Sher - Your best health ever! : the cardiologist’s surprisingly simple guide to what really works

REVIEWERS & READERS SAY...

This is the book I wish every doctor would read and implement with their patients.

Melissa Hartwig, The Whole30 New York Times bestselling author

Very informative and motivating. From introducing the science of what goes into making health decisions to practical applications of this science, everyone can benefit from incorporating these principles. I definitely recommend this for everyones must read list.

John Pauls, M.D., Ph.D.

Through this unassuming guide to wellness, Dr. Scher provides professional guidance that effectively promotes change in habits and routine to live a healthier life. His book is a tremendous opportunity to redefine your life. Learn to embrace your best self and your lifes journey.

Eryn Ann Bannister, Doctor of Physical Therapy

Dr Schers trend-bucking book provides an honest, straightforward and comprehensive framework for health. I think the book is really all anyone needs to get healthy; honestly, there werent too many surprises in this book, at least for me. You also may know a lot of what is in this book. But what you know is worthless until you put it into action, and thats where this book excels. Dr. Scher gives you eminently doable tasks each week, which prevents you from becoming overwhelmed and giving up.

Editor/Physician, HormonesDemystified.com

Your Best Health Ever! cuts through the confusing medical language and healthcare jargon and allows readers to get to the root of what is ailing them in an easy-to-understand way. Highly recommended.

Cynthia Muchnick, educator

Copyright 2017 by Bret Scher

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

For permission requests, contact the publisher at .

Ordering Information

Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the publisher at the address above.

Printed in the United States of America

First Printing 2017

ISBN 978-0-692-85281-1

www.DrBretScher.com

DISCLAIMER

Information in this book is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. You should not use this book alone to diagnose or treat a health problem, or as advice to start or stop any medication or other treatment.

Opinions expressed in this book are mine alone and are not meant to represent those of any group or organization with which I am affiliated.

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to all my mentors and teachersthose who helped instill in me the joy of learning, and the power to realize I can make a difference in peoples lives by helping them learn to be better. Dr. Stan Amundson, the late Dr. Ted Heffernan, Dr. Ada Wolfson and my other colleagues at Scripps Mercy residency program. Dr. Mimi Guarneri, Dr. Dave Rubenson and other mentors and teachers in the Scripps Clinic cardiology fellowship program.

And, of course, to my family. My wife and two sons, who teach me what is truly important in life, and who inspire me to be better every day. And my parents, whose unconditional love and support helped make me who I am today.

Thank you all!

ABOUT BRET SCHER, M.D.

I admit it: I am a card-carrying preventive cardiologist. But if youre expecting me to recommend a fistful of prescriptions or surgery to help you reach your best health ever, youre in for a pleasant surprise.

(Unless, of course, you enjoy funding the healthcare industry.)

Like many of you, when I was growing up I never had to worry about my health, or my weight, or fitness, or what I ate. My dad always worked out, and as a kid, Id tag along to the gym with him. As time passed, I moved on from gym workouts to cycling, swimming, running, and by my twenties, competing in Ironman triathlons before they were even popular.

Then, real life happened. I graduated from Stanford University and entered Ohio State Universitys medical school, followed by my internal medicine residency and a fellowship in cardiology at Scripps Clinic under Dr. Mimi Guarneris direction.

Those gym visits, long runs and bike rides became a struggle to maintain. Finding time to eat well, stay active, get enough sleep, and handle the stress of a high-stakes job became a constant presence in my life.

At the same time, working with Dr. Guarneri accelerated the transformation of my thinking about medicine. I began to see new ways to combine cardiology and preventive medicine into the emerging specialty of integrative medicine. This approach treats the patient as a whole person, not just a collection of risk factors.

When I established my own cardiology practice as part of a large, well-known health system in San Diego a few years later, I saw the difficulties we all face in leading healthy lives and the consequences that result. It was clear to me that our healthcare system is full of people suffering from completely preventable diseases.

Suddenly, I had a clear mission: to empower all my patients to help themselves, by making the best-informed choices possible about everything from food to activity to sleep to stress management, every single day. After all, the best way to treat someone is to prevent the need for treatment in the first place.

Ive since studied extensively in the areas of functional medicine, personal fitness training, and nutrition, adding those certifications to my credentials as a physician. That broadened my perspective, inspiring the development of the six building blocks that form the basis of my lifestyle medicine practice and this book.

It is my mission to provide a roadmap to the simple, fact-based principles that offer us a lifetime of wellbeing and a path to your best health ever.

THE CARDIOLOGISTS SURPRISINGLY SIMPLE GUIDE TO WHAT REALLY WORKS

Are you healthy? Do you want to be healthy? Do we even know what being healthy means?

These seemingly simple questions are surprisingly difficult to answer.

As a cardiologist and practicing physician for over 15 years, Ive seen thousands of patients, most of whom couldnt easily answer these questions.

Yet almost universally, we want to feel better, have more energy, reduce our risk of chronic diseases, and enjoy our time with our loved ones more.

On the surface, those goals dont seem so difficult.

Yet in our society, they can often seem impossible.

Im here to tell you that being healthy is a very achievable goal. The path to reaching that goal is an intricate mix of knowledge, motivation, and resilience, all of which I hope to share with you.

Close your eyes (I know its hard to do when reading, but figuratively close your eyes) and picture that classic movie scene: someone running through a flowery meadow on a warm, sunny day, without a care, light on her feet, gentle breezes and the fragrance of spring in the air.

Now imagine that person is you, running lightly through the flowers, smiling and enjoying the sun as you go.

Open your eyes. What did you look like? What did your body look like? How much would you guess you weighed? How did your bones, joints and muscles feel as you ran through the meadow?