I just finished reading the book: “Drop Dead Healthy: One Man’s Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection” by Esquire editor, A.J. Jacobs. I was intrigued about the book when I read a quick soundbite from A.J himself in Shelf Awareness about his new book. He takes two years to make his body healthy, one body part at a time. Here is the soundbite from Shelf Awareness:

“Writing at .7 MPH

I predict that this essay will take a bit less than a mile and a bit more than 90 calories to write.

To explain: I’m writing this piece while strolling on my treadmill. As part of my new book, Drop Dead Healthy, which chronicles my quest to be as healthy as humanly possible, I joined the small but growing club of treadmill desk devotees. I perch my laptop (a bit precariously, I must admit) on top of my treadmill’s display panel, and tap tap tap away as I walk at a molasses-like .7 miles per hour.

I do this because of the alarming number of studies that say that extended sitting is terrible for your heart. As in eating-Paula-Deen-bacon-doughnuts terrible. At first, I thought treadmill writing would be distracting. But it’s actually easy (and believe me, I am far from coordinated). It’s also strangely energizing: walking raises your brain’s serotonin level, which helps with focus. I can’t yet tell if my walking is affecting my writing. Do these sentences feel more kinetic? I’ll leave that for you to judge.”

For those of you that work from home or telecommute, let me know if you rig a treadmill desk and if it makes you feel more focused, that you accomplish more and if it was worth the effort. One excerpt from his book (again broken down with each chapter on a different body part), was on his nose, he talks about snoring and how it is taking over marriages. For many snoring can be because of your nasal passages, your weight, and multiple other issues. I found this quote to be interesting information:

“A couple of months ago, The New York Times ran an article about separate-at-night couples. We’re part of the trend. A survey by the National Association of Home Builders says 60 percent of custom homes will have dual master bedrooms by 2015.” page 259

Who knew snoring had such an effect on families that it is changing the way homes are being built! You will find many more interesting details on health in his book. He does not side with the über organics or the sugar fiends. He tries it all and finds what feels right for him. A.J. Jacobs has written a few books and he does not just write them. He lives them. In his book: “A Year of Living Biblically,” he spent a year attempting to live every rule in the Bible literally. Another book called: “The Know-It-All” where he takes a year to read the Encyclopedia from A-Z. You can read more about his books on his website.

I highly recommend “Drop Dead Healthy.” It is a quick read, sprinkled with witty humor, and contains interesting information about health that you might want to look into for yourself.