Book Read Free

Drop Dead Healthy

Page 32

by A. J. Jacobs


  watching no TV while, 355

  watching yourself while, 23–24, 356

  see also diet; food; food reforms

  eating disorders, 87–90

  egonomics, present and future selves in, 48–50, 231

  Eingorn, Alex, 142–47

  on origins and principles of laughter clubs, 144

  Einstein, Albert, 175

  ejaculation, Taoist view of, 103

  elbow-bump greetings, 77

  electric-outlet safety, 336

  elevator, taking stairs instead of, 64, 353

  eleventh percentile, where AJ came out in counting backwards, 173

  e-mails, effect of Tread-desk on, 69

  Encyclopaedia Britannica:

  AJ’s reading and retaining 2 percent of, 5, 6

  on how the Fourth Earl gave us the first sandwich, 21–22

  endocrine system, 182, 183–91

  see also toxins

  endometriosis, frequent orgasms and, 104

  endorphins, 129

  Energy, in Taoist sexology, 103

  Entertainment Tonight, 155

  epiphany, what to do while waiting for, 271

  equations, brain fed with, 169

  Equinox, 127

  errands, running of, see running errands, literally

  Esquire magazine, 51, 249, 345

  AJ’s article on outsourcing his life in, 149

  AJ’s browsing of, after his libido upgrade, 280, 285

  AJ’s interview with George H. W. Bush in, 288

  capri pants story in, 341

  David Blaine interviewed for, 216–17

  dolphin sleep system envisioned at meetings of, 257

  low testosterone embarrassing for employee of, 11

  men’s health symposium of, 279

  sweating through shirt in running to, 65

  syrupy peaches consumed by semisentient writer for, 22

  Vergara interview in, 154–55

  Esther, Queen, 199

  estrogen, 283, 287

  Europeans, slow-food eating by, 26

  evolution:

  barefoot running in, 205

  dolphin sleep advantage as kind gift of, 257

  healthy food ill-favored by, 15

  how it missed the mark on pain, 116–17

  Excruciating History of Dentistry, The (Wynbrandt), 196

  Execusisers, 67, 68

  Executive Health Enterprises (EHE), 10–11

  exercise, 6, 89

  aerobic, time allotted for, 1

  antisnoring, 261

  Band-Aid Removal Preference Dilemma in, 252–53

  bingeing as aftereffect of, 33

  of brain, 165–67

  brainpower boosted by, 174

  cardio vs. slow fitness, 158–59

  in Caveman Workout, 36–44

  in desk workouts, 67–69

  disease risk cut down by, 32–33

  feeling good as outcome of, 32

  fidgeting, 353

  hardly ever on Sabbath, 201

  how much and what kind of, 33

  laughing, 142–47

  life span increased by, 32, 44–45, 46

  motivation needed for, 250

  neck, 318

  neurobic, 170–71

  in old age, 44–45

  outwitting self into, 47–50

  regularity needed for, 32, 33

  sex as form of, 105

  steady-state, 253

  tapping your leg, 353

  T-boosting with moderate levels of, 283

  widows and widowers of, 278

  see also gyms; working out; specific programs

  Experimental Man (Duncan), 190

  eyebrows, germs in, 77

  eye charts:

  with big E at top or bottom of, 329

  Snellen, downloaded from Internet, 330

  eye exams, 327–28

  eyeglasses:

  advantaged wearers of, 327

  vision sharper without lenses in, 124

  eyes, 325–33, 326

  astonishing statistics on, 325

  dark chocolate beneficial for, 14

  diseases of, 327–28

  Plato’s unkind words about, 293–94

  tips for health of, 328

  eyesight improvement, 329–31

  chimpanzee help in, 283

  cockiness for, 329

  eye aerobics for, 329

  video games for, 329, 330–31

  F, problem recalling some words starting with, 172

  face masks, 79–80, 220

  facials, odd assortment of bodily fluids used for, 235–36

  Fallahpour, Kamran, 171–73, 176

  falls, trying to get into bed, 335

  false confidence, things that improve with, 329

  family meals, eating regimen at, 22–24, 26

  farts, people seeking a new sound in, 131–33

  fasting, see juice fast

  fat, body:

