The Cure for Everything! Untangling The Twisted Messages About Health Fitness And Happiness

by Timothy Caulfield, Jeremy Arthur (Narrator)

We all want to be healthy. But somehow the good information about how to get healthy keeps getting twisted. In The Cure for Everything! health and law expert Timothy Caulfield sets out to find the truth about what it takes to achieve a healthy lifestyle, even testing out many of the health claims on himself. He signs up for circuit training with a Hollywood trainer. He tackles a diet that really works with the help of his own Food Advisory Team (FAT). He also sends a test tube of warm spit to a genetics laboratory.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Science, Canada, Self Help, Food, Medical

Audiobook

First published December 16, 2011

About the author

Timothy Caulfield is a Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy and a Professor in the Faculty of Law and the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta. He has been the Research Director of the Health Law Institute at the University of Alberta since 1993. Over the past several years he has been involved in a variety of interdisciplinary research endeavours that have allowed him to publish over 300 articles and book chapters. He is a Fellow of the Trudeau Foundation and the Principal Investigator for a number of large interdisciplinary projects that explore the ethical, legal and health policy issues associated with a range of topics, including stem cell research, genetics, patient safety, the prevention of chronic disease, obesity policy, the commercialization of research, complementary and alternative medicine and access to health care. Professor Caulfield is and has been involved with a number of national and international policy and research ethics committees, including: Canadian Biotechnology Advisory Committee; Genome Canada’s Science Advisory Committee; the Ethics and Public Policy Committee for International Society for Stem Cell Research; and the Federal Panel on Research Ethics. He has won numerous academic awards and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. He writes frequently for the popular press on a range of health and science policy issues and is the author of The Cure for Everything: Untangling the Twisted Messages about Health, Fitness and Happiness (Penguin 2012) and Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything?: When Celebrity Culture and Science Clash (Penguin 2015).

Reviews

[Lena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Timothy Caulfield is a Canadian health policy academic who took it upon himself to cut through the haze of popular information about wellness to get to the core of what we really do and don't know about our health.

In this well researched and readable book, he succeeds providing solid information about what things like exercise and diet can and can't do for the body and shows us how to focus on the actions that are really going to make the most difference in our lives, using himself as a humble and rather entertaining example.

In the process, he shines a laser beam on the mass of health misinformation we are exposed to on a daily basis. Despite considering myself fairly knowledgeable about health related matters, this book helped me to root out some false beliefs I'd absorbed from the zeitgeist I didn't even know I'd been holding.

In addition, the chapter on genetics was particularly valuable to me. I've been tempted to get my own genome sequenced to see what I might learn about my body, but Caulfield argues that, despite all the hype about how personal genetics is going to revolutionize medicine, we're just not there yet. While you might learn that you have an increased or decreased chance of getting a particular condition, the differences measured are so slight as to be practically insignificant. Even if they were significant, there's very little known action one can take to change those outcomes at this time, let alone evidence that such information would motivate us to take that kind of action in the first place.

Caulfield's book may not be a popular one because he makes no bones about the fact that, when it comes to the body, there are very few easy answers. But if you really want to lose weight, he will show you the best path for that. And if you really want the benefits of exercise, he explains what you should do and what you can and can't expect from it. Such a straightforward, no-nonsense pill may not be easy to swallow for those who've been sold on the false but ultra sweet promises of the multi-billion dollar quick-fix health industry, but it's certainly going to be a lot better for you.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quit reading this one for whatever reason but picked up earlier this week and reread the whole thing. Great read!

It confirmed a lot of my previous biases, as many of my reading picks do. I also learned a few things about exercising and eating habits. I realized I don’t exercise hard enough and I eat too much!

The last half of the book was about misinformation in health sciences. It was well researched and the author did a good job of presenting (or trying to) both sides of the issue. He detailed the flawed practices of homeopathy (which is most of them) and the influence of industry in supposed unbiased research.

As a epistemology nut, I really enjoyed learning about the pitfalls of knowledge in the health and fitness industry. I’m always looking for new ideas to tear apart and discard completely if necessary.

The author also displayed a lot of wit and told a anecdotal narrative which was related to the information presented that was pretty fun and engaging.

[Rocky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book did exactly what I thought it would for me. Reinforced my feelings that people see, select and interpret health and fitness information through preconceived beliefs, values, previous outcomes, and fears.

