The 5 Types of Wealth: A Transformative Guide to Design Your Dream Life

Bloom traces how human health has changed over the millennia, discussing the fact that hunter-gatherers enjoyed fresh food and plenty of exercise but faced greater risks and dangers than members of agrarian cultures. As civilizations developed, the warrior physique became an ideal as societies trained men for war. In Christian Europe, exercise was seen as unimportant and even sinful compared to spiritual pursuits, and it wasn’t until the Renaissance that an interest in exercise and the human physique regained popularity. In modern times, societies have revived interest in sports, exercise, and human health, with traditions like the Olympics resurrected from their ancient beginnings.

Health and wellness fads are billion-dollar industries. Bloom argues that most of these trends are “nonsense,” and that people should be more interested in developing foundational habits to support their long-term health rather than buying certain products. He stresses the importance of developing “the primary building blocks” (273) of fitness and health by following his three pillars of physical wealth.

Bloom claims that professional athletes, military service people, and health enthusiasts tend to follow these core elements in their lives: daily movement, good nutrition that prioritizes whole foods, and restful recovery. For the first step, movement, Bloom recommends that people try cardiovascular and strength training, and he lauds exercise as the best way to immediately improve one’s health. For nutrition, he recommends eating mainly whole foods. To start, he advises beginning with 80% of one’s diet as whole foods, then continuing to eliminate processed foods. Finally, Bloom extols the virtues of practicing recovery by making sleep a priority. Experts have discovered that sleep plays an essential role in human health by consolidating memories, cleansing toxins, and restoring moods. Other recovery activities include massage, meditation, and breathwork.

The author introduces his six systems for maximizing physical wealth. The first is his 30-day challenge, which can be completed in three levels for people of different abilities. The challenge requires people to incorporate daily movement, good nutrition, and sleep into their everyday lives. The second system is his science-backed morning routine, which involves waking up at the same time each day, hydrating, exercising, going outside, and then beginning to work in focused, timed shifts.

Next, Bloom lays out an effective physical training plan that incorporates cardio and strength training. In his fourth system, Bloom explains common-sense diet principles such as staying hydrated, avoiding alcohol and junk food, and only eating until full. Bloom explains his rules for sleep, such as avoiding late meals, caffeine, and screen time, and sleeping in a dark room. His recovery system promotes using calming activities to avoid high stress and burnout. He contends that breathwork such as sighing and the yogic “Lion’s Breath” are all beneficial for reducing stress.

The author presents five statements to help people evaluate their own physical wealth. He reminds them to establish concrete goals and anti-goals, as well as the daily habits necessary to achieve them.