The Longevity Code: Your Personal Prescription for a Longer, Sweeter Life - Hardcover

Paster, Zorba; Paster M.D., Zorba

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0609603604 ISBN 13: 9780609603604

Publisher: Clarkson Potter, 2001

Synopsis

We're all interested in living a long life, but few of us are willing to sacrifice everything to attain that longevity. After all, what good is living an additional decade at the expense of enjoying the previous ones?

In this remarkable book, Dr. Zorba Paster -- host of the public radio show Zorba Paster On Your Health -- takes a detour from the traditional negative, abstinent approach that addresses only physical factors. Instead, Dr. Zorba introduces us to the five "spheres of wellness" that encompass all aspects of life: the physical, of course, but also the mental, kinship/social, spiritual, and material spheres. He reveals well-documented research that indicates that you must address and balance all of these areas, and not just the physical, to achieve optimal longevity -- and also your greatest enjoyment of that longevity.

Within each sphere, Dr. Zorba pinpoints the most threatening "busters" -- those lifestyle aspects that will, sooner or later, kill you. And for each buster, he recommends the most advantageous "boosters" -- habits that will counteract the buster and extend your life. Many of these boosters will come as a complete surprise. For example, even the most diet-conscious, performance-oriented athlete may be at risk for heart disease and stroke by ignoring all the other spheres: mentally, with chronic depression; socially, with limited, distant relationships; spiritually, with an uncaring attitude; and materially, with an unsatisfying, underappre-ciated job.

To tailor this remarkable booster-and-buster system to you, The Longevity Code includes in-depth exercises to isolate your most urgent needs. Once you've identified the busters you must overcome, you can clip out the booster cards -- summaries of each of the 76 boosters -- to help you focus on your personal prescription for living a longer, sweeter life.

About this title

Review

Longevity is determined by more than a good diet, low cholesterol levels, exercise, good genes, and avoidance of smoking, says Zorba Paster, M.D., an instructor at the University of Wisconsin Medical School and family medicine practitioner. (His call-in radio program, Zorba Paster on Your Health, is heard on National Public Radio.) "Just as critical are how much you like your job, whether you have a good or rotten relationship with your parents and children, what sort of friendships you have, whether you're depressed or happy, angry or delighted, abusive or kindhearted." In The Longevity Code, Paster explains the five "spheres of wellness": physical, mental, kinship (family and social), spiritual, and material (meaningful work, sufficient money, safe and pleasing surroundings). If you have balance and good health in all five spheres, says Paster, you'll live longer.

Not every "longevity booster" is right for everybody, so Paster uses self-tests, fill-in charts, activity suggestions, and plenty of anecdotes to help you develop your own individualized plan. Then he offers 76 "boosters": steps that you can take to increase your longevity. Some are simple to put into action immediately, such as "own a pet," "drink plenty of water," and "take care of your teeth and gums." Others, however, take a great deal more effort and commitment, such as "reduce air pollution, radon, and indoor toxins," "don't live in a violent environment," and "cultivate a resilient, optimistic, can-do attitude." Paster offers tips to get you started on each one that you choose. --Joan Price

From the Back Cover

"I am sure that readers of this book will find much to encourage the development of what I think of as our basic human qualities of kindness, compassion, and a warm heart. If we put these into practice, not only will we find a greater sense of calm and happiness in our day-to-day lives, but also the hope that we can live longer, too, as Dr. Paster offers."
--From the Foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama

"Dr. Paster provides numerous pearls of wisdom made possible by twenty years of clinical experience and a keen interest in keeping up with the latest medical discoveries. . . . The commonsense steps spelled out in The Longevity Code are designed to allow us to enjoy our longer lives and infuse them with greater meaning."
--From the Preface by Daniel Levy, M.D., Director, Framingham Heart Study

"Dr. Paster has captured the importance of life's essentials and has given readers a chance to discover what it truly means to be alive and well."
-- Bill Hettler, M.D., cofounder, National Wellness Institute

"Written with energy, compassion, a pastor's heart, and a physician's wisdom, The Longevity Code is a pleasure to read as well as follow. The busters and boosters, which include everything from drinking a little wine to finding a lifelong subject to study, are like a calendar of cautions and affirmations. This is a 'code' that the average harried person can crack and take to heart."
-- Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of The Deep End of the Ocean, and "The Rest of Us" columnist

"Dr. Paster has woven us a tapestry for total health, with a clever approach that allows us to stitch together our own individualized and practical plans for a longer and healthier life."
-- Rich Roberts, president, American Academy of Family Physicians

"The simple steps Dr. Paster outlines can change your life. If you follow them, the sun will feel warmer, the sky will seem bluer, and many of the things that have plagued you, both mental and physical, will gradually recede into the background of a more peaceful, more fulfilled life."
-- Ben Sidran, broadcast journalist

Edition details

• Publisher: Clarkson Potter
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0609603604
• ISBN 13: 9780609603604
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 368