As a data freak myself, I place the maximization on my health because in my lifetime I have, and continue to have numerous health issues. Some pretty major, some minor. Once you fall into that bucket, you tend to fight like a boxer and search for answers that work for you.

I inhaled every sentence of this book and analyzed it for either a nano second or a few days. No matter how much health information I take in, I always go back to a saying my deceased father quoted "Everything in moderation." How my father got to be so smart is beyond me. He did not go beyond sixth grade yet he had figured out what his mantra was.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope to look for more from Timothy Caulfield. Everyday he gets to work what I consider my dream job. Yes, I am that passionate about this topic.

If I could wave a magic wand, I would bring together both mainstream and alternative medicine practitioners and force them to start working together. I feel the two worlds working together could make a huge difference in better health for everyone.

Every human body is unique and deserves to be treated that way. What works for one person may not work for anybody else. Don't cookie cut yourself out of living healthier because somebody fed you bogus information.

While I do accept the data around placebo effects, statistics are just numbers and numbers have deviations. Be open-minded and surround yourself with all the information you can. Knowledge is power.

Know how studies are conducted. Control groups, etc. Sometimes its a process that needs to be tossed in the garbage along with the trash. My opinion.

In the meantime, I continue to be jaded, mistrusting and enormously disappointed in the health and fitness information we are fed each and every day. I am my own health care advocate and if I could make a living from it, I would be health care advocates for others. If monetary resources were not limited, I would personally be doing a lot of things differently in my life.

I received a complimentary copy of The Cure for Everything through Goodreads First Reads. Thank You!

Stay healthy!

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

SCIENCE! I love that the author is Canadian, and includes experts, statistics and other information which is relevant to our country (most books reference the USA or UK exclusively, and not everything translates over to this country). This is, of course, in addition to information gleaned from USA & UK sources.

[Jodi Graham · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dear Mr. Caulfield,

I just recently finished reading The Cure for Everything and wanted to express some major concerns I have with the “Remedies” chapter.
With any book I choose to read, I always hope for an open and un-biased perspective, which this book regrettably did not have. There are many over-generalizations regarding alternative therapies, the most startling being that it is related to religion, myth and has only placebo effects. Comments such as “…lazy thinking underpines alternative medicine…” and suggesting it’s a “…Yoda-ish view of the Universe…” are even more disturbing.

I wondered why your perspective was so extreme and one-sided….it borders on defensiveness. Then it was explained when I read that your wife and sister-in-law are doctors, your brother-in-law an orthopaedic surgeon and your neighbour a pathologist. Unfortunately you’ve allowed these relations to skew your point of view and shape your thoughts. Just because something is not science-based does not mean it won’t work. I could easily have mistaken this book for one written in the early 1900’s – have you not read the multitude of studies surrounding supplementation, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants vs. free radicals, EFAs, pesticides and GMOs, to name a few?
On what scientific research did you base the following comments:
- Homeopaths lie to clients
- Alternative practitioners don’t pay attention to research
- You “guesstimate” that 10% of alternative remedies are backed by research

Perhaps the “scientific” study of yourself taking homeopathic sleep and anxiety remedies was enough to convince you? Or perhaps these remedies didn’t work because you self-diagnosed and they didn’t fit your constitution? Have you studied homeopathy? On page 188 you also noted a study that states acupuncture is a placebo only – why are you quoting only one study? I believe you acknowledged (correctly) at the beginning of the book that meta-analysis is the best way to examine results?

I also just want to note another comment I found insulting, not to myself, but to all journalists: “…so-called journalists don’t know the [alternative therapy] area…..they can’t spell ‘complementary medicine’.” Wow.

I hope you’ll think more deeply and open your mind more before putting any other information out in the world.

Sincerely,
Jodi Graham

[Desiree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Timothy Caulfield!

You should read this book.

It explains everything, like it says. OK, maybe not everything... but this guy is a pretty darn well-respected science/health editor up in Canada, and he's distilled a crap-load of research down into this very nice book, just for you.

