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Younger: A Breakthrough Program to Reset Your Genes, Reverse Aging, and Turn Back the Clock 10 Years
The New York Times bestselling author of The Hormone Cure and The Hormone Reset Diet shows every woman how to create a lifestyle that will help her look great, feel energized, and slow down the effects of aging.
Feel destined for cellulite, saddle bags, and belly fat? Does your family come from a long line of Alzheimer's, cancer, or heart disease? Will nothing help your aging skin or declining libido or flagging energy? This book is for you.
The body is magnificent but it doesn't come with a lifetime warranty, or an operating manual. You're the result of millions of years of evolution, but many of the adaptations that helped your ancestors survive are now working overtime to accelerate the aging process. The assumption here is that we are our genes and therefore trapped by the past. The good news is that your genetic code—the DNA sequence that is the biochemical basis of heredity—can play a minor role in the way you age.
The scientific reality is that 90 percent of the signs of aging and disease are caused by lifestyle choices, not your genes. In other words, you have the capability to overcome and transform your genetic history and tendencies. Harvard/MIT—trained physician Sara Gottfried, M.D. has created a revolutionary 7-week program that empowers us to make the critical choices necessary to not just look young, but also feel young.
Dr. Gottfried identifies and builds this book around the five-key factors that lead to accelerated aging -the muscle factor, the brain factor, the hormone factor, the gut factor, and the toxic fat factor. The 7-week program addresses these factors and treats them in an accessible and highly practical protocol and is as follows:
Feed—Week 1
Sleep—Week 2
Move—Week 3
Release—Week 4
Expose—Week 5
Soothe—Week 6
Think—Week 7
Younger increases not only your lifespan, but also your healthspan. Dr. Gottfried's program makes it possible to change the way you age, stay younger longer, and remain healthy and vibrant for all of your days.
Feel destined for cellulite, saddle bags, and belly fat? Does your family come from a long line of Alzheimer's, cancer, or heart disease? Will nothing help your aging skin or declining libido or flagging energy? This book is for you.
The body is magnificent but it doesn't come with a lifetime warranty, or an operating manual. You're the result of millions of years of evolution, but many of the adaptations that helped your ancestors survive are now working overtime to accelerate the aging process. The assumption here is that we are our genes and therefore trapped by the past. The good news is that your genetic code—the DNA sequence that is the biochemical basis of heredity—can play a minor role in the way you age.
The scientific reality is that 90 percent of the signs of aging and disease are caused by lifestyle choices, not your genes. In other words, you have the capability to overcome and transform your genetic history and tendencies. Harvard/MIT—trained physician Sara Gottfried, M.D. has created a revolutionary 7-week program that empowers us to make the critical choices necessary to not just look young, but also feel young.
Dr. Gottfried identifies and builds this book around the five-key factors that lead to accelerated aging -the muscle factor, the brain factor, the hormone factor, the gut factor, and the toxic fat factor. The 7-week program addresses these factors and treats them in an accessible and highly practical protocol and is as follows:
Feed—Week 1
Sleep—Week 2
Move—Week 3
Release—Week 4
Expose—Week 5
Soothe—Week 6
Think—Week 7
Younger increases not only your lifespan, but also your healthspan. Dr. Gottfried's program makes it possible to change the way you age, stay younger longer, and remain healthy and vibrant for all of your days.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 2017
391 people are currently reading
1204 people want to read
About the author
Sara Gottfried
42 books352 followersSara Gottfried, MD is the New York Times bestselling author of The Hormone Cure (Simon & Schuster, 2013) and The Hormone Reset Diet (HarperOne, 2015). After graduating from Harvard Medical School and MIT, Dr. Gottfried completed her residency at the University of California at San Francisco. She is a board-certified gynecologist who teaches natural hormone balancing in her novel online programs so that women can lose weight, detoxify, and slow down aging. Dr. Gottfried lives in Berkeley, CA with her husband and two daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
March 18, 2017
This should be mandatory reading for all women 40 and older. It's not a book about "looking" younger. It's the science behind making yourself younger from the inside ( like strengthening your cells and your telomeres) and stretching your healthspan ; the years from 40-65 when you are healthy, living free of disease and hopefully living your best life.