  brown vs. white, 210

  sugars ending up as, 96

  visceral vs. subcutaneous, 3

  fat, dietary:

  ancestor caveman’s short-run view of, 15–16

  in diet debate, 92–94

  in Paleo diet, 227–29

  fate, outsmarting of, 148–49

  fatigue, 259, 282

  Federer, Roger, 163

  feeling good, how exercise results in, 32–33

  feet, 203–10, 204

  average, lifetime distance walked by, 205

  in barefoot running, 203–8, 204

  webbed, Vibrams not advised for, 206

  Feiffer, Jules, on Superman, 200

  Ferris, Tim, 84, 211, 265, 361

  fight-or-flight response, 55, 125

  Fig Newtons, stomach’s mindless insistence on, 293

  Fiji Water, purity of Cleveland water maligned by, 273

  Finger, Paul, 328–29

  Finger Fitness, 305–7, 309

  how the world might change with, 307

  invention of, 306–7

  fingers, 303–10, 304

  middle, naughty rep of, 306

  thinking about bones of, 27

  Fisch, Harry, 279–84

  Clomid recommended by, 284

  fish, mercury in, 190, 368

  Fisher, Helen, 107

  Fitbit, 108

  fitness equipment, 98–99

  fitness industry, marketing secrets of, 34

  FitzGordon, Jonathan, 315–17

  AJ’s walking appraised by, 315

  on traditional posture advice, 316–17

  walking demonstrated by, 316

  Fixx, Jim:

  fitness program and early death of, 29–31, 293

  as only one data point, 32

  flavonoids, 7, 89

  Fletcher, Horace, pro-chewing grandfathered by, 24

  flossing, 198

  chimpanzee use of, 41

  years added to life by, 195

  Fonda, Jane, 158

  food:

  for Beverly Hills foreheads, 235

  for the brain, 167

  “Clark Kent,” 97

  faux health, 51, 95

  germs in, 77

  healthy, fetishism for, 87–90

  improved by headphones, 59

  noisy snacks, 54, 362

  organic, 368

  origins and destination of, 23

  paycheck-gobbling, 96

  pro-chewers’ approach to, 23–24

  savoring meditation with, 20–21, 86

  in the stuffing of America, 92

  super-, 59–60

  for suppressing further appetite, 356

  ten best pieces of advice on, 361–64

  white, rejection of, 94–95, 361–62

  see also diet; eating

  food chain, avoiding fish high on, 190, 368

  food reforms:

  gradualism in, 13

  more chocolate, booze, and coffee in, 13–16

  no more swiping pizza crusts from the kids’
plates, 28

  place setting in, 22–23

  quantity then quality in, 17

  Food Rules (Pollan), 364

  football teams, above-average students not on, 175–76

  foot injuries, 205

  foot rubs, 294

  footwear industry, revolt against, 205

  For Better: The Science of a Good Marriage (Parker-Pope), 46–47

  For Dying Out Loud (unpubl.; Bronzaft), 57, 60

  48 Hours, 159

  4—Hour Body, The (Ferris), 84, 211, 265, 361

  Fowler, James, 162

  fox, fabled grapes reframed by, 252

  France:

