In my book, The Telomere Miracle, I try to walk a Yogi Berra tightrope in my disdain/reverence for science. He was famous for quotes that seemed stupid yet revealed deep truths. To the simple person, he sounded stupid; to the wise, not so much. An example: “No one goes there anymore [i.e. a restaurant]…it’s too crowded.”

The leitmotif of this blog and my entire book is that science should not be viewed as dogma but rather as a tool. Tools are to be used by clever people but far too often, a problem arises when we blindly follow advice. I know of only two absolute truths when it comes to science: 1) it is an approximation of truth and seeks to constantly improve and replace simpler paradigms and 2) the flexibility of its experts is inversely proportional to their dependence upon older, simple ideas.

To illustrate, most people would consider light, water, consciousness, exercise, oxygen, food, and vitamins to be good. But what if I told you that inadequate or excessive amounts of any of those things can be harmful? How can we proceed if there are no absolutes?

The answer lies in my book. I explain how the crucial human systems of breathing, thinking, sleep, exercise, diet, and supplements actually function. I had two hugely successful authors decline to endorse my book after reading what I said about supplements because it didn’t jibe with their teachings. I respect them and I certainly could have “toned it down” but I chose to convey what I believe to be true instead.

My rather humble yet grandiose goal with The Telomere Miracle was to provide you with a solid physiological basis for understanding how to operate your body. The truth as I see it is that there are no absolutes when it comes to your personal health but if you understand just how balanced, elegant, and resilient you truly are, you can mindfully improve your life and optimize your health.

I close with the endorsement that Lily Tomlin gave the book:

“Over the years that I’ve known Ed Park,
his anti-aging prescriptions have proven to
be understandable, wise, and life-transforming.
His new book explains some very important and
complicated systems that can benefit all of us.”

The truth, like science, is complicated. A restaurant can be both crowded and unpopular. But what is undeniable is a good laugh. If you want a good laugh like the kind Ms. Tomlin has spend her life delivering, check out this video about why “fruit is bad” to get a sense of what I’m talking about when it comes to blindly following experts.

In keeping with the theme of wisdom, comedy, and irony, if you want to understand how we can inadvertently drown in shallow water by breathing improperly, exercise our muscles to ruin, cultivate neurosis with poor sleep habits, become obese by misunderstanding food types, and poison ourselves with vitamins, order a copy of my book.

To experience this blog in a more complete and fun way, watch this 4-minute video: