YOU: THE OWNER'S MANUAL
CHAPTER 1 YOUR BODY YOUR HOME SUPER HEALTH 1 CHAPTER 2 THE BEAT GOES ON YOUR HEART AND ARTERIES 14 CHAPTER 3 DO YOU MIND YOUR BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM 28 CHAPTER 4 MOTION CONTROL YOUR BONES JOINTS AND MUSCLES 45 CHAPTER 5 TO A LUNG AND HEALTHY LIFE YOUR LUNGS 72 CHAPTER 6 GUT FEELINGS YOUR DIGESTIVE SYSTEM 84 CHAPTER 7 SEX MARKS THE SPOT YOUR SEXUAL ORGANS 97 CHAPTER 8 COMMON SENSE YOUR SENSORY ORGANS 108 CHAPTER 9 SICK SENSE YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM 122 CHAPTER 10 THIS GLAND IS YOUR GLAND YOUR HORMONES 133 CHAPTER 11 HELL CELLS CANCER 144 CHAPTER 12 THE OWNER S MANUAL DIET 155 CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 YOUR BODY YOUR HOME SUPER HEALTH BEAUTIFUL BODIES SELL MAGAZINES TATTOOED BODIES ATTRACT GAWKERS WELL TRAINED BODIES WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS AND LUCRATIVE ENDORSEMENT CONTRACTS CELEBRITY BODIES GET STALKED BY PAPARAZZI CHRONICLED BY TABLOIDS AND LAMPOONED BY LATE NIGHT TALK SHOW HOSTS INFOMERCIALS PROMISE BETTER BODIES LOSE 700 POUNDS WITH THIS REVOLUTIONARY BELLY BUTTON CREAM AND NOW EVEN SO CALLED FLAWED BODIES STAR AS THE PROTAGONISTS IN ONE FORM OF POP CULTURE PLASTIC SURGERY REALITY SHOWS THERE S NO DOUBT THAT CORPORATE AMERICA HAS CAPITALIZED ON THE FACT THAT A BEAUTIFUL BODY STIMULATES THE ECONOMY AS WELL AS THE HORMONES WE RE ALL FOR ADMIRING THE BODY FOR ITS CURVES ANGLES AND ABILITY TO MAKE NIELSEN RATINGS SOAR BUT MAYBE OUR OBSESSION WITH SKIN BELIES THE IMPORTANCE OF EVERYTHING THAT CHUGS CHURNS AND POUNDS UNDERNEATH IT BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE HAVE DEVELOPED A VIEW OF THE HUMAN BODY THAT S MORE SUPERFICIAL THAN A PAPER CUT WE WANT TO STEP BACK AND LOOK DEEPER INTO PLACES WHERE ONLY SURGEONS MRI MACHINES AND THE OCCASIONAL TAPEWORM CAN SEE INSIDE YOUR BODY WHY BECAUSE WHAT GOES ON INSIDE OF YOUR BODY IS WHAT GIVES YOU THE ABILITY TO SEE RUN SMELL HAVE WILD SEX ON THE BEACH FEED BABIES CREATE DINOSAURS OUT OF LEGOS SURF SOLVE ALGEBRA PROBLEMS TIE SHOELACES HUM MARGARITAVILLE AND DO THE THOUSANDS OF DIFFERENT THINGS YOU DO EVERY DAY YOUR BODY GIVES YOU LIFE YOUR BODY IS LIFE BUT EVEN IF YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR BODY S MANY FUNCTIONS YOU MAY NOT REALLY KNOW HOW IT FUNCTIONS AND MORE IMPORTANT HOW YOU CAN MAKE IT STRONGER HEALTHIER AND YOUNGER MAYBE THAT S BECAUSE COMPLEX MEDICAL ISSUES AND SCIENTIFIC JARGON RACE THROUGH OUR BRAINS LIKE CARS ON AN INTERSTATE REPORTS DATA AND RECOMMENDATIONS STREAM BY SO FAST THAT YOU BARELY HAVE TIME TO NOTICE THEM LET ALONE FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY ALL MEAN THE RESULT OF THIS INFORMATION INUNDATION IS THAT SPOTTING IMPORTANT HEALTH NEWS IS ABOUT AS EASY AS FINDING