April 4, 2017
I loved this book! Despite being about genes and how they can have an effect (or not) on aging, Dr. Sara added a lot humour and personal anecdotes. I bought this book to help me with my health; at age 38 I came down with an undiagnosed illness, and now at 41, I am thirty pounds overweight. Previously, I was always in good shape (I have a small frame - 5'3", 110lbs, 12% body fat). Now, for the first time in my life, I am battling with my weight and incapable of exercising because my illness prevents it. Although I'm unable to follow some of Dr. Sara's recommendations, there are some I can follow. In just this past week, I've started to feel a bit better and have seen a slight improvement in my sleep (I'm an awful insomniac... I average three hours every few days). The plan outlined in this book is seven weeks, and I'm excited to see how the next six go, especially since this first week has made such a difference in my health. Dr. Sara explains things very well and in detail, and as such, I found it easy to understand and implement. There are additional recommendations provided in the index that point you towards resources for further information on the concepts and science outlined in this book. I've also just ordered her other two books, "The Hormone Reset Diet", and, "The Hormone Cure", because I suffer from Hypothyroidism in addition to my current illness. If they are anything like this book, I anticipate that I may see even more improvements in my health.
August 9, 2017
Can I just say I hate the cover of this book? The commercial focus on "looking" younger undercuts the science behind the book, which is informative about health and longevity on a cellular level. I found lots of great information here!
May 30, 2017
Practical advice and tips, backed up with research evidence. Great book!
May 6, 2018
She did it again! Dr. Sara Gottfried, M.D. never disappoints. Her latest book, Younger: A Breakthrough Program to Reset Your Genes and Reverse Aging, is no exception. In this work she explains why epigenetics no longer validates the “it runs in the family” excuse. She breaks down the effects of various genes and how methylation alters the expression of those genes. She gives a detailed week by week plan on how to reverse aging starting with the food you put in your mouth because she understands it is our environment, inside and out, that determines everything from obesity to disease and mood. This is another book whose resources and notes will keep you busy for a long time to come. My dog eared copy is already well worn. Every time I pick it up I give thanks for Dr. Sara – a woman on a mission to help women thrive!
February 23, 2018
I read a lot of health and wellness books. I especially like ones about anti-aging and weight loss/fasting. I thought this book encompassed more than just a 'do this lifestyle' to lose weight. Dr. Gottfried painstakingly fleshed out protocols for various aging systems. Sometimes I disagree with some things the author says, but I couldn't find anything to disagree with. Everything she listed was something I either knew about or made sense to me. I am incorporating much of what is in this book into my lifestyle.
October 21, 2018
Excellent book. Unlike Sara Gottfried's other books, this one offers tons of small lifestyle changes that can be implemented as desired, rather than on a strict, set schedule. She offers a 7-week protocol for those who want to overhaul their lives and really work to implement many changes at once. But that is certainly not the only option. The science behind epigenetics is fascinating and this book explains it in an understandable way...which left me highly motivated to tweak my nutrition, supplements and lifestyle.
December 21, 2018
Not much new here. It seems like she doesn't always know what she's talking about.
My main example for this is when she recommends activated charcoal when eating a meal you don't trust. Activated charcoal blocks absorption of things besides toxins so while it may be necessary it at least deserves a warning.
My main example for this is when she recommends activated charcoal when eating a meal you don't trust. Activated charcoal blocks absorption of things besides toxins so while it may be necessary it at least deserves a warning.
March 13, 2017
I thought this was an excellent resource for reclaiming one's health. I predict many people will find it off-putting, especially the suggestion for eating 1-2 pounds of vegetables daily. However, I personally found this book both inspiring and informative and highly recommend it.
December 22, 2017
Sanırım ben bu tip konularda çok kitap okumuşum. Internette herhangi bir blogda karşılaşacağınız yazılardan çok da fazla derinliği olmayan bir kitap. Yazarı doktor diye biraz fazla ciddiye almışım sanırım. Gwyneth Paltrow'un bloğuyla aynı tadda, birbiriyle de çelişebilen içerikte bir kitap.
January 18, 2021
This is pretty good, very detailed including the Science of things. Covers the importance of sleep, nutrients, movement. I can't say I learned anything new because I've read so many health books that say the same...but this is a good book for anyone who wants to know how to live a healthy life right into old age.
Audio is 9 hours longs.
Audio is 9 hours longs.
October 23, 2019
I read this because I'm obsessed with being young forever. And maybe I saw it on Goop or something? So there you have it.
January 22, 2018
Honestly, I thought this book would repeat much of the material I've already read from Dr. Gottfried and her buddies. If you get her emails, you probably know there's a small circle of friends that seem to repeat the same information. They even do podcasts together.
Although there is some repetition in this book, there's a lot of new information. And, the presentation was nice. The infographics, yoga poses, and recipes will appeal to others. I liked the lists of genes and how to deal with them and the resource section.
The basic premise is that genes are just a starting point and what you do in life is more important. This book had a lot of information about how to take a genetic test and apply it to your own situation. I've heard the general message in the past. But, the details were helpful. In fairness, this is the first book I've read that goes into the details.