  moles in vogue under Louis XV of, 242

  parasite use in, 40–41

  Franklin, Ben, on cold not causing colds, 211

  Freakonomics (Levitt and Dubner), 341

  Friedman, Howard, 71

  friendship, stress in, 161–62

  frogs, loose teeth fixed by, 196

  fructose, sucrose vs., 7

  fruits, 89

  high- vs. low-sugar, 229

  our ancestral preference for, 15

  F-word, the, 125

  Gaga, Lady, warming up to, 249

  Galina (acupuncturist), visit to office of, 118–20

  gambling, eating while, 21–22

  games, losing more precisely in, 177

  Gandhi, M. K. (Mahatma), slow chewing advocated by, 24

  gas, intestinal, pro-chewers’ view of, 24

  gene-coated nano-robot pill, waiting for, 31

  genetics, of taste and smell, 297

  genetic testing, 300–302

  expectations for future of, 301

  Tree of Knowledge problem in, 302

  genitals, 101–9

  urologist’s unsugarcoated view of, 281

  see also sexual activity

  Germ, Dr., see Tierno, Philip

  germaphobia, 76

  going full McDougall thwarted by, 206

  moral outlook colored by, 82

  germ cell, fossilized, as oldest sign of life, 77

  germ debate, 75–83

  germaphobe’s side in, 76–80

  Hygiene Hypothesis side in, 80–81

  politics injected into, 82–83

  germ porn, 75–76

  germproof sheets, 82

  germs, 75–83

  AJ’s immune system friendly to, 72

  in the cracks of your teeth, 195, 197

  in drinking water, 273

  gyms saturated with, 32

  humans descended from, 77

  likely habitations of, 79

  on Purell dispensers, 79

  questions commonly asked about, 79–80

  resistance developed to antibiotics by, 79

  of the right sort, 82–83

  submerging feet in a swamp of, 209

  time-consuming warfare on, 82

  UV radiation for killing of, 82

  Gibala, Martin, 252

  ginger, benefits of, 217

  gingivitis, 195

  Glide Comfort Plus floss, 197

  Globe Theatre, groundlings at, 67

  glycemic indices, 89

  GNC, 83

  God:

  children’s questions about, 111

  dew on front lawn of, 274

  disease meted out for sin by, 142

  joke about a doctor and, 287

  thanked for painkillers, 115

  trust in nanny state confessed to, 273

  gods of health, massive transgressions against, 191

  Goldacre, Ben, 90, 237

  gonads, 279–87, 280

  Good & Plenty/cucumber romance spray, 102, 106, 109

  Good Calories, Bad Calories (Taubes), 92

  good for you:

  arguing, 169–70

  blueberries, 7, 20–21, 26, 97

  brushing and flossing, 194, 195, 197–98

  cat owning, 151

  caution, 335–39

  chewing, 23–24

  cuts and scratches, 42

  dark chocolate, 14, 60

  delusional optimism, sensibly balanced, 130

  doing new things, 170–71

  equations, 169

  exercise, exercise, exercise!, 32

  fidgeting, 353

  forest walking, 43

  getting off your butt, 63–71

  ginger, 217

  goat’s milk, 71

  good habits, 245

  green field views, 44

  hanging out with fit and happy friends or their friends, 161–62

  having a purpose in life, 4, 25

  holding hands, 308

  house plants, 28

  just standing there, 66–67

  lapping up fallen ice cream, 81

  living in hilly places, 64, 221

  looking on the bright side, 153

  marriage, 45–47; see also Jacobs, Julie Schoenberg

  memorizing poems, 169

  moderate drinking, 14, 91

  moderate optimism with a soupçon of anxiety, 71

  more germs, 80–81

  near-starvation, 17–21

  petting dogs, 150–52

  self-massage (not a euphemism), 110, 359

  sharpening your sense of smell, 297–98

  tart cherry juice, 264

  touching, 151, 153

  turmeric, 7

  unflagging determination and optimism, if possible, 70–71

  volunteering, 179–80

  watching sports, 163–64

  wearing a helmet, 339–42

  see also bad for you

  Good Night (Breus), 264

  gorillas, flat backs an aid to posture of, 316

  Gottesman, Lester, 131–37, 227

  Graham, Sylvester, as guru of the bland, 101–3

  graham crackers, 101–3

  grocery store:

  as origin of food, 23

  shopping the perimeters of, 95–98, 362

  guerrilla (contextual) exercise, 64–67

  avoiding airport People Movers in, 64–65

  beating the elevator in, 64

  literally running errands in, 65

  for normal people, 353

  for the obsessed, 353–54

  guilt:

