liver cancer, 15, 185
living room, Areca palm takeover of, 28
Lloyd (neighbor), treadmill complaint from, 60
lobsters, aging resisted by, 112
locavore, Jefferson as, 362–63
Logan (Airedale terrier), 151, 152
logic games, 168–69
longevity:
age denialism and, 126
AJ’s hopeful boosting of, 346
balancing optimism and anxiety in plans for, 71
courting starvation as key to, 17–21
eating for, 24–26
effect of marriage on, 46
exercise and, 32, 44–45, 46
flossing as aid to, 195
helper’s high a secret of, 179
immortality scenarios, 110–12
Japanese sex infrequency and, 105
in lugging stuff up steep hills, 64
masturbation credited for, 103–4
of Okinawans, 2, 64, 84
optimism in, 70–71
of Oscar winners, 1
of Protestant ministers vs. Catholic priests, 104
purposeful living and, 4, 25
Louis XIV, King of France, hand washing in court of, 78
lounging, joy of, 48
lower intestine, 131–37, 132
see also toilet topics
lunch salad, the half-hour-superfood-record-seeking, 60
Lundström, Johan, 295
lung cancer, 31, 90, 91, 301
lunges, 35
lungs, 212, 213–21
aging of, 219
mindfulness of, 27
in Spanish, 2
statistics on, 214
see also breathing
Lustig, Robert, 229
maca powder, 107, 281
MacArthur Study of Successful Aging, 25
McDougall, Christopher, 47–48, 203–8, 322
barefoot principles proffered by, 206
what he may have stepped on, 207
McGlothin, Paul, 18–21, 362
on benefits of CR, 19
jokes to avoid with, 19
savoring meditation of, 20–21
Maclaren, Zane, 247
macular degeneration, 92
Madonna, AJ’s disputed quote on cheekbones of, 154–55
magical thinking, 148–50
how it works, 148
Julie and her mom saved by, 148–49
in lost kids chase, 332
in outsourcing worries, 149–50
Maine blueberry industry, 97
malaria, DDT ban and, 188
Male Biological Clock, The (Fisch), 279
mangoes:
AJ’s defense against their Siren song, 230–32
fooling the idiotic mind with, 84–85
as tree-growing Snickers, 230
manliness, testes thought related to, 283
marriage:
arranged, adoration learned in, 48
health linkage of, 46–47
nature’s evident bias toward, 46
Shaw on irony of, 45
Mars bars, deep-fried, 32
Marti, anti-, 187–88
Marti, aunt, 181, 223
AJ’s apartment swept of toxins by, 183–86
antimeat information drilled into AJ’s head by, 93
distinctly Californian viewpoint of, 7
hazardous substance list of, 186
at her father’s funeral, 289–90
illness and death of, 349–52
multitasking rejected by, 68
need for the vigilance of, 190
raw-foodist guidance from, 225–27
solar gazing of, 184
on Standard American Diet (SAD), 92
sunscreen appalling to, 241
toxin-free life tenets of, 188–89
trademark purple scarf of, 184
Martin, Steve, 345
massage, self-, 110, 359
mass transit, air pollution cut down by, 218–19
mastectomy, predrug, 115–16
Master-Cleanse diet, 13
masturbation:
bland foods prescribed for, 101–3
religion, cortisol levels and, 201
as secret of longevity, 103–4
two-person sex vs., 104
Mayo Clinic, 34, 151, 272, 341
meat:
carcinogens in, 93
Marti’s case against, 93–94
raw, in caveman diet, 38
as side dish, 362–63
medical adviser board, 7
medical innovation, 9
waiting to be saved by, 31–32
medical students, how mindfulness may cause panic among, 21
medicine, specialty bias of, 241
meditation, 1, 167, 347, 359
contextual, 218
noise found interesting with, 219
rock solid medical benefits of, 218
as video game, 177
Mediterranean diet, 13
melanin, 242, 243
melanoma, 141–42, 244
melatonin, 264
Melngailis, Sarma, 274
memento mori:
AJ’s pneumonia as, 3
as ultimate form of reframing, 154–55
memorization, 169
of word lists, 173
memory:
hard-to-read fonts as aid to, 2
Ribot’s law of, 178
men:
calorie-burning benefits of missionary position for, 105
calories allowed for, 17, 18
daily alcohol allowance for, 14
hand-holding among, 308
relaxing body odors of, 295
rugged individualism of, 248
testosterone and personalities of, 282
what will give them boobs, 283
meningitis, 152
Merchant, Mark, 248
metabolic syndrome, 96
metabolism:
changed by marathon sitting sessions, 66
slowing down of, 18
metaphors:
for AJ in noise-canceling headphones, 58
for AJ’s brain, 173
for AJ’s deviated septum, 260
for AJ’s mouth, 197
for AJ’s mouth breathing, 215–16
for antisnoring strategies, 261, 262
for bad posture, 313
for Benihana’s ambience, 53
for body pollution, 51
for body pride, 84
for the brain as muscle, 165–67
