Living Longer Column,
Published in the American Free Journal/Desert Valley Star
Weekly Newspapers,JULY 2, 2009
How Not To Die – A Book Review
By Art Kunkin
Dr. Jan Garavaglia is the host of the Discovery Health channel’s series, Dr. G: Medical Examiner. In her Florida medical practice, she presides over 1,100 autopsies a year. The results help solve crimes, settle lawsuits and help grieving families. In her 2008 book, “How Not To Die”, Dr. G. reveals that she is a medical detective who specializes in identifying the often-unintentional ways we harm our bodies. She then goes on to give valuable tips on how to use the information she gathers from her autopsies to live better, smarter and longer.
Dr. G. believes that many deaths she sees don’t need to happen. She says these unnecessary deaths can be prevented “with the simplest life saving acts, whether it’s strapping on a seat belt correctly, making subtle changes to your diet, or following your doctor’s orders…For example, did you know that open or partially open car windows increase the risk of more severe injuries in an accident…”
“Sure,” she notes, “some people just have bad luck and develop an illness or suffer an accident that is totally unavoidable, but a lot of us make our own bad luck. Life is a series of choices. And these choices, plus genetics and luck, determine our fate. You can control what you eat, you can control how fast you drive, you can control whether or not you abuse drugs – you control the choices you make. Making the right choices can offer a chance at a much longer and healthier life.”
In this book Dr. G. suggests what to take along as a first aid kit while traveling and when you should see a doctor. She explains how to distinguish between heartburn and a heart attack. Her book also has sections on the side effects of medications, how to choose a doctor and how to avoid picking up illnesses while hospitalized.
For example, she observes, “Hospitals around the country are loaded with the latest medical equipment and technology to help you get well. Unfortunately, they’re also loaded with nasty bugs – and not the kind that live in your yard or garden, either. I’m talking about bacteria and viruses that can make you deathly ill. I don’t think there’s any place where you’re more likely to get sick than a hospital. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are 1.7 million health-care associated diseases every year, and that’s cause for alarm if you become a hospital patient…”
“The best protection against…any hospital-acquired infection is a simple hygiene: hand washing. Sometimes the amount of bacteria under one fingernail is more than on the rest of the hand. Fortunately, in an age when antibiotics are becoming less effective, hand washing remains a remarkably useful defense against the spread of infection. Don’t let people touch you in the hospital until you’ve seen them wash their hands. That goes for everyone – including doctors and nurses.”
Dr. G. concludes that how not to die really boils down to a set of ten basic lessons.
“Lesson #1: Know Your Numbers. You’ll live a longer and healthier life when your body mass index (BMI) is under 25. The adverse health effects of obesity are multiple and avoidable…Know your blood glucose (blood sugar) level…Check your blood pressure early and check it often… The last numbers that are essential to know are your lipid profile: total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol (the bad one, which should be low), and HDL cholesterol (the good one, which should be high). High blood pressure is a silent killer…
“Lesson #2: Listen To Your Body. If something doesn’t feel right or you have an unusual pain that causes concern, pay attention to it. See your doctor and find an answer…Get regular physicals and have appropriate screening tests…
“Lesson #3: Use As Directed…Take your medicine as directed, follow your doctor’s orders, and obey posted and written rules…
“Lesson #4: Practice Good Hygiene… Keeping your hands clean is one of the best ways to avoid illness…use condoms when needed…
“Lesson #5: Drive carefully…
“Lesson #6: Just Say No. Smoking is one of the best ways to ensure that you’ll wind up in the morgue…
“Lesson #7: Watch Your Step. I have the choice of only five manners of death on the death certificate: homicide, suicide, natural, accident and undetermined. If I could add another, it would be stupidity…
“Lesson #8: Have A Good Time. As you go through life, have fun and get a daily dose of Vitamin H. Humor – through laughter and smiling – eases the burdens of life…
“Lesson #9: Don’t Go It Alone. Relationships are important. People who maintain close relationships live longer and more healthily. Tap into the healing network of family and friends, neighbors and colleagues so that when stressful, difficult times come, you’ll have supportive people around…
“Lesson #10: Remember What Matters… We all need to clarify what’s truly important and set priorities that make sense for us. When all is said and done, it’s not how many years you live, it’s what you do with those years…”
(Art Kunkin is the journalist who founded the alternative weekly newspaper, The Los Angeles Free Press, 1964 to 2009. Art’s book, “The Secret of Immortality Finally Revealed” is available through his web site, www.alchemyrevealed.com and at his blog, www.artkunkin.com. Art teaches classes on healing, longevity, alchemy and meditation at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center. Contact him by phoning 760-368-5410 or emailing artkunkin@gmail.com).