Prva knjiga u kojoj se objašnjava kako starimo na celijskom nivou i kako jednostavnim promenama možemo da ocuvamo zdravlje i vitalnost.

Jeste li se ikada zapitali zašto neki šezdesetogodišnjaci izgledaju i ostavljaju utisak kao da im je cetrdeset godina, dok neki cetrdesetogodišnjaci deluju kao da im je šezdeset?

Starenju i bolestima doprinose mnogi cinioci, ali je doktor Elizabet Blekbern otkrila biološki indikator nazvan telomeraza, enzim koji obnavlja telomere, cija je uloga da štite naše genetsko naslede. Naucna istraživanja dr Blekbern i dr Elise Epel pokazuju da su dužina i zdravlje telomera biološka osnova uzajamne veze tela i psihe o kojoj se dugo teoretisalo. Dr Blekbern, dr Epel i drugi naucnici otkrili su da promenama u svakodnevnim navikama možemo da zaštitimo svoje telomere i produžimo zdrav i aktivan život.

U Telomerama autorke nam otkrivaju da kvalitet sna, fizicka aktivnost, aspekti ishrane, pa cak i odredene hemikalije kojima smo izloženi ostavljaju dubok uticaj na naše telomere i da ih hronicni stres, negativni oblici razmišljanja i napregnuti meduljudski odnosi nagrizaju i skracuju.

Bazirana na naucnim saznanjima, ova knjiga sadrži spisak korisnih namirnica, savete o vrsti i kolicini fizickih aktivnosti zdravih za telomere, mentalne trikove koji štite od stresa, te informacije o tome kako da sacuvate svoju decu od oštecenja telomera, pocevši još od njihovog razvoja u utrobi pa sve do rane zrelosti.

Dr Elizabet Blekbern je dobitnica Nobelove nagrade za otkrice uloge telomera u procesu starenja. Dr Elisa Epel je strucnjak za psihološki pristup poboljšanju kvaliteta života.
Doktor Elizabet Blekbern je dobila Nobelovu nagradu za fiziologiju ili medicinu 2009. godine zajedno sa još dvoje kolega, zahvaljujuci njihovom otkricu telomeraze i uticaja telomera na proces starenja. Trenutno je predsednik Instituta Salk. Postavljena je za predsednika Americkog udruženja za borbu protiv raka. Dobitnica je nagrade Albert Lasker za osnovna medicinska istraživanja i mnogih drugih. Godine 2007. proglašena je jednom od sto najuticajnijih ljudi po magazinu Tajm.
Doktor Elisa Epel je vodeci strucnjak u oblasti psihologije zdravlja i proucava stres, starenje i gojaznost. Direktorka je Centra za starenje, metabolizam i emocije pri Univerzitetu Kalifornija u San Francisku, i pomocnik direktora u Centru za zdravlje i društvo. Clan je Nacionale akademije medicine i strucni je konsultant na više nacionalnih instituta. Dobila je nagradu univerziteta Stenford, Udruženja za bihejvioralnu medicinu i Udruženja psihologa Amerike.

I was somewhat disappointed by this one. Maybe I've just read too much in the anti-aging field, but there didn't seem to be anything "revolutionary" here at all. Most of the book is about stress management, eating healthy, exercising, etc. Good advice, to be sure, but nothing that hasn't been written about in a thousand other places. The telomeres/telomerase angle is interesting, but it seems to just basically confirm what we already know about aging. Also, minus points for adhering to outdated orthodoxy on diet (avoiding animal fat/red meat) and avoiding sunshine. ( )

It is ironic that this book starts by citing Leonard Hayflick, who discovered that human cells divide for a limited number of times. You see, the man himself has a luminous article entitled "Aging is not a disease", which is exactly what The Telomere Effect is setting out to prove. The book is so dumbed down and patronising it's offensive. No, it is downright insulting. Furthermore, it tries to establish a 'scientific' link between meditation practices, such as Qigong, and telomere length. Doubtful, misleading and dangerous mumbo jumbo. Did they really award a Nobel Prize to the author of this gibberish? I'm flabbergasted. ( )

Most of the guidance on living better wasn't new, but the science behind it was new for me and incredibly interesting. It made so much more sense of the standard lifestyle and health advice that I have felt a little bombarded by at times.
Let's be honest, we've all heard things like eating better and spending more time outside are so good for us to the point where it's almost annoying to hear again. At the same time, what makes this book stand out from all the random advice we're given from almost every form of media is that it provides concrete biological evidence as to why these effect us the way they do. Blackburn and Epel don't just say things like, eating sugar is bad because they have calories and calories makes us fat, but they breakdown the way sugars effect us in the short and long term and why some sugary foods are worse than others. They cite research and they specify what was accounted for within it. I don't often see things like what the control was asked to do or what factors were controlled for, like whether or not the researchers had accounted for whether a person smokes. These finer details really make the book stand out among those aiming to inspire people to live better. Their evidence is way more concrete than the random correlations that I've seen others talk about.