for the brain as ski slope, 170
for costs and benefits of smoking, 215
David vs. Goliath and Revenge of the Nerds, 173–74
for dental sadism, 193
for fellow gym members, 60–61
in germ porn, 75–76
for gift of self-delusion, 122
for hand-washing performance, 78
for health fundamentalism, 191–92
for hearing loss, 55
for intenSati ambience, 128, 130
for marriage/health link, 46
for noise pollution, 54
for persistence of pain, 116–17
for pole dancing, 249
for slow fitness, 159, 160
for smaller triathlon, 251
for treadmills, 35
mice:
diet and longevity of, 9, 18
telomerase in reversing age of, 31–32
mindfulness, 21, 27, 171
Mindless Eating (Wansink), 21, 276, 363
Minnesota Stroke Institute, 151
moles, 241–44
artificial, 242
Momofuku, Julie’s insistence on, 171
Monell Chemical Senses Center, 294–99
monkeys, on low-calorie diets, 18
Monroe, Marilyn, favorite nightwear of, 239–40
Monty Python, 152
Morena, Patricia, 127–29
mortality, wake-up call about, 244
Moses, Robert, 26, 345
mou
th, germs in, 77
MovNat (Mouvement Naturel), 37
Mozart Effect, 167–68
Mr. Clean Bath Cleaner, sniff and recoil from, 184–85
MRI, meditation while hearing the noises of, 219
MRSA, 32, 79
multitasking, 65
Marti’s disapproval of, 68
medical, 243
muscle failure, focus of weight training as, 33
muscles:
AJ’s growing awareness of, 83–84
standers’ use of, 66
MyPlate (USDA), 94
Nabokov, Vladimir, 67
Napier, John, 303–5, 306
naps, as Healthy Vice, 1, 330
NASA, on mother-in-law’s tongue, 28
National Academy of Sciences, 33, 94
National Athletic Trainers’ Association, 32
Natural History of the Senses, A (Ackerman), 327
Nature’s Platform, 132, 136–37
description and assembly of, 137
NBC, 21
neck problems, 315
nervous system, 113–30
see also pain
Nesheim, Mal, 96
Nestle, Marion, 95–98, 362
food labels translated by, 96
on Paleo diet, 229
on ranking fruits and vegetables, 97
Whole Foods tour with, 95–98
neti pot, 72, 73
neurobics, 170–71, 177
neurofeedback, 176–77
neuroplasticity, 165–71
increased by exercise, 176
NeuroReport, 125
nevus, 242
New England Journal of Medicine, 161
New York:
decibel levels in, 59
healthiest glass of water in, 274
insalubrious flatness of, 64
morbid little landmarks accruing in, 343
as one big dinner plate, 76
proximity of acupuncturists in, 118
as sixteenth worst city for ozone pollution, 220
New York magazine, Best Doctors list of, 133
New York Post, 46
New York Times, 245, 315, 341
on the caveman movement, 38
conservatism linked to germaphobia in, 82–83
crossword puzzles of, 168
on germy downside of gyms, 32
Kheel’s obituary in, 291
on separated-at-night couples, 259
New York Times Magazine, 91, 285
New York Triathlon, postponing of, 323–24
New York University Langone Medical Center, 76
nicotine, appetite suppressed by, 215
Nightingale, Florence, 294
Nike, 129, 205
Nippon Medical School, 43
N95 surgical mask, 220–21
nods and smiles, missing words covered up with, 58
noise, 53–59
fight-or-flight response to, 55
meditation for, 218–19
as second-hand smoke of our ears, 54
three tips for dealing with, 365–66
as unpatriotic and possibly fascist, 56
voices raised against, 54
noise-canceling headphones, Bose, 52, 57–58, 59, 340, 366
Noise Pollution Clearinghouse, 365–66
nose, 292, 293–99
breathing through, 216
as diagnostic tool, 294
improving of, 297–98
world’s largest sculpture of, 294
see also smells, smelling; specific smells
nosocomial infections, 77
Nugent, Benjamin, 174
nutmeg, when everything smells like, 297–98
nutrition:
Bratman on unproven hype of, 89–90
contradictory headlines on, 91
warring tribes in, 92; see also diet debate
see also diet; eating; food
nutritionists, “intellectual horsepower” lacking in, 90
Oates, Joyce Carol, door-handle germs compared to total output of, 75–76
Obama, Barack, Jr., 179
Obama, Barack, Sr., 179
Obama, Michelle, 63
obesity, 64, 229
social contagion of, 161
obesity epidemic:
cranking up thermostat blamed for, 210
low-fat diet linked with, 93
mindless eating as source of, 21–22
potential effect of smoking on, 215
Obesity Reviews, 210
obscenity, pain relieved with, 125
Odell, Peter, 327–28
“Odysseus Contract,” AJ’s crafty use of, 231–32
Odyssey (Homer), 231
Okinawa, longevity in, 2, 64, 84, 221, 346
Okinawan diet, 13
old age:
exercise in, 44–45
infancy compared with, 267
Old Testament, 69, 236
