Healthier Living with Greg Enslen, 01/23/13: Helping people make small changes that can add up to a healthier lifestyle.
Time to “Transcend”
Late in 2011, I picked up a copy of a book that would eventually change my life. I know that sounds cliched, but it turned out to be true. The book, “Transcend,” was written by Ray Kurzweil and Dr. Terry Grossman, two of my favorite writers, and explores a “road-map” to healthier living. The subtitle of the book might give it away, or at least make you curious: “Nine Steps to Living Well Forever.” Ah, that got your attention, didn’t it?
A “Singular” Prescription
For those of you who haven’t heard of Ray Kurzweil, he’s kind of famous—he’s a world-renowned scientist and the recipient of the National Medal of Technology. He invented much of the technology surrounding voice recognition, optical character recognition and the first music synthesizer.
He’s also interested in the concept of a “technological singularity,” the theoretical emergence of super-intelligence through technology. I’ve read and enjoyed his other book, “The Age of Spiritual Machines” and “The Singularity is Near,” which discuss the theoretical emergence of intelligences created by humans but smarter than us—super-intelligent computers—and what the repercussions of such an advance might be. His theories grow out of the seemingly exponential growth of computing power and technology and where it could lead if it keeps on pace…
Could People Live Forever?
But this latest book was much more personal. He teamed up with Dr. Terry Grossman, medical director of the Grossman Wellness Center in Denver, to write a book about maximizing ones health.
Ray and Terry set out a practical health and wellness program that could help readers live longer. The concept behind the book is that if people can life long enough, they might be around to take advantage of ever-increasing advances in medical technology. Like they say in the book, you don’t have to live forever, just long enough to make it over the next “bridge” to the next medical breakthrough. By maximizing one’s health now, it could be possible to live far into the future, depending on what medical breakthroughs happen soon. Some scientists even propose that, with continuing medical advancements, it might be possible to “defeat” aging.
The authors aren’t saying people are necessarily going to live forever. But I was intrigued by the concept of “accelerated technology” in the medical fields of biotechnology, genetics and nanotechnology. And reading about the advances being made right now in those fields, and how quickly the knowledge is advancing, it makes sense to maximize your health, just in case.
Coming Soon…
“Transcend” comes from a list of nine key components for people to maximize their health right now and remain healthy enough to take advantage of the genetic, biotech and nanotech advances that could be around the corner.
I read this book and was immediately captivated by the clear logic and straightforward manner in which the medical information was presented. I liked it so much I read it twice, back-to-back, and gave it out as Christmas presents to members of my family.
And it REALLY got me thinking about what I could do to improve my health, both for the long term and in conjunction with this book and others I had read. It laid out a series of nine easy-to-understand steps to maximizing health and wellness, all based on the latest scientific research.
Next Time
Next time, I’ll dig into the nine program components, starting with the first two: Talking to your doctor, and Relaxation.
About the Column
This column is not about “healthy” living (yuck, endless bland salads) but “healthier” living, which seems more attainable. Please send feedback or questions to healthier@gregenslen.com or use the “Contact” page on Greg’s website. Greg is a Dayton-based writer interested in improving his overall health. But he’s not a doctor, so for real medical advice and direction, consult a physician.