  for being terse with a dermatologist, 243

  for bingeing, 66

  booze, chocolate, and coffee consumed without, 13–16

  for improving delts over brain, 233

  about obsession with health, 278

  about project’s missing body parts, 346

  in sitting, 66

  in skipping gym, 65

  in straying from healthy food, 88

  gut, germs in, 75, 76

  “gymnasium,” origin of word, 34

  gyms, 29–36

  AJ’s introduction to, 34–36

  etiquette observed at, 61

  exercising in nature vs., 39

  fellow regulars at, 60–61

  glute-lifting demanded by lolling instructor, 250

  infectious diseases caught in, 32

  New York itself, 221

  number of Americans who belong to, 33

  Sabbath avoidance of, 201

  slow fitness vs. cardio, 157–61

  why clanking weights while grunting is OK at, 61

  world as, 65; see also guerrilla exercise

  see also exercise; working out; specific gyms

  hamantaschen, 200

  Hand, The: How Its Use Shapes the Brain, Language, and Human Culture (Wilson), 305

  hand-holding, 308

  hand paraphernalia, 306

  hands, 303–12, 304

  germs on, 75

  new maladies of, 309

  periodic shaking of, 309

  see also fingers

  hands, unwashed:

  in germ porn, 75–76

  in Hygiene Hypothesis, 80–81

  Hands (Napier), 303

  hand washing, 74

  brief history of, 78

  virtuoso performa
nce of, 78

  happiness, contagion of, 162

  Hardees’ Monster Thickburger, calories (not counting fries) in, 17

  hare, Aesop’s, sprint-and-rest racing by, 252

  Harvard University, 7, 31, 64, 162, 329, 341

  Hausman, Michael, 309–10

  HDL, LDL vs., 7

  Healing Spaces (Sternberg), 141, 294

  health:

  deadlines incompatible with, 139

  time needed to keep up with, 155–57

  WHO’s definition of, 9–10, 168

  health advice, five-word summation of, 245

  health food, how Graham became an inventor of, 101–2

  Health Food Junkies (Bratman), 88–89, 364

  health habits, gradualism applied in reforming of, 13–16

  Health Project, see Project Health

  health villains, top five, 239

  healthy behaviors, 8

  see also good for you

  Healthy Garden, dining at, 51

  Healthy Vices, 13–16

  growing list of, 168, 330

  Heal Your Aching Back (Katz), 317–18

  hearing loss, decibel levels sufficient for, 59

  see also ears; noise

  heart, 29–52, 30, 246, 247–55

  see also exercise; gyms; working out; specific types of exercise

  heart attacks:

  marriage and, 46

  noise-related, 55

  postcoital risk of, 104

  heart disease, 32, 92, 218, 220, 241, 258, 259, 282, 284

  dark chocolate for lowering risk of, 14

  frequent orgasms and, 104

  HIIT and, 253

  marathon sitting as cause of, 64, 66

  optimism in patients with, 70–71

  Paleo diet’s unknown effect on, 229

  predictors of, 3, 94

  worrying about worrying about, 142

  heels:

  exfoliating of, 208

  landing too hard on, 207, 209

  Hefner, Hugh, 282

  Heisenberg, Werner, 59

  helmets, 334, 340–42

  for apartment living, 340

  for babies, 336

  hemorrhoids, 134–36

  sitting vs. squatting for prevention of, 136

  HEPA filter, 220

  Herbenick, Debra, 105

  herpes simplex, 32

  Hicks, Bill, working out satirized by, 29–31

  high blood pressure, 55, 258

  see also blood pressure

  High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), 277, 347

  effective, but no free lunch, 252

  why AJ did it once a week, 253–54

  hip thrusts, warm-up, 248

  Hitler, Adolf, bullhorn fascism of, 56

  holidays, feasting vs. fasting on, 20

  Home Safety Council, 337

  hormone replacement therapy (HRT), 284

  horse grooming, calories spent in, 109

  hospitals, deaths from infections acquired at, 77

  hot dog eating contests, 60

  hotels, bringing your germproof sheets to, 82

  HourFace, photo aged by, 48–50, 49, 231

  humans:

  barefoot running no longer suited to, 208–9

  built-in sleep requirements of, 265

 

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