Citing
historical data on early hunter/gatherers and numerous research
studies on some of today’s more primitive cultures,
this book concludes that modern life is making us fat, sick,
and stupid. Our carb-rich and high-processed diets, sedentary
lifestyle, stress-filled days, reliance on technology and
artificial light, lack of face-to-face socialization, and
erratic sleeping schedules combine to lower our quality of
life. Harvard Medical School Professor John Ratey, MD and
journalist Richard Manning make a strong case for living the
Paleo lifestyle, a “wilder” approach to eating,
moving, thinking, and behaving more naturally, like the early
hunter/gatherers.
Read by Dan Woren in a soothing, yet authoritative manner,
this book lays the foundation for healthy living. Avoid beans,
bread, sugar, corn, and processed foods. Move your body outside
in nature, as humans are “the Swiss army knives of movement,”
built for running and a huge variety of motion. Cut down on
caffeine to enable eight hours and thirty minutes of sleep
each night. Share your life and living space with those you
love. These are just a sampling of the many pieces of advice
contained in this book, which in no way resembles the more
common connotation of “going wild” that includes
such behaviors as binge eating and other excessive behaviors.
Sometimes
the cited examples are overly lengthy – such as the
hiking outdoors versus walking on a treadmill scenario –
but, the authors appear sincere and enthusiastic about elaborating
each point for their readers. One particular case study involving
a young woman’s long list of seemingly unrelated illnesses
is especially moving. In this instance, it was essential that
every detail was revealed in order to fully appreciate the
suffering she endured through undiagnosed metabolic syndrome.
The authors show how adjusting her diet and lifestyle accomplished
what medicine could not. Informative and thoroughly researched,
though a tad on the dry side, Go Wild may be all
the inspiration needed for readers to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
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Reviewer
Leslie C. Halpern is the author of Passionate About Their
Work: 151 Celebrities, Artists, and Experts on Creativity,
Rub, Scrub, Clean the Tub: Funny Children's Poems About
Self-Image, and Shakes, Cakes, Frosted Flakes: Funny
Children's Poems About Table Manners. |