It will make you a little bit sad, because a good part of the message is sort of "stop eating so much" and "everything you think about exercising is wrong," which isn't what we want to hear. But it makes tons of sense, is backed up by the kind of research that matters (replicated, long-term, etc., vs. sensational) and is well-written and entertaining; not at all dry like you might expect from a scholarly type.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book! Four chapters, full of common sense information supposed by science. He's preaching to the converted here - but I did learn a few new things - like stretching - not so important. Who knew? Loved the remedy chapter - even being a health care provider I have always been suspicious of both CAM and big pharma. The genetics chapter was my least favorite, but overall think this book is worth a read by anyone interested in health - and that should be all of us!

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read. Tim Caulfield's humour comes through and the potentially dry-at-times material about health is livened up by his personal experiments with getting healthy.

The first two chapters were actually my least favourite of the book: one focused on diet/nutrition and one on exercise. My problem with these chapters is less the information they provide which mostly wasn't new to me and probably would be pretty familiar to anyone who follows evidence-based nutrition and fitness stuff with any regularity. Basically, you need to eat vegetables, not eat too much, and exercise daily, including more vigorous exercise, and some resistance training (ie. weight lifting). My problem with these chapters, however, were they they are actually questioning the idea of moderation and suggesting something a bit more prescriptive. Ideally, should everyone avoid junk food and lift weights? Sure. But eating the way Caulfield does following his healthy eating plan (created in consultation with a bunch of nutrition experts) is probably not possible for most people most of the time. As Caulfield points out, the science says 95% of weight loss attempts fail. There are two solutions: stick to a restricted calorie diet FOREVER, unrelentingly, or accept being fat. Honestly, I'm more inclined to do the latter. Also, most people probably couldn't keep up with Caulfield's fitness regime, but they'd still be better off doing something (e.g. a 20 minute daily walk) than trying to do his regime, failing, and ending up back as a couch potato. To be fair, Caulfield is not unaware of the difficulties of following the evidence in regards to nutrition and fitness. He points this out a few places in the book, including his repeated jokes about his love of peanut M & Ms. He also closes the book with a vignette about his son's birthday party complete with cake, hot dogs, pop etc. and says he regrets no part of the magic that it was. So he seems to be allowing some space to live a little but largely considers the philosophical questions about a life well lived and whether health should be our only or chief goal beyond the scope of his book. I personally am equally concerned about the impact of long-term calorie restriction, and rigid rules for eating including calorie counting leading to disordered eating than I am about being a bit fat.

I found the chapter on genetic testing quite interesting, especially in its discussion of the limitations of what tests can tell us and of the semi-failed promise of gene therapies.

My favourite chapter was the one criticizing both the alternative medicine industry and the mainstream big pharma. While most people take an either/or approach--alternative medicine as the remedy (pun intended) to the evils of big pharma, he basically points out that they are both flawed. Where alternative medicine (and especially homeopathy) has little to no evidence backing it, big pharma often has biased evidence due to pharmaceutical companies funding drug studies and basically buying their way into top tier journals to create the appearance that their products are safe. I strongly support Caulfield's call for addressing bias in clinical trials and academic publishing and separating these from drug company's influence.

[Teena in Toronto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Timothy Caulfield was the closing speaking at a pensions and benefits conference I attended in October. I found him interesting and entertaining so thought I'd read some of his books.

This book is about health and about the science associated with health. There is a lot of information available to us about what to eat, whether to cleanse, whether to take supplements, how to exercise, whether you get your meridians centered, and more. In this book, Caulfield seeks to answer the questions about these issues and other related questions.

He felt it was essential to experience the journey rather than just speak with the experts and read relevant research (his findings are listed in the large notes section of the book). As such, there are four chapters in the book:

1. Fitness - he went to a personal trainer (he includes his recommended exercise routine)
2. Diet - he went on a diet (he includes his eating suggestions)
3. Genetics - he got his genes tested
4. Remedies - he tried different potions and procedures

Caulfield worked on the book for a year, interviewing experts and getting personally engaged in every topic he covered, before providing his conclusions. In the process, he discovered some things about himself.

I like the writing style. I'm not a science person and I understood for the most part what he was talking about. If I wanted further information, I could check the notes section. I found this to be an interesting read and I look forward to reading other books by this author.

Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2017/12...

[Brette Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Possibly a little out of date on some research but overall a great message about health. Love this author.

[Peggy Forman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really much new information.

