for me to write! So I empathized with this guy - the chapters truly spoke for themselves, and there really wasn’t a need to make up a final chapter just to say you had a conclusion.
Equally as interesting to me was the brief part at the end that discussed the 2 other things that didn’t make the cut for the book: aspirin and diet. (Excluded because they are not one-size-fits-all and can cause harm to some, so it would be misguided to blanketly recommend those to everyone.)
The book didn’t have a real conclusion chapter! For this book, it didn’t really matter, but it really struck me because it is so unusual for non-fiction not to have a conclusion chapter. But I could relate to this, because the conclusion chapter in my dissertation was by far the hardest part for me to write! So I empathized with this guy - the chapters truly spoke for themselves, and there really wasn’t a need to make up a final chapter just to say you had a conclusion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 18, 2018
The first this that made me upset with this book was that, although in the introduction the author states that he doesn't cite any papers that were funded by industry stakeholders, in the very first chapter he does exactly that. He is at least open about the fact that the paper he's referring to was industry-funded, but it's still odd.
The worst problem with this book is the lack of any kind of reference list. While most of the facts come with a mention of when or where or by whom they were published, rarely is enough information given for the reader to look up the papers referenced to read them for himself. This, combined with the fact that the author DOES use industry-funded research, makes me suspicious of just how unbiased the research used in this book is.
The last thing I disliked about this book was how the author often discussed the opinions of historical figures on his subject matter, dispersed amongst the medical and scientific facts as if they belonged there.
Overall I'm not at all surprised that the author of this quakery is Deepak Chopra's brother.
The worst problem with this book is the lack of any kind of reference list. While most of the facts come with a mention of when or where or by whom they were published, rarely is enough information given for the reader to look up the papers referenced to read them for himself. This, combined with the fact that the author DOES use industry-funded research, makes me suspicious of just how unbiased the research used in this book is.
The last thing I disliked about this book was how the author often discussed the opinions of historical figures on his subject matter, dispersed amongst the medical and scientific facts as if they belonged there.
Overall I'm not at all surprised that the author of this quakery is Deepak Chopra's brother.
August 5, 2017
I really liked this book for its readability and simplicity. If you just want the punchline:
1) Drink coffee (#happyliver). 2) Exercise 30 mins a day (walking is fine. Strength training is added bonus). 3) Get Vitamin D3 (20 minutes of daily sun exposure is best, but D3 supplements are wise for most.) 4) Eat a handful of nuts daily - any kind - and added benefits if it's after a meal. 5) Meditate 20 minutes a day. It reduces stress, changes your brain (really), and helps you live longer, happier. 6) Bonus point: Vegan diet shoutout, which is mentioned briefly in a single paragraph in the final chapter as reversing coronary heart disease.
What I liked about this book, besides the extremely adoptable tips, was that it includes info about the scientific studies (i.e. a double-blind study over 12 years with 20,000 participants), while still being readable. Then again, I was just reading the insert that came with my typhoid vaccine, so maybe I'm just a little geeky in that way. Still, the many cited studies reinforced why these 5 habits are beneficial.
Bottom line: for summer science reading about living longer, I definitely recommend this book.
1) Drink coffee (#happyliver). 2) Exercise 30 mins a day (walking is fine. Strength training is added bonus). 3) Get Vitamin D3 (20 minutes of daily sun exposure is best, but D3 supplements are wise for most.) 4) Eat a handful of nuts daily - any kind - and added benefits if it's after a meal. 5) Meditate 20 minutes a day. It reduces stress, changes your brain (really), and helps you live longer, happier. 6) Bonus point: Vegan diet shoutout, which is mentioned briefly in a single paragraph in the final chapter as reversing coronary heart disease.
What I liked about this book, besides the extremely adoptable tips, was that it includes info about the scientific studies (i.e. a double-blind study over 12 years with 20,000 participants), while still being readable. Then again, I was just reading the insert that came with my typhoid vaccine, so maybe I'm just a little geeky in that way. Still, the many cited studies reinforced why these 5 habits are beneficial.
