Luke Coutinho’s latest book is not a guide or manual for an ideal healthy body. With The Calm Prescription, the celebrity wellness coach, a pioneer of integrative and lifestyle medicine in India, focuses on the mind. Emerging out of his one-and-a-half decade-long journey, the book offers 75 science-backed practices for regulating emotions, calming nervous systems, and creating space for real healing. In a chat with t2, Coutinho talks about the need for his prescriptions in a cognitively overloaded world, how he deals with FOMO, and his Pink Tiger Initiative. Excerpts.
The title of the book, The Calm Prescription, draws our attention first to the word ‘calm’. Have we become more anxious in our lives?
Yes, as a society, we have become more anxious — and it’s important to understand why anxiety isn’t a flaw or a weakness. It’s a survival mechanism hardwired into us through evolution. Today’s stressors and threats aren’t just physical any more — they’re emotional, mental, and even virtual. From financial pressures, relationship conflicts, and health scares to disturbing news, environmental instability, and the overload of information we consume daily, anxiety is triggered from multiple directions.
We live in a cognitively overloaded world. Thanks to social media and 24/7 news cycles, every piece of information is amplified. Our nervous system is simply not built to handle this level of ongoing stimulation. What’s more, the human brain is wired with a negativity bias — we are more sensitive to negative news than positive, which keeps our internal alarm systems activated longer than necessary. Another layer to this is the way we perceive threats. Sometimes, the danger is not even real but imagined, and our mind doesn’t distinguish between the two.
A thought about a possible negative outcome can trigger the same stress response as an actual event. And what causes anxiety differs from person to person. In essence, we are more anxious today because we are overstimulated, overinformed, and constantly in “survival mode”. Finding calm is no longer a luxury — it has become a prescription we all need.
The use of the word ‘prescription’ brings a notion of discipline, rigidity and science. Can you throw more light on it and how the book approaches it?
The word ‘prescription’ often brings to mind medical routines — structured, scientific, and serious. In conventional medicine, prescriptions are about drugs that manage symptoms. But in lifestyle medicine, we prescribe medicine beyond medicine, like sunlight, sleep, mindful eating, fasting, movement, hydration, breathwork, nature, connection, even prayer.
There’s something powerful about prescribing even the simplest habits, like a morning walk or conscious breathing. It creates intention. It signals importance. It brings structure to practices we often treat as optional. This isn’t about rigidity — it’s about consistency.
Discipline. A prescription reminds us to repeat what matters. And that’s deeply personal. For one person, calm might come from music; for another, journaling, a workout, or time in nature. What matters is that these are honoured and integrated into daily life.
The Calm Prescription treats calm not as a vague idea, but as a biological state — the parasympathetic nervous system, or “rest and repair” mode. True healing — physical, mental, emotional — can only happen when the body feels safe, rested, and calm. That’s why this book isn’t just a metaphor. It’s a science-backed, practical guide with 75 tools to activate the body’s healing state. We’ve seen these tools work — even in patients undergoing cancer treatment or managing chronic illness. When lifestyle prescriptions complement medical care, healing becomes more holistic and lasting.
This book is very different from what you have written so far — Small Wins Everyday, The Magic Weightloss Pill and Back to The Roots. The focus shifts from the plate to the mind. What was it that led to the book?
This book marks a shift, not just in content, but in consciousness. When I began my journey, my focus was primarily on nutrition. That’s what I was trained in, and that’s what I offered to clients in the early days. But after working with just 10–15 clients, I started noticing something — nutrition alone wasn’t always enough. Even when the food plans were perfect, the results didn’t always show up. That made me pause and reflect: What are we missing? The answer, again and again, was emotional health. Across cases — fat loss, gut issues, autoimmune conditions, even cancer — the common thread was unprocessed stress, emotional pain, and a nervous system stuck in overdrive. These weren’t just mental struggles; they were affecting digestion, hormones, immunity, and overall healing. That realisation gradually expanded the way we worked. We began integrating sleep, movement, breathwork, community, and spirituality into our protocols. Over 13 years, our work has evolved into a deeply holistic, integrative model. Nutrition remains a foundation — but it’s only one part of a much wider ecosystem.
The Calm Prescription emerged from that journey. It reflects one of the greatest needs we see today: To regulate our emotions, calm our nervous systems, and create space for real healing. Also, this book wasn’t sparked by a single moment, it was shaped patient by patient, case by case, story by story. It’s the next natural chapter in the journey.
The book offers 75 scientific practices for better health, longevity and happiness. Can you throw some light on the practices that the books talk about?