[Lisalou · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Science is the great antidote to the poison of enthusiasm and superstition." - Adam Smith. In this book Timothy Caulfield attempts to find the science to look at the idea of being fit and healthy as well as genetic testing, CAM or alternative medicine and Big Pharma.

Looking at current research he discovers that while vigorous exercise like interval and strength training do provide you with a lot of health benefits, you will not lose weight from exercising. Moderate exercise is not enough to reap the benefits it has to be vigorous. "Toning" doesn't work either.

If you want to lose weight you need to reduce calories, period. Michael Pollan is right with his advice of "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants." However, you should be aware that your genes are against you on this and you will need to work hard as you get older just to maintain your weight let alone lose it. However, there's no reason not to try.

Speaking of genes, genetic testing to determine your risk for diseases is mostly worthless unless you actually have an already discovered gene specific disease or chance of one.

Alternative medicine is well a load of hooey. He makes the case that things from alternative medicine that can be proven scientifically to work aren't any longer alternative. But really most things like Naturopathic medicine, homeopathy and acupuncture have nothing backing them up to prove they work and are more often than not based on faith than anything tangible.

While Alternative Medicine is based on faith big pharma is based on money.

In the end what is needed is the critical skills to cut through the twist whether it's the promise of 6 pack abs, losing weight quickly, predict your future through genetics, just believe you can heal yourself with this water that contains the memory of a molecule of what ails you or the latest drug ad. We all need to realize that there is no miracle cure for anything and that things are actually quite simple but not easy once your remove the twist. Like much of life.

[Modern Girl · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was greatly enjoyable and well written and made me think. But it definitely did not cover enough and it certainly did not cover everything. I would like liked to have seen an analysis and debunking of "superfoods" , more information on herbal supplements particularly Valerian root (St. John's Wort was mentioned and people usually mention these two as a pair).

Some ideas were criticized without evidence, and I want evidence. Please explain the difference between the "cleansing" and "detoxify" myths as compared to avoiding tuna fish to lower mercury in our bodies. If one is false and the other is true, how do we know the difference?

The best points of the book were at the first in the fitness chapter. I want to blare his words on a big screen for all to see, particularly with the "exercise does not lead to weight loss" and "stretching before running is bunk" parts. My fiance still doesn't believe me.

I do agree that most things out there that scientists believe are pseudoscience do not work for the general population and do not stand up in controlled studies with a general sample of participants. I can accept that most "cure" stories are non-scientific anecdotes. BUT, part of me wonders if certain remedies and treatments may work (beyond a placebo effort) for certain subgroups of the people who have certain characteristics. For example, some natural remedies for upset stomach may not work very well for MOST people, but might work consistently well for people who meet 2-3 certain criteria (like a certain medical condition, or age, or gender). I know in psychology, moderated regressions are all the rage, and I would love to poke at some of the medical data to see if positive anecdotes are really placebo effects of if certain subpopulations benefit from certain treatments.

But, that's just me. :)

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recommend this book. Caulfield writes about all the things we're told to do to improve our health (diet! work out! acupuncture! homeopathy!) and does his best to separate the evidence from the hype. He's tough an alternative medicine (rightly, in my view) but he also does an excellent job discussing the biases that can creep into mainstream medicine, for example how drug companies bias the research that is conducted and published. It's an engaging read, with a good mix of data and personal stories.

I was a bit disappointed by the chapter on genes. He doesn't really talk about how genes influence health, but rather discusses the genotyping industry (you send in a spit sample, they give you an analysis of your risk factors). He makes the excellent point that right now the information you get this way is simply not practical and shouldn't be used to make decisions about behaviour. But someone could be left thinking that genes don't play a role. Perhaps the genes that make it difficult to be healthy are species-wide, like those genes that make us crave sugar and fat...

Also, in the diet and exercise chapters, I thought there was an excessive focus on weight. Yes, being overweight is a risk factor for health problems, but there's more to health than losing weight.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a lot to like about this book. First off, the writer is from Edmonton, so there are lots of reference to researchers and writers from the U of A, which I really enjoyed. It's nice to read a book that references the city you live in.