olfactory diagnostics, 294
Omnivore’s Dilemma, The (Pollan), 90
Onion, The, 361
Operation Squat, 136–37
optimism, longevity and, 70–71
oranges, as “Clark Kent” food, 97
orchestra conductors, longevity of, 45
organic foods, 368
Origins (Paul), 301
orthodontists, 193
Orthodox Judaism, 188, 201, 339
orthorexia nervosa, 87–90, 98, 347, 364
“ose,” dreaded suffix of, 230
osteoporosis, 92
Other, The, origins of disgust with, 83
outdoors, healthiness of, 43–44
ovarian cancer, 64
ovations, standing vs. sitting, 63
oxytocin, 104, 151
oysters, as dubious aphrodisiac, 107
Oz, Mehmet C. (Dr. Oz), 33, 59, 135, 331
pain, 9, 113–26
acupuncture for, 118–21
before anesthesia, 115–16
Buddhist approach to, 117–18
chronic, 116, 117
cursing for relief of, 125
as erratic, lazy, and easily confused, 117
neurofeedback tried for, 177
placebo success with, 122
reasonable alternatives to, 116
in Spanish, 2
after working out, 36
see also back pain; and usual suspects
Pain Chronicles, The (Thernstrom), 115–16, 117, 122–23
painkillers, 115, 116
Pale Fire (Nabokov), 67
Paleo diet, 13, 37, 38, 40–41, 227–29
raw food diet vs., 225–29
weight loss and, 228–29
Paleolithic times:
responding to loud noises in, 55
role of stress in, 141
sprinting preferred to jogging in, 42
walking in, 64
Paleo movement, see caveman movement
pancreas, mindfulness of, 27
parents, childhood dangers most worrisome to, 341
Park, Steven, 260, 263
Parker-Pope, Tara, 46–47
parties, crudites actually eaten at, 222
Pasteur, Louis, 78
patches, facial, symbolism of, 242
Paul (friend), 14
on futility of healthy living, 31
Paul, Annie Murphy, 301
peanut butter:
harrowing intestinal passage of, 27
sex-drive boost attempted with, 106, 107
pedicures:
alarming risks of, 209–10
Archer’s antifungal treatment before and after, 210
bringing your own equipment to, 210
pedometer, 99–100, 266
walking more linked to use of, 99
penis:
as body’s dipstick, 281
fracture of, 104
grafting chimpanzee privates onto, 283
Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 66
Penn Station men’s ro
om, skin-care talk heard in, 236
People Movers (airport), avoiding of, 64–65, 353
Perfect (film), 61
periodontal disease, 60
periodontitis, 195
pets, 150–52, 178, 355–56
health effects of, 150, 151–52
lurking around, 150–51
sleeping with, 152
pheromones, 106
Philips, Emo, 307
phobias:
arctic water, 310
germ, see germaphobia
sex, 101–3
subway disaster, 342
phones, wiping of, 81
Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences, 197
phthalates, 241, 369
physicians, asking for a placebo from, 123
Physique, 57, 247
phytoncides, plants’ use of, 44
pica (disease), 131
Pilates studio, 233
pills:
how appearance affects reactions to, 123
syringes vs., 123
of tomorrow, 31
pineapple, flavonoids in, 89
Pinker, Stephen, on psychology of cursing, 125
Pizarro, David, 83
placebo, placebo effect, 122–24
acupuncture success as, 121
brain’s confusion of real painkillers with, 122–23
“honest,” 124
in neurofeedback, 177
in “self-healing ritual,” 124
in sugar fasting, 232
T-based aggression as, 286
plant-based diet, 92, 93–95
AJ’s opting for, 93–95
raw food vegan diet vs., 227
plants, health benefits of, 28, 44
plastic bags (Ziploc), controlling temptation and portion size with, 84–85, 230, 355, 363
plastics:
BPA verse test for, 189, 369
endocrine-disrupting, 183, 185, 369
microwaving food in, 190
plastic surgery, farts reportedly upgraded by, 133
Plato, 293–94
Playboys, old, faded, but thoughtfully placed, 282
“Plazibo” (AJ’s proposed drug), 124
pneumonia, 2–3, 46, 152
poems, memorization of, 169
pole dancing:
Anna’s workout at, 249
as art form, exercise or sport, and not sleazy, 248
attended by fifty women and AJ, 248
classes in, 34
sharing poles in, 249
warm-ups for, 248
Pollan, Michael, 13, 90, 364
pomegranate seeds, 60
portion control, 17–22
child’s plastic dinosaur plate for, 22, 50
cocktail shrimp fork for, 23, 26, 50
80 percent prayer said for, 84
plastic (Ziploc) bags for, 84–85, 230, 355, 363
tips for regular people, 355
tips for the obsessed, 355–56
posture, 129, 313–17
not to overthink it, 317
Talmud on, 313
Power of 10 (Zickerman), 159
prayer:
80 percent, 84
for Kheel’s recovery, 289
time set aside for, 201
privacy, AJ’s self-invasion of, 261
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 164