A KERNEL OF CORN IN A LANDFILL THEN TO FIGURE OUT WHICH KERNEL OF INFORMATION YOU CAN APPLY TO YOUR OWN LIFE IT TAKES DIGGING PERSISTENCE AND TIME NOT TO MENTION SOME WADERS TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM ALL THE JUNK THAT S OUT THERE BUT IT S VITAL FOR YOUR HEALTH AND YOUR LIFE THAT YOU OWN A PAIR OF INFORMATIONAL WADERS WITH THIS BOOK WE VE STRAPPED ON OUR WADERS AND HAVE PULLED OUT THE KERNELS FOR YOU SO YOU CAN LIVE A HEALTHIER LIFE SO YOU CAN BECOME THE WORLD EXPERT ON YOUR BODY TO DO THAT WE WANT YOU TO THINK OF YOUR BODY AS A HOME AS YOUR HOME WHEN WE STARTED THINKING ABOUT THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN BODIES AND HOMES WE REALIZED THAT THE TWO HAVE A MORE STRIKING RESEMBLANCE THAN THE OLSEN TWINS YOUR HOUSE AND BODY ARE BOTH IMPORTANT INVESTMENTS THEY BOTH PROVIDE SHELTER TO INVALUABLE PERSONAL PROPERTY AND THEY RE BOTH PLACES YOU WANT TO PROTECT WITH ALL YOUR POWER THAT S THE BIG PICTURE BUT IF WE EXPLORE THE COMPARISON EVEN MORE AND WE WILL THROUGHOUT THIS BOOK YOU LL UNDERSTAND THE RELATIONSHIP EVEN BETTER YOUR BONES ARE THE TWO BY FOURS THAT SUPPORT AND PROTECT THE INNER STRUCTURE OF YOUR HOME YOUR EYES ARE THE WINDOWS YOUR LUNGS ARE THE VENTILATION DUCTS YOUR BRAIN IS THE FUSE BOX YOUR INTESTINES ARE THE PLUMBING SYSTEM YOUR MOUTH IS THE FOOD PROCESSOR YOUR HEART IS THE WATER MAIN YOUR HAIR IS THE LAWN SOME OF US HAVE MORE GRASS THAN OTHERS AND YOUR FAT IS ALL THE UNNECESSARY JUNK YOU VE STORED IN THE ATTIC THAT YOUR SPOUSE HAS BEEN NAGGING YOU TO GET RID OF IF YOU CAN GET PAST THE FACT THAT YOUR FOREHEAD DOESN T HAVE A STREET NUMBER AND THAT A TWO STORY BRICK COLONIAL DOESN T LOOK ALL THAT GOOD IN A BATHING SUIT THE SIMILARITIES ARE REMARKABLE SO REMARKABLE IN FACT THAT 1 WE BELIEVE YOU CAN LEARN ABOUT HOW YOUR BODY WORKS BY THINKING ABOUT HOW YOUR HOUSE DOES AND THAT S REALLY THE UH FOUNDATION FOR THIS BOOK KNOWING YOUR BODY GIVES YOU THE POWER TO CHANGE IT MAINTAIN IT DECORATE IT AND STRENGTHEN IT IN EACH CHAPTER WE LL START BY EXPLAINING THE ANATOMY OF YOUR BODY S MAJOR ORGANS TO DO THAT WE LL TAKE YOU INSIDE AND SHOW YOU HOW YOUR BODY S ORGANS OPERATE AND INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER WE WON T DO IT IN DOCTOR SPEAK BUT WE ALSO WON T TREAT YOU LIKE YOU RE A FOURTH GRADER WE RE NOT GOING TO MAKE THE SCIENCE SIMPLISTIC WE RE GOING TO MAKE IT SIMPLE FROM THERE WE RE GOING TO TELL YOU HOW TO MAKE YOUR ORGANS FUNCTION BETTER SO YOU CAN PREVENT DISEASE AND LIVE A YOUNGER HEALTHIER LIFE WE LL SHOW YOU HOW DISEASE STARTS HOW IT AFFECTS YOUR BODY AND HOW YOU CAN LEARN TO FEND OFF AND BEAT PROBLEMS AND CONDITIONS THAT CAN THREATEN NOT ONLY YOUR LIFE BUT ALSO YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE TO RETURN TO THE HOUSE ANALOGY WE WANT