How to rebuild your relationship with sleep, movement and food

Sleep and Stillness

Sheeba De Souza: Rest used to be something I negotiated with myself, a luxury I could cut when the to-do list grew longer. However, the truth is that nothing restores me like a good night’s sleep. It’s not just about beauty rest; it’s about balance, clarity and mood. Now, I protect sleep the way I protect my peace. I place my phone face down across the room and give myself a small ritual, sometimes journalling, sometimes just a few slow breaths in the dark. Little cues whisper it’s safe to let go. And maybe you’ll find your own version too. For me, stillness isn’t only found at night. It’s in the early mornings before the city wakes up, in the pauses between cooking and styling, and even in those few minutes I spend just watching the light change in my kitchen because food and life taste different when you’re not rushing through them.

Luke’s Perspective

Sleep is when the body heals, repairs and resets. Without it, immunity declines, hormones become imbalanced, inflammation increases and even the best food or exercise plan won’t produce results. Stillness is equally important. Constant stimulation keeps the body in a state of stress. Even a few minutes of quiet before bed, in the morning, or between tasks helps calm the nervous system and restore balance. Consistency here matters more than perfection.

Movement and Energy

Sheeba De Souza: For a long time, I believed movement mattered only if it involved intense sweating, sore muscles or pushing myself hard. If I couldn’t do that, I would tell myself to wait for the ‘right’ time, which rarely arrived. My wake-up call came one day when I spent almost an entire day at my desk. By evening, my back was stiff, my head heavy and I felt drained even though I hadn’t ‘done’ much. That’s when I realized that not moving was the real problem. Soon after, I started noticing how much my body responded to simple actions: stretching my shoulders after sitting too long, walking instead of taking the lift and carrying my grocery bags—realizing that this is strength too. Your body doesn’t crave punishment; it craves circulation, breath, flow. Movement isn’t something you earn after a perfect day; it’s something that helps you live the day you’re in. It doesn’t need to be planned or perfect. It just must be yours like a walk to clear your mind, a stretch between meetings, or standing taller, rolling your shoulders back, reminding yourself: this is your body and it wants to move with you, not against you.

Luke’s Perspective

Movement is medicine. It boosts circulation, reduces inflammation, stabilizes blood sugar levels and aids digestion. But it doesn’t have to be intense. Many people wait for the perfect workout plan or gym membership, only to end up doing nothing. The body responds best to simple, daily movement, such as walking, stretching, carrying your own bags and taking the stairs. These small choices accumulate over time and protect your energy much more than occasional bursts of exercise.

Listening to Your Cravings

Sheeba De Souza: Cravings often have a bad reputation, but maybe they’re not a problem. Perhaps they’re messages. Sometimes a craving is fuel. Sometimes comfort. Sometimes emotional. One evening after a long, hectic day, I found myself craving something sweet. Old patterns whispered, ‘You don’t need this. Drink water instead.’ But instead of dismissing it, I paused. I noticed what I actually needed: a small moment to feel seen and held. I made a tiny cup of hot chocolate with real milk and cacao and cradled it in my hands. It wasn’t about the drink. It was the pause it gave me, the warmth spreading through my chest. The craving faded, but that sense of calm lingered. Listening to cravings isn’t about filling your stomach. It’s about understanding what you actually need in that moment.

Luke’s Perspective

Cravings are not always the enemy. Sometimes, they indicate a nutritional deficiency, such as low magnesium, which can manifest as a craving for chocolate. Other times, they are emotional. The key is not to fight every craving but to pause and understand what the body is asking for. If it’s hunger, eat real food. If it’s comfort, allow yourself a small portion without guilt. When we listen to cravings with awareness, they lose their power to control us. The pillars I’ve shared are lived experiences, the choices and rituals that ground me. However, health is also a science and to truly understand why these foundations matter, it is helpful to step back and examine the broader context. Here, Luke outlines what he calls the six roots of lasting health, a framework that shows how sleep, movement, nutrition, hydration, emotional well-being and gut health work together to shape not just the day but a lifetime.

Excerpted from the book Root Leaf Fire: The Anti-Diet Book That India Didn’t Know It Needed with permission from Penguin Random House India.