Live Your Best Life 219 Science-based Reasons to Rethink Your Daily Routine

256 Pages·2020·22.679 MB·English

by  Stuart Farrimond

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Live Your
Best Life
219 Science-Based Reasons to
Rethink Your Daily Routine
DR. STUART FA RRIMOND
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CONTENTS
Foreword ................................................................8
Project Editor Francesco Piscitelli
Project Designer Simon Murrell
Senior Editor Rona Skene MORNING 10
US Editor Jennette ElNaggar
Project Art Editor Louise Brigenshaw
Illustrators Mik Gates, Mark Clifton Why Is Waking Up So Hard? ..........................12
Designer Natalie Clay Why Do I Feel Low on Winter Mornings?...14
Editorial Assistant Kiron Gill
I Slept In, So Why Do I Still Feel Sleepy? ...15
Senior Jackets Creative Nicola Powling
Pre-production Producer David Almond Should I Hit the Snooze Button? ....................16
Senior Producer Luca Bazzoli Is It Okay to Check My Phone As Soon
Creative Technical Support Tom Morse
As I Wake? .......................................................17
Managing Editor Dawn Henderson
Managing Art Editor Marianne Markham Why Don’t I Remember My Dreams? ..........18
Art Director Maxine Pedliham
When Should I Drink My First Coffee? ........20
Publishing Director Mary-Clare Jerram
Can I Make Myself More of a
First American Edition, 2020 Morning Person? ............................................22
Published in the United States by DK Publishing
1450 Broadway, Suite 801, New York, NY 10018 Why Are Teenagers So Lazy in
the Mornings? .................................................24
Copyright © 2020 Dorling Kindersley Limited
DK, a Division of Penguin Random House LLC When Is the Best Time to Shower
20 21 22 23 24 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
001–314748–Dec/2020 or Bathe? ..........................................................26
Why Do I Poop at the Same Time
All rights reserved.
Without limiting the rights under the copyright reserved Every Morning? ..............................................28
above, no part of this publication may be reproduced,
Why Do I Have Bad Breath When I
stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or
transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, Wake Up? .........................................................29
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise),
without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. What’s the Best Toothpaste for
Published in Great Britain by Dorling Kindersley Limited. Healthy Teeth? ................................................30
Is an Electric Toothbrush the Best
DISCLAIMER see page 256
Way to Brush? .................................................32
A catalog record for this book is available
Should I Brush My Teeth Before or
from the Library of Congress.
ISBN 978-1-4654-9329-3 After Breakfast? ..............................................33
Printed and bound in China Is Breakfast the Most Important Meal
of the Day? .......................................................34
For the curious
Will Skipping Breakfast Make Me Fat? ........35
www.dk.com What’s the Best Thing to Eat
for Breakfast? ..................................................36
What’s the Healthiest Breakfast Cereal? ......38
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Is Juicing a Good Way to Get One of My How Often Should I Take a Break? ...............70
Five a Day? .....................................................39 Why Am I So Easily Distracted? ....................71
Should I Take Vitamins with Why Do I Get the Best Ideas When
My Breakfast? ..................................................40 I’m Not Trying? ..............................................72
It’s Cold! Should I Wear a Thick Sweater How Can I Maximize My Creativity? ...........73
or Layers? .........................................................42 Is My Workplace Making Me Sick? ..............74
It’s Hot! What Should I Wear Why Can’t I Get a Word in Edgewise
to Keep Cool? ..................................................43 in Meetings? ....................................................76
Do We Burn More Calories When Are Male and Female Brains Wired
It’s Colder? .......................................................44 Differently? .......................................................78
Is Central Heating Bad for Our Health? ......46 Why Do I Feel Hungry So Soon After
Is Air-Conditioning Unhealthy, Too? .............47 Breakfast? .........................................................80
Do Women Really Feel the Cold More Is Grazing the Healthiest Way to Eat? ..........81
Than Men? .......................................................48 Do I Need to Drink Eight Glasses of
Will Wearing a Coat Indoors Mean Water a Day? ...................................................82
I’m Colder When I Go Out? .......................50 Should I Drink until My Pee Is Clear? ..........84
Do I Lose Most of My Body Heat From
My Head? .........................................................51 AFTERNOON 86
Is Commuting Harming My Health? ............52
Why Does My Morning Commute What Makes a Good Lunch? ...........................88
Seem Longer? .................................................54 Is It Okay to Work While Having Lunch? ....90
Why Are People in Cities So Rude? ..............56 Is It Really Better to Eat Slowly? ....................91
Is Life Really Faster-Paced in the City? ........58 I Want to Eat Healthily, So Why Do I Eat