One of the most powerful aspects of The Calm Prescription is that it doesn’t just stop at theory — it’s deeply action-oriented. While the first part of the book lays the foundation by explaining what calm truly means — breaking down the science of the nervous system, the role of suppressed and repressed emotions, and why so many of us are chronically stuck in the fight-or-flight mode — the second half is where the real shift begins. That’s where we introduce 75 practical, science-backed tools to help you activate the parasympathetic nervous system and bring more calm into your everyday life.
What makes this book unique is its flexible structure. You don’t have to follow the practices in order. You can open to any page and try one of the techniques. It’s designed like a toolbox, so that you can find what resonates with you. Because we know: One size doesn’t fit all. What works wonders for one person might not work for another, and that’s okay.
Each practice in the book is supported by research and real-world application. It’s not just what sounds good — it’s what we’ve seen work again and again with clients, patients, and communities over the years. The ultimate goal? To help you feel calmer, healthier, and more grounded in a world that often feels overwhelming.
In this fast-paced life, where we are constantly chasing deadlines, fulfilling familial and personal goals, and having FOMO with Insta Reels, how difficult is it to attain that calm?
In a chaotic world, many of us unknowingly trade our inner peace for the fear of missing out— FOMO. We stretch ourselves thin trying to be everywhere, do everything, and stay ‘relevant’, even if it means doing things we don’t enjoy or align with. But in this bargain, we end up draining our energy, not just emotionally, but at a cellular level.
Learning to say no, drawing boundaries, and surrounding yourself with people who respect your space and growth are essential. If someone doesn’t get your need for peace, maybe they were never meant to be in your inner circle. True calm isn’t about keeping up — it’s about knowing yourself and honouring that. My book offers 75-plus such reminders that calm isn’t out of reach — it’s already within you. Turn a page, try a tool, and feel the shift. No fancy equipment required, just intention.
You, too, are very active in your field and have goals to attain and targets to meet. What is it that gives you a sense of calm?
For me, calm is found in the simple, everyday things. It’s being in nature, hearing the sound of rain, feeling the warmth of the sun, reading a good book, listening to music, or sitting in silence — a quiet evening by a fireplace, staring at the moon, or counting stars. It’s moments of solitude, but also quality time with people who are real, supportive, and grounding. Meaningful connection, not just surface-level interaction.
Movement also plays a big role — sometimes it’s a walk, sometimes it’s just a few deep breaths. Even something as simple as enjoying a meal without distractions helps me reset. I also take mindful breaks from social media now and then, which brings more clarity and peace than most people realise. Yes, I have goals, targets, and responsibilities, but above all, I have a responsibility to myself: To protect my inner peace. Sometimes, calm can be found in the breath itself. One conscious inhale, one complete exhale. This is why breathwork has become our sixth pillar for prevention and recovery.
As a wellness coach, and a champion of health, how do you feel about the influencer culture?
I’ve never resonated with the term influencer or the culture around it. My journey didn’t begin to gain followers — it began with a simple mission: to help people understand that there’s real value in lifestyle. I was going live on Facebook — 14 years ago — to speak about the power of nutrition, deep-quality sleep, movement, and emotional well-being. And 14 years later, I continue to do that. Back then we were trolled and dismissed but we didn’t stop. Today, I feel proud that lifestyle is a part of medical prescriptions and we continue to work and collaborate closely with so many top health practitioners. That’s the shift we’ve worked for.
What do you have to say about the adulterated food ingredients that have invaded us?
I’ve been very vocal about a crisis that’s been silently affecting millions — the rampant adulteration in our food system. Imagine ordering your favourite creamy paneer dish, only to realise you’re not eating real dairy at all. What looks and feels like paneer is often analogue paneer — a chemically processed substitute made with starches, emulsifiers, refined oils, and zero nutrition. This isn’t just about taste — it’s about health. Analogue paneer inflames the gut, disrupts metabolism, compromises immunity, and contributes to the already rising cases of lifestyle diseases in India.
The tragedy? Most people don’t even know they’re eating it. Restaurants don’t label it. Vendors don’t clarify. And consumers don’t ask — because they aren’t aware. That’s why we launched the Pink Tiger Initiative to bring truth and transparency back into Indian homes. We conduct random batch testing of everyday items like proteins, staples, masalas, and supplements using certified, high-standard labs. Those that meet our benchmarks earn a ‘Pink Tiger’ stamp — not as an endorsement, but as a verified choice for the consumer. We’re not trying to be the FSSAI. We deeply respect and support the work they do. And we’re not here to shame brands either. We inform them and hope they rise to the occasion.