YOU TO TAKE THE SAME APPROACH TO BASIC BODY MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS AS YOU DO IN YOUR HOME YOU DON T CALL THE PLUMBER IF YOU HAVE A LITTLE BACKUP IN YOUR PIPES YOU TRY A PLUNGER LIFT THE BACK OFF THE TOILET AND FIDDLE WITH THE FLOATING BALL AND TRY TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM YOURSELF YOU DON T CALL THE EXTERMINATOR WHEN YOU SPOT A FLY IN THE KITCHEN YOU DON T CALL THE ELECTRICIAN IF A LIGHTBULB BURNS OUT YOU RELY ON YOURSELF FOR MAINTAINING CONTROL OVER HOW YOUR HOUSE AGES BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT IT S LESS EXPENSIVE TO PREVENT PROBLEMS AND TREAT MINOR ONES THAN LET EVERYTHING DETERIORATE TO THE POINT WHERE YOUR HOUSE NEEDS A MAJOR OVERHAUL TO CONTINUE FUNCTIONING PROPERLY ULTIMATELY WE WANT YOU TO GET COMFORTABLE ENOUGH WITH YOUR OWN BODY SO THAT YOU LL FEEL CONFIDENT WITH BASIC BODY MAINTENANCE SO THAT YOU LL AVOID THE THINGS THAT CAUSE THE MOST WEAR AND TEAR AND DO THE THINGS THAT BEST MAINTAIN THE LONG TERM VALUE OF YOUR BODY TO DO THAT WE LL SHOW YOU SUCH THINGS AS HOW YOUR ARTERIES CLOG WHY YOU CAN T REMEMBER WHERE YOU PUT YOUR KEYS HOW TO HAVE A MORE SATISFYING SEX LIFE HOW TO EXERCISE YOUR HEART AND BONES WHY YOUR IMMUNE CELLS FIGHT SOME DISEASES AND NOT OTHERS AND WHAT YOU CAN SEE ON A TOUR INSIDE YOUR INTESTINES WE TOLD YOU WE HAD WADERS WE LL EXPLORE YOUR WHOLE BODY SO YOU CAN SEE HOW IT WORKS AS WELL AS HOW TO MAKE IT WORK BETTER AS YOU READ THIS BOOK WE HOPE THAT YOU LEARN A LOT LAUGH A LITTLE AND FIND THE THINGS IN YOUR LIFE THAT YOU CAN CHANGE TO TAKE COMPLETE CONTROL OF YOUR HEALTH BEFORE WE START WE THINK IT S IMPORTANT TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE MAJOR PRINCIPLES AND GOALS OF YOU THE OWNER S MANUAL HERE WE WANT TO OUTLINE THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS ABOUT HEALTH ABOUT SUPER HEALTH THAT WE WANT TO PASS ALONG TO YOU IN THIS JOURNEY THROUGH THE BODY YOU CONTROL YOUR HEALTH DESTINY IF THIS WORLD DIDN T HAVE DOCTORS THERE D PROBABLY BE NO SUCH THING AS QUADRUPLE BYPASSES LASER EYE SURGERY OR ILLEGIBLE HANDWRITING BUT FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT ORGANIZED MEDICINE PROVIDES FROM AMAZINGLY ADVANCED TREATMENTS TO CUTTING EDGE RESEARCH THAT WILL SOMEDAY CURE INCURABLE DISEASES THIS BOOK ISN T ABOUT ORGANIZED MEDICINE IT S NOT A GUIDE TO TREATMENTS AND IT S NOT A TEXTBOOK OR ENCYCLOPEDIA THINK OF IT AS A MANUAL FOR PREVENTION YOUR MANUAL FOR PREVENTING THE EFFECTS OF AGING BY KEEPING YOU FEELING LOOKING AND BEING YOUNGER THAN YOUR CALENDAR AGE DOCTORS WILL BE THE FIRST ONES TO TELL YOU THAT THEY CAN T KEEP YOU FROM GETTING HEART DISEASE OR PUT SUNBLOCK ON YOUR NOSE BEFORE A NOONTIME RUN OR SNATCH THE THIRD TWINKIE OUT OF YOUR PAW BEFORE YOU TORPEDO IT DOWN