Why Is Everyone Worse at Junk Food? ......................................................92
Driving Than Me? ..........................................59 Why Is Sugar So Irresistible? ..........................94
Why Do I Get Road Rage When I’m How Can I Avoid a Sugar Crash? ..................96
Normally Calm? .............................................60 How Much Sugar Can I Have, Then? ...........97
How Can I Shake Off a Bad Mood? .............62 Can I Train Myself Not to Have a
How Can I Get the Most from My Sweet Tooth? ...................................................98
Working Day? ..................................................64 Is Sitting Down “the New Smoking”? .........100
What’s the Best Workspace for How Can I Avoid the Post-Lunch Slump? ...102
Productivity?....................................................66 How Long Is the Ideal Power Nap? ............104
Can I Learn to Be Better at Multitasking? ...68 Should I Trust My Gut Instinct? ...................106
Will Listening to Music Improve My Are We All Really Getting
Concentration? ...............................................69 More Stressed? .............................................108
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Is There a Quick Way to Calm Is It True We Use Only 10 Percent
My Nerves? ....................................................110 of Our Brains? ...............................................136
How Can I Manage Worrying Thoughts?...111 Can I Raise My IQ?..........................................138
How Can I Deal with Constant Stress? ......112 How Can I Avoid Buying Things I
Can Stress Ever Be Good for Me? ...............114 Don’t Need? ...................................................140
Why Am I Always Ill When I Why Can I Never Find the
Stop Working? ...............................................115 Best Bargains? ...............................................141
How Much Time Should I Spend in How Can I Shop Most Effectively? .............142
the Sun? ..........................................................116 Is It Cheaper to Shop Online? ......................144
Why Can’t I Think Straight on a
Hot Day? ........................................................117 EVENING 146
Why Has My Teenager Turned into
an Alien? .........................................................118 Why Is It Hard to Motivate Myself
Why Did I Take More Risks When I to Exercise? ....................................................148
Was Younger? ................................................120 When Should I Exercise?................................150
Why Do I Feel Younger Than What and When Should I Eat
My Real Age? ................................................121 Before Exercise? ...........................................152
Why Do Long-Past Events Seem So When Should I Eat After Exercise? .............153
Recent to Me? ...............................................122 Does Stretching Prevent Injury? ..................154
Why Are My Childhood Memories How Can I Avoid Getting a Stitch? .............155
So Hazy? .........................................................123 What’s the Best Exercise for a
Why Do I Remember Events Differently Healthy Heart? .............................................156
from Others?..................................................124 Does Exercise Make My Brain Fitter? ........157
What Is Déja Vu, and Should I Worry?.......126 What’s the Best Exercise to Burn
What Is That “On-the-Tip-of-My-Tongue” Calories? .........................................................158
Feeling? ...........................................................127 How Do I Trade My Belly Fat for a
Why Do I Sometimes Forget Why I Six Pack? .........................................................160
Came into the Room? .................................128 What’s the Best Way to Build Up Muscle? 162
Why Can I Remember Faces Better How Do I Avoid “Hitting the Wall”? ...........164
Than Names? ................................................129 Is Socializing Good for Me? ...........................166
Why Can I Still Remember Skills, Even Why Am I Unluckier Than My Friends? ....168
Years Later? ...................................................130 How Can I Be a Better Judge
How Can I Improve My Memory? ..............132 of Character? .................................................169
Should I Always Believe What I See? .........134 Why Are Some People So Stubborn in
Their Views? ..................................................170
Is Hugging Good for Us? ................................171
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Why Am I So Nervous Around Someone NIGHT 214
I Fancy?...........................................................172
Why Do I Find Certain People Is My Phone Ruining My Sex Life? .............216
Attractive? ......................................................174 Is There a Best Time to Have Sex? .............218
Is Being in Love Good for My Health?.......176 Why Do We Yawn, and Why Are
What’s Most Attractive in a Long-Term Yawns Contagious? ........................................220
Partner? ...........................................................178 Do Sleeping Pills Help or Hinder? ...............222
Why Do I Get PMS and Period Pains? .......180 Will a Nightcap Help Me Sleep Better? .....223
Why Do My Periods Sync Up Will Digital Devices Keep Me Awake? .......224
with Others’? .................................................182 What’s the Best Way to Fall—
How Can I Manage Menopause? ................183 and Stay—Asleep? ......................................226