I really enjoyed the debunking of fitness and food, but wasn't that thrilled about the section on genes, since I have to write about gene technology a lot for work. I also had a hard time with some of the facts that he gives in the book. He claims that yoga doesn't do anything- but I find that it has stress relief benefits. He doesn't refute this claim, but claims it's not the best for overall fitness. (I can probably agree with this, actually)

I also got really mad while reading this book because I felt like I was the victim of Big Food and Big Pharma. I guess I felt the book was a bit uneven, but that's probably just in terms of my personal interest in some of the topics and not really the fault of the writer. I like the way he inserted himself into the book and made it personal.

This was a really interesting read.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here is the conclusion of the book in regards to health:

First, exercise often and with intensity (intervals work best) and include some resistance training. Second, eat small portion sizes, no junk food, and make sure 50 percent of what goes in your mouth are real fruits and vegetables. Third, try your best to maintain a healthy weight (yes, this is insanely tough - but we should at least try). Fourth, do not smoke and drink only in moderate amounts of alcohol. And fifth, take all the well-known and simple injury-prevention measures, such as wearing a seat belt in the car and a bicycle helmet when you go riding.

Seeing as the majority of us can't even follow those rules, he suggests that any other health advise would be irrelevant, though he does suggest that a good nights sleep might be worth including on this as well.

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good review of the current health and fitness industries, from big pharma to fitness trainers. Amusing enough to keep me going through the more boring topics. I'm very familiar with these fields, and I thought the balance and judgement was, if depressing, correct.

One quibble was the title -- there is nothing in this book about happiness! I know authors may have little control over the title, but this is really inexcusable. I was looking forward to a review of the current research and thinking about happiness. Got dinged a star because of it.

[Steven · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love books that debunk, but this author has no critical reasoning abilities. Take for example the material on stretching on pages 14 through 16. He conflates the literature on pre-performance stretching with stretching for other purposes. The material on diet contains a few interesting observations, but other than that, the book is just a bunch o generalizations disguised as critical review.

[Kayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. I liked the distilled message that the only thing we all need to do to stay healthy is to exercise regularly and vigorously and eat lots of vegetables and fruits, not a lot of meat, and NO sugar, salt, or fats--easier said than done. Coffee? ok. Wine? Beer? ok. Well ALL RIGHT!

[Kristina Weber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how well he cuts through the bs. Definitely gave me food for thought, and made me feel a little foolish about questionable fitness purchases I've made over the years.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cure for everything??? Media sources speculate it's possible to be thin, sexy, and ultra healthy if I eat a specific fad diet like Paleo, work out with a specific "expert" trainer with one very specific niche plan, pump myself full of supplements, test my genes, listen to my naturopath and take pharmaceutical drugs backed by that interesting recent drug study plastered on the news. It is....a whole lot of hokum. Caulfield explores the science and for fun conducts the poorly designed study of personal experience as he looks at diet, fitness, gene testing, natural cures, and pharmaceutical research. I will level with you. I have fallen for much of this crap myself. I swore it even worked as a sample size of one because the power to believe can have a positive impact (placebo!) Then I realized that all things being equal, I feel much the same now as I did at other times when I was trying expensive treatments.
So what's the average person to do? Use science. Find research done at public institutes using public funding if possible (the pot is small, but research done at a university with public funding can be free of pharmaceutical company influence) and access resources like the Cochrane Collaboration for systemic reviews of research. "Independence is a key tool in the fight against the forces that distort" (pg. 217). Don't want to do research? That's fine, here are the five keys to health that Caulfield says are backed by science and if you do then science says you'll be healthier for it. 1) Eat smaller meals, no junk food, and 50% vegetables. We all tend to eat more calories than we think we do and we need far less than we consume. 2) Exercise often and with intensity. Intervals work the best. 3) Try to maintain a healthy weight. 4) Don't smoke, drink alcohol sparingly. 5) Use injury prevention measures like a bike helmet, or a seatbelt. That's it. Those five things will keep you healthier than anything else floating around.
I will end with this. Skepticism of claims can be highly helpful, but bitterly disappointing. There are no magic cures to be thin, healthy, and strong. Just hard work and review of research.

[Ajay · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible invesigation on the truth on Health and Fitness, Tim peels back the marketing veneer behind alternative methods, yoga, fad diets, acupuncture, and all the rest to reveal the cynical corporate interests that in the pursuit of profit are pedaling unscientific advice.

Moreso, he shares the simple, real world tested though tough truths of how to stay healthy, fit, and lose weight. This book definitely pushed me to re-evaluate my own exercise and diet plan. It also allowed me to reflect upon my own part in this system as a contributor to that corporate system.