Bottom line: for summer science reading about living longer, I definitely recommend this book.
June 29, 2017
This actually started as a case study to control diseases in Warsaw, Poland in 1822. The Science led to an understanding that Dr. Sanjiv Chopra put in his book for the modern living fitness world.
This book is great to me because as I get older, you have to really cut back on what you do. What I read ACTUALLY TELLS ME TO DO MORE OF THE THINGS I LOVE.
1) Drink more coffee! (speeds up testosterone in men, controls weight gaining in men, preventing tooth decay to reducing my risk of many different diseases, including some cancers.
2) Get more sunshine! Sunshine allows us to make vitamin D, and believe me, you don’t want a vitamin D deficiency. Which though a 2009 study witnessed here 77% of people likely have strokes from lack of Vitamin D.
3) Be active!
I think we all knew this one, but Dr. Chopra lays it out in convincing fashion. If exercise could be put into a pill, “it would instantly become the most commonly prescribed, best-selling, and most beneficial drug in the world,” he said. He then explained how this wonder drug can prevent and even reverse some of the worst diseases out there. The best part is, it’s not that hard. Take a walk for Pete’s sake! If you struggle with this one, get a border collie. Trust me.
4) Eat more nuts: Let me just sum it up this way, eating nuts makes it less likely that you will die. I now feel like a nut saying this then.
5) Meditate! Oh you Mental Floss your brain? Then your missing out. Love the Big 5 and highly endorse this book.
This book is great to me because as I get older, you have to really cut back on what you do. What I read ACTUALLY TELLS ME TO DO MORE OF THE THINGS I LOVE.
1) Drink more coffee! (speeds up testosterone in men, controls weight gaining in men, preventing tooth decay to reducing my risk of many different diseases, including some cancers.
2) Get more sunshine! Sunshine allows us to make vitamin D, and believe me, you don’t want a vitamin D deficiency. Which though a 2009 study witnessed here 77% of people likely have strokes from lack of Vitamin D.
3) Be active!
I think we all knew this one, but Dr. Chopra lays it out in convincing fashion. If exercise could be put into a pill, “it would instantly become the most commonly prescribed, best-selling, and most beneficial drug in the world,” he said. He then explained how this wonder drug can prevent and even reverse some of the worst diseases out there. The best part is, it’s not that hard. Take a walk for Pete’s sake! If you struggle with this one, get a border collie. Trust me.
4) Eat more nuts: Let me just sum it up this way, eating nuts makes it less likely that you will die. I now feel like a nut saying this then.
5) Meditate! Oh you Mental Floss your brain? Then your missing out. Love the Big 5 and highly endorse this book.
September 22, 2018
Très agréable à lire dans sa forme. Sanjiv Chopra, rien de moins que le frère du célèbre Deepak Chopra, a des choses à partager. Des cinq éléments qu'il énumère, sur lesquels il a jeté son dévolu pour en faire le titre de son livre, ce qui m'a le plus étonné a été le café. Les autres éléments étant les noix, la méditation, l'exercice physique et les vitamines. J'ai énormément appris sur le café: l'industrie, la composition chimique et les bienfaits plus ou moins reconnus. J'avoue que certaines choses qu'il dit sont difficiles à avaler. Mais pourquoi pas, hein?!! Donc OUI, mon regard a quelque peu changé sur cette boisson après cette lecture et OUI, j'en bois plus! Sinon pour le reste, j'avoue humblement que je savais déjà tout ce qu'il apporte comme arguments. Le livre apporte un plus peut-être avec toute une collection d'anecdotes vécues, lues ou connues par l'auteur. Un livre divertissant sans être totalement marquant.
