Michael F. Roizen - YOU: The Owners Manual for Teens. A Guide to a Healthy Body and Happy Life

ALSO BY MICHAEL F. ROIZEN AND MEHMET C. OZ

YOU: Raising Your Child

YOU: Having a Baby

YOU: Being Beautiful

YOU: Staying Young

YOU: On a Diet

YOU: The Smart Patient

YOU: The Owners Manual

ALSO BY MICHAEL F. ROIZEN

The RealAge Workout: Maximum Health, Minimum Work

The RealAge Makeover:

Take Years off Your Looks and Add Them to Your Life

Cooking the RealAge Way:

Turn Back Your Biological Clock with More Than 80 Delicious and Easy Recipes

The RealAge Diet: Make Yourself Younger with What You Eat

RealAge: Are You as Young as You Can Be?

ALSO BY MEHMET C. OZ

Healing from the Heart:
A Leading Surgeon Combines Eastern and Western Traditions
to Create the Medicine of the Future

Free Press
A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com

Copyright 2011 by Michael F. Roizen, MD, and Oz Works, LLC

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Free Press Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.

First Free Press hardcover edition June 2011

FREE PRESS and colophon are trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Roizen, Michael F.
You, the owners manual for teens / Michael F. Roizen, Mehmet C. Oz, and Ellen Rome ;
with Ted Spiker... [et al.] ; illustrations by Gary Hallgren.
p. cm.
1. TeenagersHealth and hygiene. 2. Adolescent psychology. I. Oz, Mehmet, 1960
II. Rome, Ellen. III. Title.
RA777.R64 2011
613.0433dc22 2011009184

ISBN 978-0-7432-9258-0
ISBN 978-0-7432-9259-7 (ebook)

For teens everywhere
you are the future and always will be.

This publication contains the opinions and ideas of its authors. It is intended to provide helpful and informative material on the subjects addressed in the publication. It is sold with the understanding that the authors and publisher are not engaged in rendering medical, health, or any other kind of personal professional services in the book. The reader should consult his or her medical, health, or other competent professional before adopting any of the suggestions in this book or drawing inferences from it.

The authors and publisher specifically disclaim all 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.

I f we gave you three minutes to scribble down a list of the most important things in your life, we suspect youd pop in your earbuds, dial up some of your favorite music, and scratch down a few answers that look something like this:

Your friends and family

The boy or girl you like

Having cool clothes

School

Making it through your math test tomorrow

Staying zit free

Making the soccer team

Unlimited texting plans

Excellent list. No quibbles from us whatsoever. Though the specifics may change from person to person, theres no doubt that your prioritiesrelationships, performance, appearanceare the priorities of virtually everybody else your age. But if youd allow us to make a small adjustment to whatever list you came up with, wed like to squeeze in one more word:

You.

Chances are, you think that youand all the things that make up you, like your healthare about as sexy a topic as the history of the pencil, but were here to flip that notion upside its head, beat it with a stethoscope, and show you something you may never have thought of before: Your body is the vehicle you need to fulfill every wish that you have, and keeping it healthy will make it more likely that youll succeed in fulfilling those wishes. What were talking about here is more than just the bodily functions that you may normally associate with the word health. When we talk about health, we mean your brain, your relationships, your feelings, your identity, and your mood, as well as those bodily functionsall the things that make you feel the way you feel, think the way you think, and act the way you act.

Take a few minutes each day to focus on the health of your body and mind, and youll be raring to go after what you want in lifewhether its having great relationships, getting into a college you want, or following your dreams to become the next Beyonc, the next Peyton Manning, the next Chris Rock, the next J. K. Rowling, the next Steve Jobs, the next great teacher, software engineer, doctor, parent, or whatever it is you want to be.

This book is going to answer three big questions: Am I normal? Am I liked/loved? Who am I? What may surprise you is that each one of those questions (and the many answers that come with them) has everything to do with your health.

Your health is about becoming you.

Rest assured: Were not here to preach to you about the dangers of getting heart disease down the road or how to make sure that you dont need a hip replacement when youre a grandparent. Were here to talk to you about your body, your issues, and your questionsthe stuff that concerns you today. The great side effect, of course, is that taking control of your body now will give you the foundation for leading a long and healthy life.

To help us understand your most burning questions, we got intel from Health-Corps a national organization modeled on the Peace Corps that sends recent college grads into high schools around the country to help teens realize how fascinating their bodies are. Health-Corps mentors teach adolescents not only how to improve their bodies through healthy eating habits and exercise but also how to develop the mental skills and strategies they need to navigate day-to-day challenges as well as prepare for the future. The aim of this book is to provide you with all the information you need to thrive, to grow, to splash around in the pool of life and have one heckuva great time.

So what are we going to talk about? You mean, besides guys, girls, and sex? Well also cover the questions that you most want answered:

How to get more sleep and have more energy

How to improve your memory

How to improve the appearance and health of your skin

How to figure out whether youre in loveand how to maintain great relationships, romantic and otherwise