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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
How to Die Young at a Ripe Old Age
The Longevity Paradox by Steven Gundry is a health and wellness book that challenges the traditional approach to aging. It offers insight into how to improve your health by understanding the connection between your gut and longevity.
Have you ever experienced one of those strange days in which the sky seems split in two – blue and sunny in one half, dark and grey in the other? Well, when you’re looking at the longevity of people living in Western societies, that’s one way you could picture the current state of affairs.
On the bright side, the average person’s life span has significantly increased over the past five decades. For example, from 1960 to 2013, it went from 66.4 to 76.4 years for the average American man, and from 73.1 to 81.1 years for the average American woman.
But on the dark side, there are some ominous clouds brewing. In the past three years, the lengthening of the average American life span has not only stalled; it’s actually declined a bit. More troubling still, the previous increase in people’s life spans has not been accompanied by a corresponding increase in their health spans – the number of years in which their bodies and minds remain fully functional.
In the US, most people’s health begins to deteriorate at the age of 50.9. From that point onward, the myriad problems of aging begin to kick in: muscle loss, obesity, osteoporosis, arthritis, heart disease, cancer, memory loss, dementia – the list goes on and on. So while people have more years to live than their ancestors, they lack the vitality to actually enjoy them.
That’s because the general increase in the average life span isn’t really the result of an improvement in people’s underlying health; rather, it’s the result of an improvement in the prevention and mitigation of certain diseases and health problems. Thanks to vaccines, antibiotics and improved hygiene practices, people are no longer being prematurely killed en masse by infectious diseases. Those diseases used to be especially devastating to young children, whose early deaths drove down the average life span. Meanwhile, thanks to a range of medical treatments, drugs and procedures such as bypass surgeries, people can be kept alive longer than before, despite poor health.
But what’s responsible for that poor health in the first place? Well, you’ve probably heard the main answer many times: the unhealthiness of the standard Western diet and lifestyle, which are notoriously full of junk food and inactivity. But some of the main reasons why your diet and lifestyle choices are negatively affecting your health may come as a surprise to you.
The Longevity Paradox (2019) looks at three of the most crucial factors behind aging well: our gut bacteria, our gut walls and our mitochondria. By helping us to understand the roles these factors play in our health, and by showing us some powerful strategies we can adopt to support them, the author points us toward long and healthy lives.
The Longevity Paradox (2019) sheds light on the factors that contribute to aging and provides practical methods for living a longer, healthier life. Here's why this book is worth reading:
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Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Get startedBlink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
What is the main message of The Longevity Paradox?
The main message of The Longevity Paradox is how to live a longer, healthier life by changing our approach to food and lifestyle.
How long does it take to read The Longevity Paradox?
The reading time for The Longevity Paradox varies, but typically it takes several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is The Longevity Paradox a good book? Is it worth reading?
The Longevity Paradox is a worthwhile read for those interested in understanding the factors that contribute to a longer, healthier life.
Who is the author of The Longevity Paradox?
The author of The Longevity Paradox is Steven Gundry.