The book is separated out into different themes that are supposed to be each week of the program: food, exercise, sleep, physical relaxation, stress, toxins, and the brain. For each section, there's a discussion of the science, what goes wrong, how it affects your body, and what genes are involved. Then there's a discussion of the solution. The solutions are sometimes science-based and sometimes a reasonable guesstimate of how to address the issue.
The author has basic advice that you should do and advance advice that you may consider doing. Of course, everyone doesn't need to do everything listed. If you know you're overweight, you probably don't need (or want!) a Bod Pod to know the exact percentage of fat. I really appreciated that she points out where men and women may be different. So many books pretend we're the same.
I'm finding that improving my health is like peeling an onion. While I've done many of the things here, there are many more I'd like to do and see how they work. This book provides a ton of layers.
For a summary of the book, see my blog at self help book reports . com.
Although there is some repetition in this book, there's a lot of new information. And, the presentation was nice. The infographics, yoga poses, and recipes will appeal to others. I liked the lists of genes and how to deal with them and the resource section.
The basic premise is that genes are just a starting point and what you do in life is more important. This book had a lot of information about how to take a genetic test and apply it to your own situation. I've heard the general message in the past. But, the details were helpful. In fairness, this is the first book I've read that goes into the details.
The book is separated out into different themes that are supposed to be each week of the program: food, exercise, sleep, physical relaxation, stress, toxins, and the brain. For each section, there's a discussion of the science, what goes wrong, how it affects your body, and what genes are involved. Then there's a discussion of the solution. The solutions are sometimes science-based and sometimes a reasonable guesstimate of how to address the issue.
The author has basic advice that you should do and advance advice that you may consider doing. Of course, everyone doesn't need to do everything listed. If you know you're overweight, you probably don't need (or want!) a Bod Pod to know the exact percentage of fat. I really appreciated that she points out where men and women may be different. So many books pretend we're the same.
I'm finding that improving my health is like peeling an onion. While I've done many of the things here, there are many more I'd like to do and see how they work. This book provides a ton of layers.
For a summary of the book, see my blog at self help book reports . com.
April 4, 2019
No doubt there’s some good science in here, and some advice we’d be wise to consider. However, I recommend you get that advice from a different source. I’ve never encountered a seemingly more elitist person in my life than Dr. Gottfried. I’m not sure she even knows that most people have full time jobs, and as she proceeds to tell you how to modify your entire life, you’d be much more receptive to such suggestions if they were coming from someone with experience in the real world. With gems about how nowyou have “no excuse not to exercise” (easy to say when you work four hours a day, mostly at a job that can be done at home on your treadmill desk), to comparisons of free radicals to drive-by shootings in “bad neighborhoods” (where “those” people who make excuses about not exercising surely live), this book will raise your stress levels just reading it.
October 25, 2017
2.5/5
This is an amalgamation of health blog advice mixed with scientific data and literature linking it to genes.
Some advice was quite interesting and if you like your information a little sciencey, this could be an okay read.
However, I could not get over the hypocrisy for 1 particular part - She claims that even if you have breast cancer genes like her, there are several natural approaches to prevent or deal with it instead of double mastectomy like Jolie. And then you check her blog and she herself got a double mastectomy.
This is an amalgamation of health blog advice mixed with scientific data and literature linking it to genes.
Some advice was quite interesting and if you like your information a little sciencey, this could be an okay read.
However, I could not get over the hypocrisy for 1 particular part - She claims that even if you have breast cancer genes like her, there are several natural approaches to prevent or deal with it instead of double mastectomy like Jolie. And then you check her blog and she herself got a double mastectomy.
March 29, 2018
dr gottfried is awesome. its like having a very cool MD telling you all the secrets to stay younger, slow down aging and reset your genes.
i'm very into the element that she highlights (by naming all the codes in your body and how to turn them on/off) and she breaks it down so that Anyone can understand. i've followed most of the protocols in this book, and had the pleasure of hearing her speak at Beth Israel in SF a few months back, and it was so refreshing that Someone gets me, and has solutions for me.
and i don't have to have insurance for this!
yay, dr. gottfried!
i'm very into the element that she highlights (by naming all the codes in your body and how to turn them on/off) and she breaks it down so that Anyone can understand. i've followed most of the protocols in this book, and had the pleasure of hearing her speak at Beth Israel in SF a few months back, and it was so refreshing that Someone gets me, and has solutions for me.
and i don't have to have insurance for this!
yay, dr. gottfried!