YOUR THROAT BUT YOU CAN YOU CAN CONTROL YOUR HEALTH DESTINY JUST LOOK AT THE WAY LANCE ARMSTRONG HAS DONE IT IN 1996 THE CHAMPION CYCLIST HAD TESTS THAT REVEALED ADVANCED TESTICULAR CANCER THAT HAD SPREAD TO HIS LUNGS AND BRAIN WITH A FAR LESS THAN 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF SURVIVAL ARMSTRONG ENDURED SURGERIES AND AN AGGRESSIVE FORM OF CHEMOTHERAPY TO TREAT HIS CANCER ARMSTRONG WAS LEFT WEAK YET DETERMINED COMBINED WITH MEDICAL TREATMENTS ARMSTRONG S OWN WILLPOWER AND THE SUPPORT OF THE PEOPLE AROUND HIM GAVE HIM THE STRENGTH TO FIGHT TO BEAT CANCER TO BECOME THE RECORD BREAKING SIX TIME TOUR DE FRANCE CHAMPION AND MOST IMPORTANT TO INSPIRE HELP AND MOTIVATE MILLIONS OF OTHER PEOPLE JUST LOOK AT ALL THOSE YELLOW 2 LIVESTRONG WRISTBANDS ONE OF THE GREAT MANY LESSONS WE VE LEARNED FROM ARMSTRONG IS THAT WHILE YOU CAN T ALWAYS CONTROL WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU NO MATTER HOW FIT YOU ARE THERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU CAN CONTROL YOUR ATTITUDE YOUR DETERMINATION AND WHAT SERVES AS THE CRUX OF THIS BOOK YOUR WILLINGNESS TO TAKE YOUR HEALTH INTO YOUR OWN HANDS AND KNOW AS MUCH ABOUT YOUR BODY AS POSSIBLE NOW IN NO WAY ARE WE ENDORSING THAT YOU ORDER A BOX OF SCALPELS AND REMOVE SUSPECT LOOKING MOLES FROM YOUR ARM OR SCHEDULE A SELF PERFORMED COLONOSCOPY AFTER THE KIDS GO TO BED EVEN WE DON T DO THAT WE ALL NEED DOCTORS THE POINT IS THAT THE POWER YOU HAVE TO CONTROL YOUR HEALTH DESTINY IS REAL AND IT S IN YOUR HANDS NOT SOMEONE ELSE S IN THIS BOOK WE RE GOING TO GIVE YOU DOZENS OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU CAN USE TO MAKE YOURSELF HEALTHIER BUT TO PROVE A POINT WE WANT TO BOIL DOWN THE ISSUE OF PERSONAL CONTROL TO ONE FACT IF YOU MAKE FIVE JUST FIVE ADJUSTMENTS TO YOUR LIFE YOU CAN HAVE A DRAMATIC EFFECT ON YOUR LIFE EXPECTANCY AND THE QUALITY OF YOUR LIFE THE FIVE THINGS ARE CONTROLLING YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE AVOIDING CIGARETTES EXERCISING THIRTY MINUTES A DAY CONTROLLING STRESS AND FOLLOWING AN EASY TO LOVE HEALTHY DIET THAT LAST ONE IS THE BASIS FOR A MAJOR PART OF THIS BOOK THE OWNER S MANUAL DIET WHICH WE LL DISCUSS LATER IN THIS CHAPTER AND IN CHAPTER 12 BUT IF YOU CAN DO THOSE FIVE THINGS IN THE NEXT TEN YEARS YOU HAVE JUST A 10 PERCENT CHANCE OF DYING OR HAVING TO SUFFER DISABILITY COMPARED TO A TYPICAL PERSON YOUR AGE WE LL TAKE THAT BET YOU CAN CHOOSE YOUR AGE WHETHER YOU LOOK AT CLOCKS CALENDARS OR HOURGLASSES TIME DOESN T STOP IT TICKS AND TOCKS AT THE SAME PACE DAY AFTER DAY MINUTE AFTER MINUTE SECOND AFTER SECOND EVERYONE AGES AT THE SAME RATE WITH BIRTHDAYS EVERY YEAR THAT S YOUR CALENDAR AGE BUT YOU HAVE THE POWER TO TURN YOUR CLOCK FASTER OR SLOWER WITH THE LIFESTYLE CHOICES YOU MAKE