Is There Such a Thing as a Midlife Crisis? 184 Is Sleep Really That Important?...................228
Can I Blame My Bad Mood on Hunger? ...186 How Do I Know How Much
Is Eating a Large Meal in the Evening Sleep I Need? ...................................................230
Bad for Me? ...................................................187 Can I Make Up for Lost Sleep on
Why Is Everyone Putting On the Weekend? ................................................231
More Weight? ................................................188 What Can I Do if I Can’t Avoid
Should I Use BMI to Aim for My Ideal Sleep Deprivation? ......................................232
Body Weight? ................................................190 How Can I Deal with Jet Lag? ......................234
I Eat Well, So Why Can’t I Manage Why Do I Get Sleep Jerks?............................236
My Weight? ....................................................192 Why Do I Talk in My Sleep? .........................237
Are Fats Good or Bad for Me Now? ...........194 Why Do I Snore and How Can I Stop? ......238
Is My Weight Genetically Programmed? ...196 Why Do I Get Night Terrors or
Can Gut Microbes Help Me Manage Sleep Paralysis? ............................................240
My Weight? ....................................................198 Does Dreaming Make Me More Creative? ...242
Which Is the Best Weight-Loss Diet? .........200 Do My Dreams Mean Anything? .................244
What’s So Good About the
Mediterranean Diet? ...................................202
Will Being Vegan Make Me Healthier? ......204 Glossary ...............................................................246
Why Is Nutrition Advice Always Index .....................................................................250
Changing? .......................................................206 Data credits ........................................................255
Why Do I Get Scared by Music About the Author/Acknowledgments ........256
or Sounds in Movies? .................................208
Why Is Social Media So Addictive? ............210
How Can I Swap My Bad Habits for
Better Ones? ..................................................212
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Foreword
“Science.” If the word brings to mind Every day brings with it countless
dreary lessons, mumbo-jumbo jargon, questions. Not just the philosophical
and bookish bores who are no fun at ones but also momentary wonderings—
a party, then this book is for you. All should I drink a coffee first thing in the
too often we think that science means morning or wait awhile? Why are there
distilling our world into dry numbers so many bad drivers on the road? Why
and equations. In reality, science gives do I feel so sluggish after lunch?
richness, meaning, and depth to our Newspaper columns and clickbait
daily lives. In seven years in medicine, websites are filled with pithy answers
not only did I learn the intricacies of the to such questions. Many of these
human body and the diseases that afflict explanations leave us wanting. They
it, but I was molded into the role of a may sound reasonable, but sometimes
doctor and taught to skillfully hide they’re misleading or just plain wrong.
behind a cloak of jargon and science- Dozens of specialists and experts
speak. Only after stepping back from from around the world helped me craft
the profession did I discover how truly this book, which represents the most
alienated we academic types can make up-to-date science and research that
others feel. Much of this highbrow answers these questions. Rather than
babble does nothing but separate us serve you up feel-good self-help fluff
from others. This book seeks to set the with every answer, I hope to explain
record straight and show that you do the science in a way that everybody
not need letters after your name to will understand and so be empowered
understand life’s little mysteries. to make better decisions.
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I take you through a typical day— we realize that our existence is but a
morning, afternoon, evening, and grain of sand in the infinity of time that
night—answering those “I wonder we learn to truly relish every day we
why?” questions when they are most have on planet Earth. The COVID-19
likely to crop up. Of course, not pandemic has brought this uncomfortable
everything fits neatly into a time slot, truth into sharp focus to all of us.
and you may do things at different During the writing of this book, I have
times; for example, some prefer to endured surgery, radiotherapy, and
exercise at the crack of dawn, others in chemotherapy for what has now become
the evening. I hope this helps you an aggressive brain cancer. It is with the
navigate through your day. I have steadfast love and support of family and
also tried to make the book relevant, friends that I have learned to love life.
regardless of your age, gender, race, Writing this book has helped me live life
creed, and culture. to its fullest. I hope that in reading it, it
Above all, this book is a celebration helps you live yours to the fullest, too.
of life. It is the most precious thing we
have. Life deserves to be filled with
laughter, love, kindness, and passion.
Yet it is desperately fragile. I think that
we only really appreciate just how
wonderful life is when we go face-to-
face with the reality that ours will one Stuart Farrimond
day come to an end. It is only when
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