Contents
Guide
No one likes a know-it-all. Most of us realize theres no such thinghow could there be? The world is far too complicated for someone to understand everything there is to know. So when you come across a know-it-all, you smile to yourself as they ramble on because you know better.
You understand that the quest for knowledge is a never-ending one, and youre okay with that. You have no desire to know everything, just the next thing. You know what you dont know, youre confident enough to admit it, and youre motivated to do something about it.
At Idiots Guides, we, too, know what we dont know, and we make it our business to find out. We find really smart people who are experts in their fields and then we roll up our sleeves and get to work, asking lots of questions and thinking long and hard about how best to pass along their knowledge to you in the easiest, most-accessible way possible.
After all, thats our promiseto make whatever you want to learn As Easy as It Gets. That means giving you a well-organized design that seamlessly and effortlessly guides you from page to page, topic to topic. It means controlling the pace youre asked to absorb new informationnot too much at once but just what you need to know right now. It means giving you a clear progression from easy to more difficult. It means giving you more instructional steps wherever necessary to really explain the details. And it means giving you fewer words and more illustrations wherever its better to show rather than tell.
So here you are, at the start of something new. The next chapter in your quest. It can be an intimidating place to be, but youve been here before and so have we. Clear your mind and turn the page. By the end of this book, you wont be a know-it-all, but your world will be a little less complicated than it was before. And well be sure your journey is as easy as it gets.
Mike Sanders
Publisher, Idiots Guides
ALPHA BOOKS
Published by Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
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Copyright 2014 by Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
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IDIOTS GUIDES and Design are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
International Standard Book Number: 978-1-4093-4423-0
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2013945261
16 15 14 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Interpretation of the printing code: The rightmost number of the first series of numbers is the year of the books printing; the rightmost number of the second series of numbers is the number of the books printing. For example, a printing code of 14-1 shows that the first printing occurred in 2014.
Printed in the United States of America
Note: This publication contains the opinions and ideas of its authors. It is intended to provide helpful and informative material on the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the authors and publisher are not engaged in rendering professional services in the book. If the reader requires personal assistance or advice, a competent professional should be consulted. The authors and publisher specifically disclaim any responsibility for 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.
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Publisher:Mike Sanders
Executive Managing Editor:Billy Fields
Senior Acquisitions Editor:Tom Stevens
Development Editorial Supervisor:Christy Wagner
ProductionEditor:Jana M. Stefanciosa
CoverDesigner:Rebecca Bachelor
BookDesigner:William Thomas
Indexer:Angie Martin
Layout:Ayanna Lacey
Proofreader:Laura Caddell
To my wife, Sophie, who has taught me the importance of healthy food. Christopher
Foreword
Although we all strive to be healthy, in todays world, countless medical missiles can be launched at us at any timethings like heart disease, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and high cholesterol. While many diseases and conditions have specific treatments that can come in the form of a pill, or a needle, or a surgically guided laser, theres one prescription that serves as the foundation treatment for so many of todays frustrating and debilitating health problems: a healthy diet and exercise program.
Although many of us are so used to hinging our entire health picture on a number thats culled from a blood test or the one that scares us on the scale, medical science has identified a critical risk factor for heart disease and other major diseases: inflammation. Its not the kind thats associated with a swollen lip or sprained ankle, but the kind that happens inside your body. A natural bodily process that helps fight disease and infections, inflammation can also damage your body if it exists over a long enough time. Dr. Cannons research has suggested that controlling inflammation can lead to a lower risk of heart attacks.