Brett Anderson, Director of Culture and Communications for the Harlan Family of Napa Valley (California, USA)

Years in the Industry:
20 (first as a journalist and editor creating wine content and, most recently, as a professional working inside the industry)
 
My Biggest Challenge to Wellness: 
For me, the greatest obstacle to be overcome with respect to health has always been self-discipline. I seem to do everything one is not supposed to do—not deliberately, but by force of habit. I am a voracious reader, so rather than go to bed at a reasonable hour, I generally read late into the night. And because I worked for so many years for international media companies, traveling almost constantly and working with colleagues in as many as 18 countries, I formed a daily pattern whereby I wake up at 4 a.m. to deal with the correspondence in my inbox before I start the day. As a result of these things, I have never slept regular hours, a situation for which I compensate by drinking too much coffee (but only truly excellent coffee) to stay awake and drink wine to enjoy and to relax—usually a bottle a day. On top of this, I never eat breakfast. I come from a family obsessed with food and food culture, and breakfast always seemed to me a throwaway meal. In short, my daily regimen breaks most practical advice for a healthy lifestyle.

 
How I Keep Together and Stay Well:
Although I eat and drink too much and generally sleep too little, I have exercised my whole life. I was a swimmer and water-polo player in high school, and then a swimmer still in college, and for most of my adult life (with only a few lapses), I have exercised at least two hours a day—another reason why I get up at 4 a.m. I have found that, during  the early morning, my thoughts are more focused than at night, which, I suppose, is why I do much of my own thinking at the start of the day, and I absorb the thoughts of others while reading before I go to bed. The uninterrupted and relatively calming time in the early hours centers me: solutions can be found, and ideas flow freely.
 
During workouts I always seek a balance between resistance training, cardiovascular conditioning, and stretching. I tend do go into a zone, listening to my favorite music—depending on the activity, everything from classic jazz to classic rock or alternative. New Order, Joy Division, or Smashing Pumpkins for cardio; Roxy Music or Steely Dan for weights; and Coleman Hawkins or Chet Baker for stretching. Music has a tremendous power to restore the body and the mind. I listen to classical—Brahms, Bach, Corelli, or Scarlatti—in the evenings, and Blues—Etta James or B.B. King—before I leave the house for the day.
 
As far as diet is concerned, the only thing I can say in my defense is that I like a wide variety of different foods, and I never eat anything processed—not because it’s a rule I’ve formulated, but because, to me, fast food just doesn’t taste good. I believe that, if you’re going to eat, eat only the best—something fresh and made with care. Although I like a lot of heavy dishes, my favorites tend toward strong flavors in simple combinations—chilis and herbs; olive oils, fresh fish, and cheeses; citrus and crispy vegetables. And really outstanding bread and butter is as good as the table gets.
 
You can connect with Brett online on Facebook or LinkedIn.