Let Me Tell You a Story

Book excerpt: In Let Me Tell You a Story, Dr. James O'Keefe and his dietitian wife Joan O'Keefe, co-authors of the best-selling The Forever Young Diet & Lifestyle, present stories of real-life people and how they found their way to living a happy, healthy, and joyful existence. The authors firmly believe that the human brain best learns new concepts and internalizes information that can change one's perspective and alter behavior through story-telling. In their preface, they state:"We are all immersed in ‘data-smog’ today. Scientific findings and statistics are churned out at an ever-quickening pace. Recent estimates state that the entire body of scientific knowledge has doubled just since the year 2000. It has become unmanageable to keep up with all the science on health, nutrition, fitness, and wellness. So many people just throw up their hands in frustration, not knowing what to believe, while continuing to follow lifestyles and diets that are often toxic. Yet knowledge is power; you and your loved ones need this information if you are to thrive in this 21st century environment that is so foreign to our genetic identity."This statement is at the core of this book. Through this book of true stories about real people, these examples illustrate important concepts based on state-of-the-art science and the power of the Forever Young Diet & Lifestyle program, as outlined in their previous book. Through 26 informative, entertaining, and often amusing chapters, the O'Keefes cover a multitude of health, diet, and fitness topics, such as Fast Each Night to Shine Each Day, Run for Your Life--at a Comfortable Pace--Not too Far, and Sex: Not Just for Making Babies Anymore. Through stories of everyday people, readers can learn that they too can improve their health and well-being, without being preached at. Endorsements for Let Me Tell You a Story: “True to its title, in Let Me Tell You a Story, the O’Keefes weave a wonderful collection of stories that provide the starting place for conveying lessons in health. This clever storytelling tool makes each story real, immediate, and relevant to the reader. The lessons they convey cover just about every facet of human existence, from mental and emotional health and constructive ways to manage stress, to heart health and how to reduce risk maximally and naturally, to why sexual health is important to a healthy and rich life. From start to finish, the O'Keefes create a heartfelt message that is certain to captivate, entertain, and educate.” —William Davis, MDAuthor of #1 New York Times Bestseller Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight and Find Your Path Back to Health “If you want to live a long, happy, and healthful existence within our toxic 21st century mode of living, this book is an easy and enjoyable read that will be accessible to anyone even remotely interested in diet, health, and lifestyle. Let Me Tell You a Story is absolutely essential reading; Dr. O’Keefe and his co-author, dietitian, and wife, Joan O'Keefe, RD, have masterfully woven the latest and best science-based information about nutrition, fitness, and lifestyle into a practical and easily understood master plan that is consistent with our Stone Age genome.” —Loren Cordain, Ph.D.Author of: The Paleo Diet, The Paleo Diet for Athletes, The Paleo Diet Cookbook, and The Paleo Answer.