by A.J. Jacobs, 2012
Pg. 253, 1996 study by Izumi Tabata – Japan: 20 seconds huffing a bike as hard as possible followed by a 10 second rest, for a total of 4 minutes, 4 times a week – raised endurance, lowered blood sugar, improved lung capacity, weight loss. He writes for Esquire. He’s pretty funny but Wayne couldn’t stand him – Narcissistic. For 2 years he tries everything to become the healthiest man on the planet. He has a 53 page list to start. After 2 years, he lost 16 pounds, exercises regularly. End weight 156, I think. He started at 172, I think – Buddha Belly – his wife called him. He also hated exercise but ends up liking it. He tries just about everything in the latest magazines purported to improve health. In the end, it’s Exercise, eat less (use small plates, small forks, put your fork down between bites, practice Chewdaism), Treadmill Desk, stress reduction (self-massage, outsource your worry, meditate, get a dog or cat); Live Quietly, Avoid Toxins (BpA-“4, 5, 1, and 2, all the rest are bad for you.” Buy organic food. Avoid mercury in fish.)
Don’t use antibacterial soaps – avoid Triclosan toothpaste – use “Tom’s of Maine.” Don’t use non-stick cookware.
Funny part describing brain exercises: “I prefer the logic puzzles created by my son Lucas. They are a version of that game, “Which one of these doesn’t belong?” The trick is, instead of offering three or four items, Lucas gives only 2 options. He’ll ask me, “Which one of these doesn’t belong: the chair or the tomato?” “Chair?” I’ll say. “No, tomato.” It’s more challenging than a Zen koan.”
He loves his grandpa and visits him frequently. He dies during the writing of the book. Also his eccentric Aunt Marti – who didn’t believe in having anything chemical or unnatural. She gets a rare form of Leukemia, “Acute myeloid leukemia.” She goes through chemo, doesn’t help, goes to holistic practitioner, is getting better, slips in the bathroom and hits her head and dies at 63.