September 1, 2018
The book is very inspiring and motivating to take more care of ourselves. I really liked that the author proposes basic and advanced projects. I started to implement a few ideas and I will certainly reread it and add more ideas she proposes. I also learned a lot. I had read the book by Ben Lynch, entitled “dirty genes” which is related as she talks about genes as well. The two books complement each other nicely.
January 2, 2019
I was intrigued by the science in this book and just ignored all the references to vanity and physical appearance. The bottom line is, your choices and practices when young can have a dramatic affect on you as you age. I personally want to retain my physical and cognitive abilities into a ripe old age. :) I will be striving to implement some of the “best practices” outlined in this book.
January 4, 2018
I liked it. It was pretty dense though.
August 14, 2020
This is her best book in my opinion. Great information and not as much repetition as the others.
March 9, 2021
The usual stuff we already know with some science and a test thrown in.
May 4, 2017
I like Dr. Sara. I've heard her on many podcasts (including her own) and she definitely knows her stuff. I've read her earlier book on hormones.
This latest book is chock full of info, some for the every-person and others for the more scientifically-minded. Unless you opt for the $200 test to find out what gene mutations you may have (even then she cautions about false-positives), the full impact of this book can't be appreciated. I did not get the test done.
I feel like this book suffers an identity crisis in that it wants to talk to everyone (general), but it also wants to deep-dive into gene science (very specific variations). Why does she showcase someone's typical day? I don't have a typical day, and if I had one, it wouldn't look like anyone else's.
And I also came across a couple of inconsistencies: she said she found out her lead levels were really high due to several factors, one being consumption of green tea. But then she advocates daily green tea in the FOOD section, without any caveats to high lead levels. Also, she talks of the many environmental toxins our poor livers need to deal with, yet she gladly pushes drinking wine. OK, as a former alcohol drinker perhaps I respond to this more sensitively, but isn't alcohol hard on the liver too?
Note: there is a lot of good, simple takeaway info in this book. But I still feel it missed really making it's point.
This latest book is chock full of info, some for the every-person and others for the more scientifically-minded. Unless you opt for the $200 test to find out what gene mutations you may have (even then she cautions about false-positives), the full impact of this book can't be appreciated. I did not get the test done.
I feel like this book suffers an identity crisis in that it wants to talk to everyone (general), but it also wants to deep-dive into gene science (very specific variations). Why does she showcase someone's typical day? I don't have a typical day, and if I had one, it wouldn't look like anyone else's.
And I also came across a couple of inconsistencies: she said she found out her lead levels were really high due to several factors, one being consumption of green tea. But then she advocates daily green tea in the FOOD section, without any caveats to high lead levels. Also, she talks of the many environmental toxins our poor livers need to deal with, yet she gladly pushes drinking wine. OK, as a former alcohol drinker perhaps I respond to this more sensitively, but isn't alcohol hard on the liver too?
Note: there is a lot of good, simple takeaway info in this book. But I still feel it missed really making it's point.
July 14, 2017
Picked up Dr Sara's newest book as soon as it was in the store. I NEED to read Dr. Sara, daily, if possible. This wellness doctor speaks to me and probably many others, when she writes about the body, what we do to it and what it does in response. I have changed so many things in my life and am so grateful that she's here for me. That's what it feels like. Personal. With evidenced based data, the research and her extrapolations on food, mind and movement bring me closer and closer to the level of vitality I deserve. I skimmed the book for content, now I am reading, testing and practicing much more slowly and one chapter at a time as I regain my health potential. Thank You Dr. Sara. I highly recommend this book and love to read it out loud to anyone who'll listen, my adult children and husband are my targets. I want to grow 'younger' with them and want them to have all the benefits of wellness Dr Sara offers. As well, I sing the praises high and low -Face Book Twitter and all my fitness communities of her book Hormone Cure. A great read if you're 15, 35 raising a daughter or pre-meno or post! This book can bring about such peace. Hormones are a huge part of being a female, take advantage of all the research Dr. Sara and other giants in women's health have done for us. Then read Younger and put it all together in your life! Who doesn't want to be the best life available?
October 27, 2023
As someone who follows the latest advances in longevity research, I found this book utterly perplexing. It offers nothing new - the usual healthy lifestyle stuff, only padded with a plethora of scientifically-unsound claims.
Make no mistake, just because the author throws in a bunch of genetic lingo peppered with some commonsense advice, doesn’t mean that this book is scientific. It’s not even in the realm of popular science. Like another reviewer astutely mentioned, it’s mostly “sciency”. Books like this are, in my opinion, more problematic than those that are wholesale hogwash.
