Overcoming The Myths of Aging
by Roe Gallo and Stephen Zocchi
Roe Gallo Publishing, San Francisco, California
200 pp., $19.95
Review by Jenifer Ransom
In partnership with Stephen Zocchi, Roe Gallo has come
out with another informative, user-friendly guide to healthful living in all its
aspects, this time slanted toward living free of the specter of bodymind deterioration
over time—thus the title, Overcoming the Myths of Aging. (The anagram OTM,
frequently used in the book, was apparently coined by Stephen.)
The book centers on a dialogue between Roe, as teacher,
and Stephen as student. Stephen starts out questioning whether it is indeed possible
to overcome the aging myths: "It's normal to expect that we'll gain some
weight, do a bit less physical activity, or see our health erode. We are growing
older after all. Why should we believe these signs of aging are myths?" The
rest of the book explores how and why the expected signs of deterioration are
not due to aging but to our lifestyle choices—specifically, those relating
to diet, activity level and attitude—and how to make new choices that help
us overcome these aging myths. The crucial point is: "You can only be as
healthy as your cells. Your health and therefore your life depend on the conditions
of your internal environment."
Admitting that he wants more than the expected "aging
stuff" for the rest of his life, Stephen also says that he thought the diet
outlined in Roe's earlier book, Perfect Body, was too hard to follow. Roe confirms
that many of those who are relatively healthy, and not in life or death situations,
have said the same to her. Stephen agrees to help her work out a more flexible
system and Roe agrees to help him get over the conventional mindset about aging.
The basic keys are "get it" (correct info), "believe it" (integrate
it) and "live it" (put into practice).
The OTM plan consists of three components: food, exercise
and mind. It allows for a bit of decadence in a healthful diet/lifestyle plan,
while high nutrient foods provide the energy for true enjoyment of life. The core
of the OTM approach to food lies in distinguishing between "enhancing"
vs. "compromising" foods.
Enhancing foods deliver maximum nutritional value, are
easy to digest, and add to overall energy and health. Fresh raw organic fruits
and vegetables comprise the majority of foods on the OTM plan. Compromising foods
are the less nutritious items we take in more for enjoyment or convenience than
for their health-promoting qualities; the plan helps balance our choices so we're
still building health. The compromising foods are animal products, salt, sugar,
cooked/processed foods and drugs, including alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, over-the
counter and recreational drugs.
The OTM food plan works with points based on several
phases, to keep track of the balance between enhancing and compromising foods.
As Roe says: "At any point/level in OTM plan, you are helping yourself lose
weight, look great, and lead a happier and healthier life." OTM also phases
in exercise. "Like the OTM plan for food, exercise should be something that
you can enjoy and keep an integral part of your healthy lifestyle."
Most of the chapters include an exchange between Roe
and Stephen in which they discuss the challenges of the OTM plan and overcoming
aging myths: The SICK myth, the FAT myth, the FLABBY myth, the TOO LATE myth and
the SEX myth.
As Roe points out to Stephen, the message of the Sick
Myth, that age is responsible for illness, is not borne out by evidence; "We
might have all taxed our immune systems mightily
over the years, but the good news is that your body knows how to recover—if
you give it a chance." Stephen starts to put the pieces together: "The
more I learn about toxicity, the more I get it. Maybe I am the biggest factor
in controlling my own health."
Encapsulating the OTM message as it relates to the other
myths covered:
FAT MYTH: We will naturally put on weight as we get older.
Truth: There's nothing about age itself that leads to
storing more fat, which is due more to the build-up of toxicity and sedentary
lifestyle. We can keep our metabolism up to speed by staying fit. When we eat
empty calorie foods, the body cries for more because it is under-nourished ("overfed
and undernourished") The first thing to do is to lose fake appetite by eating
less and concentrating on healthy foods, so the body is freed to break down and
use stored fat for energy. The OTM plan is not a diet. It is focused on what/how
to eat rather than what not to eat.
FLABBY MYTH: our bodies naturally get softer as we get
older.
Truth: As long as you are exercising regularly, you can
keep in great shape. Roe cites the example of Morjorie Newlin, who began lifting
weights at 73 to ward off osteoporosis, and at 86 is a champion bodybuilder! Roe
points out that exercise also helps prevent degenerative disease. Tips are given
for adding more exercise to busy lifestyle, emphasizing the importance
of making exercise fun, finding something you enjoy doing.
TOO LATE myth: Once we get to a certain age, we won't
be able to do/be/have certain things. "I'm
too old to..."
Truth: Again Roe mentions Morjorie Newlin, as well as
Ed Lawson who at 51 was "a heart attack waiting to happen" until he
worked with Roe. He is now full of energy, slender, calm. Ed foresees "freedom
from illness and pills for the rest of my life—the life that I never expected
to have."
When Steve first read Perfect Body, he dismissed the ideas about lifestyle and
diet, but was impulsed to consider how this reflected a growing rigidity. He has
now has begun to open up to new ventures and experiences in his personal life.
Even as he questioned OTM, he also looked for ways to make it work for him. "I
found a way, and it wasn't too late."
SEX MYTH: We naturally lose interest and capacity for
sex as we get older.
Roe points out that we're never too old to have sex,
especially when we are working with the OTM plan. Our sex drive naturally settles
down after the raging hormones of youth, but never fades entirely as long as we
stay healthy and fit. The brain is the number one sex organ, and beliefs determine
our attitude to and experience of sex as in all else. To change our sex/love life,
we need to change our thinking, and make quality time in our busy lives to nurture
relationship and sex. Roe gives tips for better sex, and concludes "It's
never too late for love, romance, partnership, and great sex."
Going into more depth about the food aspect of OTM, facts
are given about the benefits of fresh raw vegetables and fruits, such the fact
that upon consuming them, there is no rise in white blood cell count (digestive
leucocytosis. a stress response to something foreign/harmful, which does occur
with cooked foods). Debunking the "Five Food Groups" of the USDA, Roe
cites the PCRM (Physicians' Committee for Responsible Medicine), which recommends
a vegan diet.
Steve concludes: "The idea is to choose a healthy
target level. Say 50% OTM Plan target. Make the choices necessary to ensure that
50% of the foods you eat are nutritious foods and are consumed in a way that allows
them to make their full contribution to your health."
The book includes great recipes (who would have thought
kale salad could soundso yummy?); exercises we can do using our own body weight;
face exercise; information on maintaining good vision naturally; an in-depth exploration
of the role of the mind and our beliefs about aging; and closing words on the
relationship between diet and the planet, pointing out the link between cattle
ranching, deforestation, and global warming.
In all, this is an excellent book which should appeal
to many readers who want to live out their lives in health, happiness and productivity,
free of the aging myths, while continuing to enjoy "a bit of decadence."
Come to think of it, I'm one of those readers! Thanks, Roe and Stephen.
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