I read too many magazines. And when you read too many magazines you read way too many opinions from “experts” on how to live a long and healthy life. The most recent article of this ilk that I read was in the January 2014 issue of Wired Magazine. This article concerns Dr. David Agus.
Dr. Agus is a famous cancer researcher, a regular at places like Davos and Aspen and clinician who claims as patients some very A-list celebrities. His rules for living a long and healthy life have recently been condensed in a new book called “A Short Guide to a Long Life.” These rules are really designed to help us avoid cancer. These rules are rather controversial. He does not believe in any vitamin supplements. He believes in starting the day with a cup of caffeinated coffee. He believes that nearly everyone should take statin drugs and a baby aspirin. He believes you should have a glass of wine with dinner. He believes you should have more than three servings of cold water fish per week. He believes you should smile and you should get your heart rate up to 50% above your resting baseline for at least 15 minutes every day. He believes you should avoid juicing and eat “real” food. He believes you should get a dog for stress reduction, be positive, avoid sunburns, never skip breakfast and practice good hygiene “in bed and out.” There are other rules for a healthy life in the Wired Magazine article but I will skip to number 59.
While some of Dr. Agus’s rules are considered controversial, I can wholeheartedly endorse Rule 59– from years of podiatry experience.
Rule 59 in his book is “avoid stilettos and other sneaky sources of inflammation. Wear comfortable shoes”.
Somehow I just hate reading these confusing and often conflicting “expert “advice articles on how to live a long and healthy life. I’ve found most doctors know very little about anything outside of their relatively narrow specialty. So while I will refrain from commenting on any of the other rules I heartily endorse rule number 59! Read the article and tell me what you think.