August 29, 2021
For sure, it's an interesting book. The problem for me with this book is it's too long. The book explains health benefits of:
1. Coffee
2. Vitamin D
3. Exercise
4. Meditation
5 Nuts.
All of these could be done in 10 pages. There is too much information on different studies, and each description takes a lot of space and time to read. For instance, to provide each study author provides the following information:
1. Author of the study
2. What University
3. When
4. What magazine/journal was published
5. Number of participants
6. How long study was conducted.
All that information distracts from getting the point of the book.
Would I recommend reading this book to somebody? No, unless you are a researcher and want to deep dive in numbers and details. For regular users, I already summarised the point of the book.
1. Coffee
2. Vitamin D
3. Exercise
4. Meditation
5 Nuts.
All of these could be done in 10 pages. There is too much information on different studies, and each description takes a lot of space and time to read. For instance, to provide each study author provides the following information:
1. Author of the study
2. What University
3. When
4. What magazine/journal was published
5. Number of participants
6. How long study was conducted.
All that information distracts from getting the point of the book.
Would I recommend reading this book to somebody? No, unless you are a researcher and want to deep dive in numbers and details. For regular users, I already summarised the point of the book.
October 8, 2021
I picked this up while I was working on 75 Hard and intended to read 10 pages of non-fiction daily. This book covers five main activities for consumption to promote health:
1/ meditation
2/ coffee
3/ exercise
4/ vitamin D
5/ nuts
Some parts of the book were really well researched, but that was a bit boring, even with my background in the sciences. Attempts to add levity to the book fell a little flat for me, such as the coconut jokes. Reasonable advice overall though and it was a fast read.
1/ meditation
2/ coffee
3/ exercise
4/ vitamin D
5/ nuts
Some parts of the book were really well researched, but that was a bit boring, even with my background in the sciences. Attempts to add levity to the book fell a little flat for me, such as the coconut jokes. Reasonable advice overall though and it was a fast read.
October 12, 2017
I listened to the audiobook. I liked the narrator, and the information in the book was valuable. However, it wasn't the most interesting title I've ever listened to. "Coffee is good for you! Evidence, evidence, evidence. Eat nuts! Evidence, evidence, evidence." I do appreciate how thoroughly well this was researched but I did find myself skipping forward occasionally.
January 20, 2020
I really liked how Sanjiv backed up all these claims with scientific evidence. Have a small list of 5 things you can do (many, first thing in the morning before you get on with your day) that are scientifically proven to help you live a longer, healthier life. I've experienced the benefits of some of them already and I'm sure you will to if you implement these teachings into your life.
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May 29, 2018The word hygge gets used. A LOT. A lot of the basic concepts are repeated. Many times. But the idea is interesting and I totally embrace all the things mentioned in the book, being a cozy, social introvert, coffee-drinker, bibliophile and fireplace lover myself.
June 1, 2020
Simple things that most people can do (at least 4 out of 5 things if you don't have a nut allegy or can't walk). Best of all the changes are easy and mostly free. Fast read with simple guidelines with loads of info and studies referenced to back up claims.
August 20, 2022
Няколко съвета, подплътени с медицински проучвания.
Някои от проучванията са по-еднозначни от други. В крайна сметка, дори половината от положителните изводи да са адекватно изведени, то ползите са безценни от гледна точка на най-ценното нещо на света - здравето.
Някои от проучванията са по-еднозначни от други. В крайна сметка, дори половината от положителните изводи да са адекватно изведени, то ползите са безценни от гледна точка на най-ценното нещо на света - здравето.
August 5, 2017
Nonfiction, health, coffee, vitamin D3, walk/run, nuts, transcendental meditation
November 9, 2017
No big surprises here, but Chopra supplies enough research results to be convincing. Audio felt like listening to a wise friend.
February 23, 2021
Published in 2016. I'm sure there are many other things you can do, in fact I know there are. But these are easy, unless you have a nut allergy! Easy read.
May 9, 2025
3.5/5 stars (audio)
March 10, 2017
There was some good info in here. If you're a health freak/nut, this won't be anything new to you, but for people just getting into the health and wellness world, this is a good book to springboard their approach to better health and wellbeing.