Tim is pretty cynical when it comes to the pharma, fast food, and big food and beverage companies that have hoodwinked America. As someone working in these industries, my next goal is to figure out if there is anything that can be done to pay for my industries mistakes.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the premise of this book: scientifically testing health claims. But I disagree with some of his methods and conclusions. Maybe the book needs to be updated with more recent information. He dismisses the “organic craze” because organic food doesn’t have more nutrients than conventional food, but doesn’t look into the issue of toxins/pesticides at all. He reaches the conclusion that the only way to lose weight and keep it off is to be constantly hungry, without really looking at what food is eaten (avoiding sugar and processed food might be better than counting calories, carbs/protein/fat). He judges whether certain things work or not based on whether it works for him. Etc. But the writing was good and it was a very engaging book.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Timothy Caulfied's book is a fun romp through the misconceptions surrounding our ideas of health and fitness. In this text, Caulfied practices what he preaches and sets out to experiment on a variety of diets, fads, and "cures". I was particularly interested in his section on remedies and cures, in which he investigates "alternative medicines" and debunks their effectiveness and the role that placebos play in our understanding of health and wellness. Particularly interesting is his comparison of alternative medicine with religion, which emphasizes how little scientific methodology matters to homeopaths and practitioners of alternative medicine, who would rather base their health on belief than fact. Caulfied is careful not to fully dismiss alternative medicine (despite what anti-vaxx/alternative medicine fanatic reviewers might say) - in fact he emphasizes that alternative medicine practices that hold up to scientific rigour should be considered valid and classified simply as medicine - but he also highlights how small that percentage is. At times, Caulfied's humour tends to punch low (though he did get a few chuckles out of me) and tend to lean towards being fatphobic, which is odd considering his findings regarding diets are similar to Michael Hobbes's excellent piece "Everything You Know About Obesity is Wrong" for the Huffington Post. This might be the age of the book though that influences this perspective.

[Noema · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are only a few things that are known about how to improve your health: 1) eat food, not too much, mostly plants (as Pollan said), 2) exercise regularly and with intensity, 3) don't abuse alcohol or drugs, 4) get enough sleep regularly, 5) wear your seatbelt and bike helmet. Nobody likes to hear this because those things are actually really hard, but everything else is mostly BS and marketing. Caulfield shows you the underbelly of some of that BS and it is funny and depressing simultaneously.

[Terry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the book disappointing. Compared to a number of other science-based health books I’ve read recently, this one seemed too light on research and too heavy on anecdote. Sadly, I learned very little about health but quite a bit about the author and his family. While the tone of the book was personable, the style didn’t add much to the learning experience. If you’re genuinely interested in the science of health and already well-read in that area, I suggest to skip this book. For others, it’s an accessible introduction to basic approach to good health, along with personal story-telling.

[Kelly Greenwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well presented, focusing on the key takeaways to maximize health: - exercise often, and with intensity; include intervals and resistance training - eat small portions - no junk food; 50%+ real fruit and vegetables; include fish, berries & whole grains - try your best to maintain a healthy weight - do not smoke - limit alcohol consumption - get a good night's sleep - take injury prevention measures, e.g. wear a seatbelt, wear a helmet.

Rated at 2.5 on mybookpledge

[S.T. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I started and stopped and started and stopped reading this book so many times. Not sure why I finally sat down and read it, but I did. This book is pretty old at this point, having been published back in 2012.
I’m curious, at this point in time, whether Caulfield would change any of what he says in this book. There’s a lot I don’t personally agree with, but I did enjoy his humor. Not really a book I would recommend as I think there are much better and more up-to-date options available.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book. There was some interesting information in it. But in the end, it mostly boiled down to what I already knew at least in terms of diet. It also did not get into specific foods much. However, a great look at fitness and alternative medicine. Glad he brought up how studies are influenced both by government and industry, but that could have been a little shorter coverage for me. Overall worth reading.

[Ivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the book. Great conversational tone, relatable in the same way many of these misrepresentations often are. Hopefully people read it in the same way and begin to question a bit more. We know so little about health, wellness, and disease and that is what makes the book relevant. It's ok not to know, there is no magic bullet, and the best thing to do is be skeptical and keep things simple.