REGARDING WHAT YOU DO WITH YOUR BODY AND WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT FOR EXAMPLE A FIFTY YEAR OLD WHO DOUSES HER LUNGS WITH NICOTINE AND BUILDS HER FOOD PYRAMID WITH CHOPPED LIVER AND SAUSAGE ACTUALLY MAY HAVE THE BODY OF A SIXTY FIVE YEAR OLD BECAUSE OF THE DESTRUCTION SHE S DOING WHILE A FIFTY YEAR OLD WHO EATS WELL STAYS AWAY FROM TOXINS AND TAKES CARE OF HER BODY WITH MODERATE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY COULD HAVE THE BODY AND HEALTH OF A THIRTY SIX YEAR OLD THROUGHOUT THE BOOK WE LL REFER TO THE REALAGE EFFECT THAT CERTAIN LIFESTYLE CHOICES HAVE ON YOUR HEALTH THIS IS THE BASIS FOR THE REALAGE CONCEPT WHILE SOME OF YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH IT FOR THOSE WHO AREN T IT S THE SYSTEM THAT SHOWS YOU HOW LARGE AN EFFECT THE CHOICES YOU MAKE CAN HAVE ON MAKING YOURSELF YOUNGER OR ACCELERATING YOUR AGING TO SHOW YOU THE POWER YOU HAVE CONSIDER THIS YOU CONTROL MORE THAN 70 PERCENT OF HOW WELL AND HOW LONG YOU LIVE BY THE TIME YOU REACH FIFTY YOUR LIFESTYLE DICTATES 80 PERCENT OF HOW YOU AGE THE REST IS CONTROLLED BY INHERITED GENETICS OF COURSE WE CAN T STOP AGING THAT S BECAUSE OUR BODIES ARE CONTINUALLY AGED BY THE ENVIRONMENT THROUGH OXIDATION OR OTHER PROCESSES WITHIN YOUR BODY OXIDATION WHICH IS A LOT LIKE THE RUSTING OF YOUR HOUSE S FOUNDATION OR PILLARS IS A NATURAL IMPORTANT PROCESS THAT S A BY PRODUCT OF THE PROPER FUNCTIONING OF YOUR BODY BUT WHEN TOO MUCH OXIDATION OCCURS IT PUTS YOU AT A HIGHER RISK OF AGING OR RUSTING OF YOUR BODY IT S WHY SO MANY FOODS THAT ARE GOOD FOR US ARE ANTIOXIDANTS FOODS THAT SLOW THE OXIDATION PROCESS WE DO NOT KNOW THAT THE ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTY OF THESE FOODS IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE HEALTH BENEFITS YOU GET FROM THEM BUT WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT THERE ARE THREE MAIN FACTORS IN AGE RELATED DISEASE THAT YOU CAN CONTROL AND BY CONTROLLING THEM YOU SLOW THE AGING PROCESS FROM A PURELY SCIENTIFIC PERSPECTIVE WE DON T REALLY KNOW WHAT CAUSES AGING BUT WE DO KNOW WHAT MAKES US FEEL OLD BEFORE AGE ONE HUNDRED AND THAT S AGE RELATED DISEASE SO WE CAN TELL YOU 80 PERCENT OF HOW TO STOP THESE THREE FACTORS IN AGE RELATED DISEASE THEY ARE AGING OF YOUR HEART AND BLOOD VESSELS RESPONSIBLE FOR THINGS LIKE STROKES HEART ATTACKS MEMORY LOSS AND IMPOTENCE WHEN ARTERIES CUT OFF NUTRIENT RICH BLOOD TO IMPORTANT ORGANS AGING OF YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM WHICH LEADS TO AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES INFECTION AND CANCER AGING CAUSED BY ENVIRONMENTAL OR SOCIAL ISSUES ACCIDENTS AND SOCIAL FACTORS LIKE STRESS ARE VERY POWERFUL FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO AGING 3