May 23, 2016
The Big 5 is chock full of statistics and research summaries to support the benefits of five simple things you can do to live a longer, healthier life. The author explains mountains of evidence with real life data regarding the benefits of coffee, vitamin D, exercise, nuts, and meditation. Each section of the book details how use of item will lower maladies such as type 2 diabetes, depression, obesity, cancers, cholesterol, and heart attacks. The reader will be inspired to make life changes in order to gain the benefits. Coffee has a positive effect on cognitive function and reduces chances of dementia. Meditation changes the brain and makes people “feel better”. “I often advise patients and friends to heed the following advice. On a nice sunny day, take a short, brisk walk to your favorite java shop. Enjoy the coffee, and if you’re going to have a bite to eat, you might as well partake of a handful of nuts. You have now exercised, manufactured some vitamin D from the sun, and had some coffee and nuts. It is that simple!” Sign me up!
September 26, 2016
"Големите пет..." е интересна и увлекателна книга от семейството на "Как да" книгите, която редактирах и коригирах. В нея влизат много принципи и съвети, които така и така ние спазваме по един или друг начин в нашето ежедневие.
Интересни са съветите на брата на Дийпак Чопра - Санджив Чопра (лекар), който анализира данни за действието върху живота на човека на главно пет елемента: спорт, кафе, витамин д, йога/медитация ( дихателни упражнения) и ядки.
Всички те са описани чрез различни клинични наблюдения. Почти всеки от нас пие кафе, яде ядки, спортува нещо. Но ако добавим и малко витамин Д, и малко медитативни техники, можем да живеем още по-добре...
Интересни са съветите на брата на Дийпак Чопра - Санджив Чопра (лекар), който анализира данни за действието върху живота на човека на главно пет елемента: спорт, кафе, витамин д, йога/медитация ( дихателни упражнения) и ядки.
Всички те са описани чрез различни клинични наблюдения. Почти всеки от нас пие кафе, яде ядки, спортува нещо. Но ако добавим и малко витамин Д, и малко медитативни техники, можем да живеем още по-добре...
February 15, 2016
A wonderful book on five simple things one can adopt for a healthier, happier and longer life - I absolutely loved the chapter on Coffee being a coffee lover .... but every chapter was well-written, clearly explained and suitable even for laymen. As a health enthusiast, I absolutely loved the book and happy I picked this one. It a concise and interesting read with a lot of useful information ... I only wish he shared more information ... a must in every home!
*Was kindly provided an ARC copy by Net Galley.
*Was kindly provided an ARC copy by Net Galley.
August 27, 2016
The suggestions are backed up with solid research. While everyone seems to have an opinion on what is best for us, the only item out of the five that actually surprised me in this book was coffee. I don't like it and I never will. Other than that I've got the other four suggestions covered. So, I would have liked to have known what can I do to replace the benefits of drinking coffee?
October 12, 2016
The Big Five is an easy read. Someone without a lot of time, could just look at chapter headings and dive in to any suggestion that is novel for them. Chopra gives pretty sensible advise supported by large amounts of research. The most novel take away for me is that I could benefit from drinking coffee. Who knew?
July 22, 2016
Thanks to this book, I will drink more coffee, spend more time walking out in the sun, eat more nuts and start meditating regularly. Backed up with studies, these are 5 easy things to incorporate into a healthy lifestyle that will have a big impact.
May 19, 2016
Worth reading
August 14, 2016
Easy read, all 5 suggestions are backed up w/lots of scientific evidence~
Coffee is good for you, Vitamin D3 (2,000-4,000 daily), run/walk, nuts, meditate
Coffee is good for you, Vitamin D3 (2,000-4,000 daily), run/walk, nuts, meditate
October 29, 2016
Mostly skimmed this book. Great ideas, except for drinking coffee, ugh!
January 23, 2017
Quick read full of research that supports his 5 habits to adopts. Most people are already doing a few, so easy to do all five.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews