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"I care passionately about people's health and well-being. As a doctor, I find it enormously satisfying to help people overcome illness, disease, and disability. And, of course, nothing is more meaningful than actually saving a life. At the same time, life as a doctor can have its darker side. As a specialist in both cardiovascular anesthesiology and internal medicine, I spend much of my working life with patients who are among the sickest of the sick...The physical and emotional distress I witness is made even more painful by the knowledge that so much of my patients' suffering could have been prevented."
This is how the preface to this book, by Dr. Michael Roizen, begins. This is a book about prevention, how to substantially reduce your chances of becoming "the sickest of the sick."
For those familiar with the prevention literature, much of what Roizen presents is not new but there is some new stuff (at least, new to me). However, a unique feature is that when Roizen states a prevention health tip, he also indicates how many years younger or older you will become (with respect to your true or calendar age). Some examples:
(1) Floss and brush your teeth daily. Benefit: As much as 6.4 years younger.
(2) Drink alcohol in moderation. Benefit: 1.9 years younger.
(3) Not avoiding "passive" smoke. Benefit: 6.9 years older (for those exposed to 4 hours a day or more of passive smoking).
(4) Eat breakfast daily. Benefit: 1.1 years younger.
(5) Learn a new game that requires intelligence. Benefit: 1.3 years younger.
My favorite chapters are subtitled as follows:
(1) Reverse arterial aging: the easiest, fastest way to gain energy.
(2) Your personal bodyguard against disease.
(3) The #1 most important way to grow younger.
(4) How to reduce stress, look younger, and get measurable results.
(5) Five habits that can give you more energy.
You are not expected to apply all the health tips (if you do you can gain up to 29 years!). Choose those that you feel you can manage and fit effectively into your lifestyle.
Finally, there are two things that Roizen states that I feel require some caution:
First, he states to keep your immunizations up-to-date and he gives a very brief discussion as to why. Immunizations are very controversial and I suggest before taking his advice, to do some research on them.
Second, he advocates taking a well-known, over-the-counter drug daily. A very smart doctor once said, "Every drug stresses and hurts your body in some way." Thus, I would be very, very careful with this recommendation.
In conclusion, for those that what to increase the quantity and quality of their life, this is the book to get!!!
(first published 2004; preface; 13 chapters; main narrative 475 pages; references; index)
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