Greene Bob W. - 20 years younger: look younger, feel younger, be younger!

In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the authors intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at permissions@hbgusa.com. Thank you for your support of the authors rights.

Copyright 2011 by Bob Greene Enterprises, Inc.

Cover design by Mario J. Pulice; Cover photographs Getty Images

Cover copyright 2012 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.

All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the authors intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at permissions@hbgusa.com. Thank you for your support of the authors rights.

Little, Brown and Company

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First e-book edition: April 2011

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This book is intended to supplement, not replace, the advice of a trained health professional. Before starting a diet plan, or beginning or modifying an exercise program, check with your physician to make sure that the changes are appropriate for you. If you know or suspect that you have a health problem, you should consult a health professional. The author and publisher specifically disclaim any liability, loss, or risk, personal or otherwise, which is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents of this book.

Illustrations by Molly Borman-Pullen

ISBN 978-0-316-18377-2

Its never been simpler to look, feel, and be 20 years younger.

Did you know that exercise helps keep cognitive skills sharp and lack of sleep makes you more prone to obesity? These are just two examples of how improving one body system can jump-start changes in another.

Bob Greenes cutting-edge program is built around four essential pillars:

Exercise: Fight muscle and bone loss, strengthen the core, and stay agile with a combination of strength training and aerobics.

Nutrition: A complete nutrition plan designed to promote longevity, including delicious recipes, menus, and advice on supplements.

Skin care: The three-step skin-care program will battle wrinkles and other age-related damage and restore the glow to your skin.

Sleep: Get a better nights sleep with this eleven-point plan; enjoy more energy, reduce your risk of disease, and more.

The science of aging has shown that incorporating these four pillars into your life can change your physiology, allowing you to significantly slow down age-related decline and function. Experience amazing changes to your body, mind, and spirit, and learn what it feels like to be 20 years younger!

The Life You Want: Get Motivated, Lose Weight, and Be Happy

The Best Life Diet

Bob Greenes Total Body Makeover

Get With the Program!

Make the Connection: Ten Steps to a Better Bodyand a Better Life

Keep the Connection: Choices for a Better Body and a Better Life

20 Years Younger Daily Journal: Your Day-by-Day Companion

Bob Greene is an exercise physiologist and certified personal trainer. He is the bestselling author of The Best Life Diet, Bob Greenes Total Body Makeover, and Get With the Program! and the coauthor of Make the Connection. He is also a contributing writer and editor for O, The Oprah Magazine and writes articles on health and fitness for Oprah.com. Harold A. Lancer, MD, is a Beverly Hills dermatologist. Ronald L. Kotler, MD, is cofounder of the Pennsylvania Hospital Sleep Disorders Center. Diane L. McKay, PhD, is a nutrition research scientist and assistant professor at Tufts University.

A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO , I spent part of the spring cycling my way across the country, riding from Long Beach, California, to New York City. It was something I had always wanted to do, and the opportunity presented itself when I was booked on a multicity tour to promote a book Id written. I knew that the 3,600-mile trip would be grueling, but I thought it would actually be less stressful than racing from one airport to another, which is how a typical book tour unfolds. To prepare, I trained hard so that Id be able to hit my target of riding about one hundred miles a day. I planned to sleep in a different town every night and visit bookstores, malls, and fitness centers in more than thirty cities along the way.

I wasnt far into the trip when I began to feel dramatic changes taking place. By the time I hit Arizona, I had a mental and emotional clarity that Id never before experienced. At times, Id be riding for eight hours or more with nothing but the sound of my own breathing and the beat of my heart in my ears. As I looked around me, colors seemed brighter, the world smelled fresher, sounds seemed sharper, the things I touched seemed more textured. All my senses were amplified. And nothing rattled menot a dog giving chase, rain on my back, a treacherous ascent. As my legs cycled rhythmically, the pedestrian concerns of the everyday slipped away and Id find my thinking stripped down to the essentials. I contemplated the scenery and I contemplated my life. What was important to me? What did I want out of life? While I was on that trip it all became so much clearer.

As I edged toward Chicago I became aware that I was also going through extraordinary physical changes. Id been hailed on at the Grand Canyon and twice climbed more than 11,000 feet in the still snowy Rockies, and I felt invincible, virtually bulletproof. Every night I slept like a rock. In my early forties at the time, I thought I was pretty fit going into the ride, but that extreme physical challenge left me much stronger than Id ever been in my life, even in my twenties.

While I knew riding cross-country would be a challenge and that Id come off the bike fitter than when I started, I hadnt realized how much the trip would transform me both physically and emotionally. I was particularly amazed at how clearheaded I felt. I was able to look at my life and see exactly where I wanted to go. By the time I reached the East Coast, I was operating on all cylinders and had regained (and even significantly surpassed) the strength, power, energy, lucidity, and drive of my earlier years.

Graduate students in exercise physiology learn about the anti-aging benefits of physical activity, and I was no exception. In fact, Id had a longtime interest in the science of aging and the prevention of age-related decline. But once my cross-country trip allowed me to see the possibilities for myself, I became passionate about the subject. It wasnt long after I completed that cross-country tour that I started exploring ideas for this book.

Its not practical for most people to get on a bike and ride for a month (its not something I could easily fit into my life anymore either), but I wondered if there were adjustments you could make to your everyday life that would have a similar de-aging, life-enhancing effect. I knew that a good fitness plan could go a long way toward turning back the clock, but what else was possible? To find out, I spent the next few years talking to experts in other fields, learning about the latest advances in anti-aging science and determining what aspects of that research could be translated into a workable plan for daily life.