For those of you who have been reading the book with us each week know by now that this book is one that will probably remain on your bookshelf for a long time. Drs. Oz and Roizen, through the "YOU" series of books have proven to be experts at simplifying the human body, serving it up in easy to digest chapters and keeping the readers engaged through interactive quizzes, suggestions and healthy recipes.
Chapter 9 - Common Sense: Your Sensory Organs, focuses on our eyes, ears and skin. So why focus on sensory organs? The authors sum it up in these words " …sensory organs allow you to marinate yourself in experiences (think Gershwin, Shakespeare, wasabi-crusted salmon and more) by sending stimulatory signals to your brain."
Our eyes:
Myth # 1 - Most eye conditions are dictated by genetics, not lifestyle.
Some fascinating facts about our eyes -
1) Eye color is dictated by where your ancestors lived. Sunny environments had people with darker irises to block out the sun, whereas people with blue eyes lived in darker environments and their light colored eyes helped let more light in.
2) The third eye - eastern religions believed it to be located in the middle of the forehead - is really the pineal gland located in this spot that senses light the way our eyes do. In one interesting study, removing the penial gland in rats caused an adversity to alcohol, which could be a breakthrough in controlling cravings/addictions in humans.
Our ears:
Myth # 2 – You should regularly clean your ears with Q-tips
An alternative to using Q-tips to clean wax of your ears is to add a drop of mineral oil to the ear, lie down with that ear facing up for about an hour and then turn the other side to let the oil-wax mixture slide onto a napkin held near the ear. Anther factoid is that music (not loud music) has a healing impact on our body caused by the vibratory energy that can have a therapeutic effect and change the way the body interacts with disease.
Our skin:
Myth # 3 – The more you spend on making your skin look good, the more it will.
In this section we learn that skin has more than just cosmetic value. It protects against infections, sends important signals to the brain and also helps us heal. We also find out that sweat does not really stink – the odor arises from sweat coming in contact with bacteria, once it’s expelled. To sum it up, we learn that there is no sense in fretting about every line and wrinkle as it leads to more worry and in turn permanent frown lines.
This chapter ends with an action plan that includes a “Test Yourself” section to self-test to measure where you stand and how well these organs function in your body.
The next chapter – Sick Sense: Your Immune System is all about your body’s “security system”. To understand how the immune system works the authors explain how our body is supposed to function and the ways it can malfunction.
Response Centers are areas within our bodies where the immune response system is located. This includes the thymus (located in front of the heart), bone marrow (inner portion of the bone throughout the body), spleen and lymphatic system. The threats to our immune system include bacteria, viruses and others such as parasites and fungi.
Small actions on a daily basis can improve and keep the immune system safe from malfunction. The authors suggest the following in their action plan –
1) Wash your hands frequently, drink clean water and take all of your medicine (e.g. if on antibiotics, complete the course rather than stopping when the symptoms disappear)
2) Include nutrients in your diet that help the immune system such as vitamin C, yogurt, include foods with flavonoids in your diet (oats, broccoli, tomato juice, tea, grape juice, red wine, apples and cranberries)
3) Know the big three – chicken soup, zinc lozenges and vitamin C (500 milligrams, 4 times a day when fighting a cold)
4) Keep an active social life. Depression has been linked to infection and it’s important to cultivate a social network.
5) Manage stress. Learn techniques like deep breathing or scrunching your face for fifteen seconds to combat stress.
Staying in tune with our bodies and incorporating simple techniques mentioned in the action plan can help prevent major health issues in the long term. The focus of the book is on prevention and reversing effects of early aging by making minor lifestyle changes.
We’ll continue our discussion of the book (chapters 11 & 12) next week.
rsood