I've read many books on health and fitness, and while most have sound advice, few do a good job explaining why your body responds the way it does. Dr. Mark Liponis posits that there is no reason we can't, on average, live to 100 or more and enjoy a healthy, active and alert "golden years." There is no such thing as "natural aging", only the debilitating effects of an overly-vigilant immune system. Managing our immune response is the key to longer, and happier life.

And happy is one of the keys. Mood can trigger immune response; anxiety, hostility, depression all can put the immune system on full alert. Diet is important because lacking needed elements: vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins, etc. also stresses the body and contributes to immune system activation. Even things we take for granted such as breathing and sleep are often culprits due to improper technique. Exercise pretty much ties all of this together...an unfit body, as you might guess, also is prone to immune-system activation.

Having already adopted some of the techniques suggested by Liponis, I was able to transform from a heavily-medicated type-2 diabetic to having the disease completely under control with no meds whatsoever. Liponis does recommend certain preventative meds, statins such as Lipitor. He also suggests a plethoria of multivitamins and supplements. Several doctors have told me these are largely unnecessary since the body does not effectively absorb them in pill form and with a proper diet, we likely get what we need anyway. Liponis seemed passionate about it, so perhaps it bears further research. I've never noticed any particular effects taking or not taking multivitamins, so I remain on the skeptical side. ( )

Perfect for : Personal Use, Professional Reading, Health Library

In a nutshell: This is another book that completely wowed me. The author explains how important our immune system is and how we can work in harmony with it, or ignore it and ultimately age faster and become unhealthy. He then goes on to share seven areas to focus on to improve the function of our immune systems: Breathe, Eat, Sleep, Dance, Love, Soothe and Enhance. I will admit that I have read very carefully from the beginning through the section on breathing, but that I skimmed beyond that as I scored so low on the UltraLongevity Quiz that I felt I needed to really go through the steps carefully. I am now more aware of my breathing and am focusing on changing the way I breathe. I find it amazing that I feel much more calm after paying more attention to this one step for a few days. This is another life-changing book that I hope you will take a look at.

Extended Review: In general, I know that I have an immune system, and I know a few things about how it works, but I didn't realize that I could do things in my everyday life to help support it (other than vitamins, etc). Mark Liponis explains the immune system in easy to understand terms, showing readers how they can live in harmony and support their immune system with easy changes.

Content: The book starts with an UltraLongevity Quiz, which was very eye-opening for me. The author then talks about the science behind the immune system, how it works, what it is made up of, and how it can impact our overall health and aging. The author then goes on to explain that we have the control to improve our immune system so that we are living in harmony with it by addressing 7 areas of our life: Breathe, Eat, Sleep, Dance, Love, Soothe and Enhance. Looking at the list, it seems a bit overwhelming, but the author goes on to provide us with an example day of someone who is actively using the seven-step program, and finishes with a sample menu for eight days, and includes vegetarian suggestions for those who need it.

Format: Easy to read, but seemingly very complete. The author shows us why the immune system is important, and how to support it in our daily life.

Readability: I was amazed at how quickly I read the book. I was so interested in what I was learning that the time simply flew by!

Overall: A very informative book that should help readers to feel and look younger and healthier. After actively working on the first step, I can see how beneficial this book is. ( )