What I found particularly concerning was the unmitigated recommendation of ice baths for women from someone who is supposed to be a gynecologist.😱. Also no mention of how harmful coconut oil or the whole keto diet can be, especially for people with a genetically high cholesterol predisposition. I find it reprehensible that a medical doctor seems to have bought into all the inane orthorexia fads, “detox” included.
The cherry on top are the socially-insensitive remarks and analogies.
If you already are into healthy living, this wild mix of sound medical advice with woowoo and nonsense such as “fascia”, “leaky gut”, and, my favorite: “energy cyst”, is largely a waste of time and money. If you plan to start looking into rejuvenation, you are much better off talking to your non-best-selling PCP.
Make no mistake, just because the author throws in a bunch of genetic lingo peppered with some commonsense advice, doesn’t mean that this book is scientific. It’s not even in the realm of popular science. Like another reviewer astutely mentioned, it’s mostly “sciency”. Books like this are, in my opinion, more problematic than those that are wholesale hogwash.
What I found particularly concerning was the unmitigated recommendation of ice baths for women from someone who is supposed to be a gynecologist.😱. Also no mention of how harmful coconut oil or the whole keto diet can be, especially for people with a genetically high cholesterol predisposition. I find it reprehensible that a medical doctor seems to have bought into all the inane orthorexia fads, “detox” included.
The cherry on top are the socially-insensitive remarks and analogies.
If you already are into healthy living, this wild mix of sound medical advice with woowoo and nonsense such as “fascia”, “leaky gut”, and, my favorite: “energy cyst”, is largely a waste of time and money. If you plan to start looking into rejuvenation, you are much better off talking to your non-best-selling PCP.
June 4, 2024
This book is pretty dumb. The concept of giving health advice based on genes is interesting, but she nullifies that by stating that all the health advice is the same regardless of genes, so no point in testing yours. And yet she still keeps talking about her genes, blaming bad genes for her being chronically fat & unfit. Girl, we all have bad genes. Get over it.
She also blames being fat on her mother, who "only" gained 20 lbs during her pregnancy. But with her youngest sister, her mom gained a whole 25 lbs and her sister has never had an extra ounce of fat.
Definitely her mother's fault, right?
Might be some general good advice here, but it's hard to get past her use of the term "fatso gene" (no one else calls it that).
Bye!
She also blames being fat on her mother, who "only" gained 20 lbs during her pregnancy. But with her youngest sister, her mom gained a whole 25 lbs and her sister has never had an extra ounce of fat.
Definitely her mother's fault, right?
Might be some general good advice here, but it's hard to get past her use of the term "fatso gene" (no one else calls it that).
Bye!
November 27, 2019
The author says the main question of the book is "How can we live in a way that activates the genes for the best health span?" In my opinion she does answer that. She outlines the steps one can take to try to optimize gene expression, and not just with diet or supplements, but also with meditation, exercise and what could be termed positive attitude and a purpose in life. For those who have done 23andMe, there is quite a bit of information that may help interpret results as well. All in all, the book is informative, encouraging and positive.
January 30, 2024
It's good that a more integrative approach to medicine is being used, which encompasses what was previously strictly regarded as "alternative medicine." It's also great that this approach highlights the importance of epigenetics in determining health and longevity, with genetic variables accounting for a relatively minor portion of the total. It implies that a great deal of things are changeable. Politically speaking, though, this book also fits into mainstream (liberal) frameworks that essentially ignore the structural causes of the issue and do not challenge the food production system in favor of individualizing solutions. These frameworks assume that everyone has equal access to higher-quality food, the time and resources to prepare it, the means to purchase expensive supplements, the time and space to exercise, acces to saunas etc.
December 8, 2018
I learned so much about how the human body works. Sara explains everything one should know about how disease can develop and how each person’s body is unique due to genetics. she takes a highly complex subject and makes it easy to understand. Then she offers simple lifestyle changes we can all make that become game changers in the search for a healthier life. After you read this book, you will want to keep it as a reference to live a healthy life.
September 27, 2021
This book is life-changing! I was searching for a book to help me feel and look younger. Not only did this book give me a wonderful explanation and guide of how to better my life, but it literally changed my mindset. I have a better understanding of how my environment has been affecting my health! I am making sure I get 8 hours of sleep, eating better, and looking at getting genetic testing done! When I tell you this book is a MUST read. It literally should be for everyone. Wonderful job!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2022
I have read several books written by male MDs about food and healthy habits. This is the first written by a woman and the fist that looks so closely at DNA and genetics. We are not helpless to our DNA and can deactivate the instructions we give them toward health and longevity. Most helpful is that we are not destined to have Alzheimer’s even if it is in our genetic markers. A must read for all middle aged women and those who love them.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews