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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Finally, a REALITY-BASED book on aging!, December 8, 2007
This review is from: The Science of Staying Young (Hardcover)
I've read a lot of other books on aging, but this is the first one that offers really credible advise instead of fountain of youth elixirs and snake oil! I particularly liked the easy-to-implement "Action Steps for Better Health Tips" found throughout the book, 63 of them in all. (I've already started doing many of them!)
About the layout: The book has an introduction, 10 steps (chapters), and some conclusions about the future of aging. Each chapter addresses an important point (like exercise or cancer prevention) about successful aging. What I like most is that you really find out what you can do to prevent premature aging and a lot of the illnesses that are either life-shortening or reduce how good you feel. All of the advice is also backed by the latest research (much of which Dr. Morley himself has been involved in), and an extensive reference list is included in the back of the book, which makes me feel better about following his advice.
The first chapter is all about nutrition and how important it is in preventing illnesses that people mistakenly attribute to aging instead of a poor diet. It also gives great information about what types of fish are best to eat; why teas, curries, dark chocolate, and alcohol are beneficial (in moderation, of course!); which herbal supplements have been scientifically proven to have an effect; and why fiber, adequate protein intake, and yogurt can help you live longer and better. Some of this stuff I knew already, but there were a few, helpful surprises.
The second chapter is all about exercise and outlines a plan for what you should be doing to prevent physical problems associated with aging. It includes advice about five types of activities: aerobic, resistance, flexibility, posture, and balance. It also contains great illustrations of resistance, flexibility, and balance exercises you can do at home. It has a section on master athletes and the problems they encounter (and how to prevent them).
In the third chapter, the authors cover all the latest research about hormone therapies. It gives a great explanation about the debate over estrogen use in women, testosterone supplements for men (and women), and vitamin D--why it's really the most critical hormone to supplement and why most older individuals don't have enough of it. (Did you even know it acts like a hormone, not just a vitamin?) It also talks about how to rev up your sex drive.
I loved the section in Chapter 4 that talks about all of the creative things that older individuals have done. I've always wondered if my occasional forgetfulness is normal, and now I know that it is! It also gives some doable mental exercises to keep your mind strong. The explanations about the causes of dementia, Alzheimer's disease, depression, and other mental issues were helpful, as well as tips on how to prevent all of them from happening to you.
In Chapter 5, you learn all about cytokines and why they're bad if you have too many. Really, though, the most surprising recommendation is that you shouldn't lose significant amounts of weight after you reach the age of 60, for a variety of reasons that Dr. Morley outlines. It also explains why your appetite decreases when you get older and what you can do about it.
Chapter 6 covers cardiovascular problems and how to prevent them, while Chapter 7 is all about how to prevent and treat cancer. Since I've known a lot of people that have died from both of these types of problems, it's good to know how to reduce my chances of getting either. Chapter 8 is all about thickening up your bones and managing arthritis.
In Chapter 9, which is about preventing falls, I also really got a lot out of the section on SPA, or Spontaneous Physical Activity, and why it's so important to aging well. Finally, Chapter 10 included a really informative discussion of why taking too many meds can be worse for you than not taking enough, and Dr. Morley also pointed out which prescriptions are not good for you to take when you get older.
All in all, I think this is a book about aging successfully that everyone should have a copy of. You won't be taking any green juicer concoctions to turn back time, but I got the feeling that reading this book and following its advice will make a difference in how well I feel for the rest of my life.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Science of Staying Young - Review, January 4, 2008
This review is from: The Science of Staying Young (Hardcover)
As a life long athlete, I know that a healthy diet and regular exercise are the foundational building blocks of living well and living longer. So, what does this book tell us that we don't already know?
The book is about being healthy at any age and staying younger than our chronological age. The book debunks any slick tricks to discovering the fountain of youth and the always popular fad diets. Each of the 10 steps (chapters) is well organized, with many helpful tips highlighted, and illustrated. It realistically addresses all of the issues of aging including some of the major health problems of heart disease, arthritis, Alzheimer's, and cancer.
Step Two, "Exercise for the elixir of eternal youth", is the longest chapter in the book. A plan for a complete exercise workout is fully illustrated and described in detail. One section deals with exercises for individuals with special issues.
The book is written in such a style that the reader feels he is having a personal conversation with a doctor and an exercise physiologist who have worked up a health and fitness program for him alone. The book is full of useful information about all of the basic physiological systems: muscles, bones, heart, mind, hormones, and related issues like weight and balance. Current medically proven treatment plans and drug options, with all of their strengths and weaknesses, are provided in each area.
I particularly appreciated the fact that the authors positively endorse the value of religion and spirituality in the total process of living well. The book closes with a chapter about preventive health care with a good list of resources for healthy living, recommended readings, and selected references to add to the wealth of material already given.
I have found this book to be highly readable, even enjoyable, and I will be referring to The Science of Staying Young often.
Robert Sandford
Baptist Collegiate Minister
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, Virginia
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2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
A health magazine would probably have all this, January 7, 2009
This review is from: The Science of Staying Young (Hardcover)
Like most of the people that got this book, the intention was to learn how I could maintain my youth. The Elixir on the cover is really attractive, and so it got me hooked on getting inside.
The thing is, the book provides you with cold hard facts. This is it. You want to have a better life? You have to eat healthy, exercise, and perform some brain training. The book is comprised of ten steps, each tackling a certain issue. Steps 1, 2, and 4 are about healthy eating, exercise, and brain training respectively, and I think they're really beneficial. The other seven chapters?
Well, errr, living healthy is chapters 1, 2, and 4. The other chapters discuss issues like cancer prevention and not falling. Yeah, how to not fall--that actually requires a whole chapter. But you have to stuff a book with something, and it can't just comprise three chapters, so there had to be SOMETHING.
I might be a bit harsh concerning the other steps mainly because heart prevention and cancer are issues prevented by exercise, healthy eating, and brain training. Avoidance of disease-causing substances is a known, and that's pretty much it.
The book doesn't really cost much, so if you want some insight on better health, get it and check out the action steps for better health and step summaries--skim through the book and read the important stuff, since plenty of it is filler. The bottomline is that I got the help I needed from the book and I'm going to start implementing the steps, but the truth of the matter is that you can find all these tips on healthy living in any generic health magazine.
Two stars: Give it a skim.
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