I enjoyed the "Renewal Labs" and the "Telomere Tips" at the end of each chapter where several ideas to help with each change were given and the way the authors stress that small changes are better to make in the beginning or just focusing on one thing to change rather than trying to make a radical lifestyle change. Add something or expand the change when it has become a new normal in life. That makes sense and we all know to do it, but the writing style really gives the reader permission to take things really slowly, as opposed to some other health books I've read before. They actively encouraged that the reader make the smaller changes rather than bigger ones that have been proven to not last in what seemed like countless cited studies. I also appreciated the way they had information on how long the effects of a short change lasted on the body and whether the longer term effect was good or bad.

Telomeres are interesting little things that give me some hope. I come from a family t hat is generally told we look younger than we are, so I didn't come into the book concerned for my healthspan. Honestly, it was one of the books I had chosen because Dr. Blackburn is a Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine for the very discovery of telomeres and telomerase (along with Carol W. Greider and Jack W. Szostak). I had no idea how all those things that lifestyle and health people tell you are actually connected to health and looking young but it makes sense now. Especially the looking young part.

After having read a few self-help and diet books on this sort of thing, it was helpful to get to this one. Honestly, I wish I could have just started here. It helps me wrap my head around what I need to do to make changes to know the how behind it all and not just get what seems to me like random associations. Shortening telomeres are more quantifiable than whether or not I feel better when I do something. It also made a whole lot more sense out of how and why you can have too much of a good thing that should make you healthier but really only makes you sicker. ( )

***This book was reviewed for the San Francisco Book Review

The Telomere Effect by Blackburn and Epel is a groundbreaking, fascinating look at telomeres, which are the ending sequences to your chromosomes, and who length is an indicator of longevity and health. The longer they are, the better. These are what govern how we age, and how fast we age. Don't think they are set in stone, though, not by any means. Like all else of biology, and truly, of life, telomere length is a functional result of interconnected forces, and can be acted upon by our thoughts and behaviours.

In language highly engaging, and eminently readable, Blackburn and Epel will teach you all about what telomeres are, what they do, why they are important, and how to influence them. One of the biggest threats to telomere length, it is no surprise, is stress. Sleep deprivation is another. Both of these things are of particular interest to me as I suffer from chronic fatigue/ fibromyalgia. Stress and lack of sleep are two things, especially in combination, that can trigger a serious pain flare. All of this only adds further mental and physical stress, so I can only imagine what my own telomeres are like! The information in this book has helped me view things differently, and to begin making changes that can only help. Chapter Six was especially useful.

There are four sections, with assessment points within each section. Part One contains three chapters, and is an introduction to telomere science. This part also introduces the concept of renewal labs. Every subsequent chapter in the next three parts have a renewal lab at the end. Part Two looks at how stress affects the telomeres, and how they respond to your thoughts. Negative and depressed thinking severely damage them. Chapter Six has a special master tips for renewal section with stress reducing techniques. Part Three discusses practical ways to help our telomeres. These chapters look at physical stress, the value of sleep, nutrition, and exercise. Part Four takes a look at how outside forces affect telomeres, noting that cellular aging begins in the womb, especially affected by the health and stress of the mother. Childhood is another important time for shaping telomeres.

This book piqued my anthropologist's interest regarding average life expectancy over generations. Sure, greater medical technology and care played a part in increased life expectancy, but this got me to thinking that the brutality of past eras, and of certain classes/castes must have played it's fair share in shortening telomeres thanks to mental and physical stress, and thus shortened life expectancy. And, of course, it supports the metaphysicist’s and quantum physicist's notion of interconnection and the true power of the mind/intention and it's ability to influence things.

Despite some of the scary information about how badly shortened telomeres can affect us, we can, thankfully, start at any time the repair process. We have that built-in ability because feck it, our bodies really are cool, and intelligent all on their own if we get out of their way. We may not be able to attain maximum resiliency, but we can improve things a great deal. If our cells feel young and healthy, *we* will feel young and healthy. Blackburn and Epel can help you begin those changes.

📚📚📚📚📚 Very highly recommended. ( )