The Handbook for Health: 5 Essential Pillars for Optimal Wellness

By Dr. Christopher Turnpaugh and Dr. Cynthia West

"The Handbook for Health" is an essential guide for anyone looking to navigate the journey towards optimal well-being and longevity. Crafted by the esteemed Dr. Chris Turnpaugh and Dr. Cynthia West of Turnpaugh Health, the largest functional health center in the country, this book provides a comprehensive approach to a lifestyle that promotes health span as much as lifespan.

At the heart of this guide is the philosophy that simple, everyday decisions have profound effects on our long-term health. The book introduces readers to the foundational principles of functional medicine, emphasizing the importance of movement, nutrition, and lifestyle habits in the prevention and management of chronic diseases. It's a testament to the belief that a significant portion of our health outcomes can be shaped by the choices we make.

Dr. Turnpaugh and Dr. West draw inspiration from the longevity seen in the Blue Zones, areas around the globe where people live notably longer and healthier lives. They delve into how these populations experience common diseases much later in life, suggesting that a similar health trajectory is achievable through strategic lifestyle modifications.

This book goes beyond the surface, offering a deep dive into the five pillars of health: diet, sleep, movement, stress management, and appropriate medication and/or supplementation when necessary. It's designed to be a practical tool, equipping readers with the knowledge to make informed decisions about their health. The authors' expertise in functional medicine shines through as they guide you through understanding how these interrelated aspects of health can be balanced and optimized for a life of wellness.

"The Handbook for Health" is more than just a collection of health tips; it's a strategic guide to making life-enhancing changes that are both sustainable and impactful. Dr. Turnpaugh and Dr. West invite you to use this book as a roadmap to a healthier you, providing the knowledge and tools necessary to transform your lifestyle and, in turn, your health destiny.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Mar 11, 2024
• ISBN: 9798350950007

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

Eighty-five percent of chronic disease in this country is directly related to lifestyle. That is a staggering statistic. It means that most of what plagues us, and in fact kills us, could be greatly reduced by creating for ourselves a healthier way to live.

What does that term mean – lifestyle? David Katz, MD, a renowned expert in lifestyle medicine and public health, boils it down to three behaviors he calls the 3 F's: what we do with our Feet, our Forks, and our Fingers.¹ In other words, we can impact 85% of chronic disease based on how we move, what we eat, and the habits we choose to support or diminish our health, such as eating organic foods and smoking. To complete Dr. Katz’s concept, we need only to reach an arm’s length away – to our hand. The keys to health can be held in one hand: diet, sleep, movement, stress, and intervention in the form of supplements and/or medication when needed.

In this HANDbook of a lifestyle for LIVEgevity, we hope to provide you with the information to extend your health span and hopefully your life span in the process. By transforming your lifestyle, you can live in a way that not only reduces your risk of developing life-limiting disease, but also extends the time until such a condition develops.

In the Blue Zones – areas of the world with the highest number of centenarians – people ultimately die of many of the same diseases as the rest of the world: cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory disease, infection, etc.² The difference is that these populations develop the conditions much later in life than most of the rest of the world. They develop the conditions later and are sicker for a shorter period of time before they die.

Our approach is not complicated. In fact, it is very basic. Just as children learn to count by using their fingers, the same method can be applied to learn how to craft a healthy lifestyle. We hope you use the information in this guide to recognize how the interplay between diet, sleep, movement, stress, and supplements and/or medical intervention can create for you a way of life that sustains your health long into the future.

1Katz, David L. Huffpost, 5 July 2010, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-cup-of-life-medical-s_b_617021. Accessed 16 Oct. 2023.

2Poulain, Michel, et al. Causes of Death and Exceptional Longevity in Ikaria and the Sardinian Blue Zone. https://reves.site.ined.fr/fichier/s_rubrique/25685/reves.2016.6.1.fr.pdf. Accessed 16 Oct. 2023.

1

DIET

All disease begins in the gut.

—HIPPOCRATES

The foundation of the hand of health starts with diet—what, when, and how you eat. The ingestion of food (eating) is the number one environmental influence on your body other than the air you breathe. The positive or negative impact of that food once you eat it is determined by multiple factors unique to everyone. But, perhaps, one of the most important impacts takes place in your microbiome—that internal ecosystem living in your gut, also known as the digestive tract. Before we explore food and dietary habits specifically, let’s take a closer look at that world living inside each one of us.

THE MICROBIOME

Your digestive tract is home to about 100 trillion bacteria (more than the stars in the galaxy) and an estimated 380 trillion viruses. In comparison, there are only around 37.2 trillion human cells in the body. So in reality, we have more bacteria and viruses than human cells in our body by an order of magnitude.

What we eat, when, and how all have an enormous influence on the microbiome. We receive our original inoculation of microbiome from the vaginal birth process and then from our mother’s milk. This foundational microbiome is our base bacterial population. It is then nourished and modified by internal and external factors and exposures. These organisms in our digestive tract carry out vital activities for our health.

For example, 85% of our immune system is located in our gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Our immune system is continuously communicating with our physiology by releasing messaging signals. These messaging signals may be inflammatory or anti-inflammatory in nature. A positive or negative immune response is then transmitted throughout the rest of the body. In other words, inflammation in the gut often gives rise to symptoms in other body systems.

The gut bacteria also signal the production of vitamins, particularly B vitamins. And, did you know that most of our neurotransmitters are made by bacteria in our intestinal tract and not in our brain? Signals from the types and number of bacteria can change the amount of brain chemicals produced (like serotonin, dopamine, GABA, etc.) to directly impact our ability to think and process as well as balance our emotional state. No wonder we call the gut our second brain!