Over 50? Here's how to boost your immunity and keep viruses away

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Take your health seriously and reap the benefits for COVID times and beyond. (Photo: Getty)
Take your health seriously and reap the benefits for COVID times and beyond. (Photo: Getty)

There’s nothing like a global pandemic to get you thinking about your overall health.

‘Immunity’ is the word on everyone’s lips right now, and, according to world-renowned doctor Frank Lipman, a strong immune system is within reach. Lipman, a New York City doctor and bestselling author whose patient roster includes Donna Karan and Bobbi Brown, has made it a mission to help the over-50 crowd face the current moment.

His brand new book, The New Rules of Aging Well: A Simple Program for Immune Resilience, Strength, and Vitality, is available now as an e-book. You can read it on your tablet or phone with the Kindle App—or, of course, on a Kindle. This book is the tool we all need right now: a smart, straightforward guide that speaks directly to the question: How can I build a strong immune system?

Essential reading for COVID times: This cutting-edge Kindle book helps you boost immunity and overall health.
Essential reading for COVID times: This cutting-edge Kindle book helps you boost immunity and overall health.

The Kindle edition is packed with clear, actionable advice for building a strong immune system, losing weight, feeling younger and aging beautifully—which, as it turns out, are all related. As in, if you treat your body well and follow his simple program, all of the above benefits show up.

Small changes with big impact

Shower power: Going from hot to cold water has a positive impact on your cells. (Photo: Gentl & Hyers)
Shower power: Going from hot to cold water has a positive impact on your cells. (Photo: Gentl & Hyers)

We were surprised by some of the advice in the book, because it’s so…easy. Lipman talks a lot about strengthening the powerhouses of your cells through ‘small stresses.’ This can mean running up a flight of stairs or simply switching temperatures radically—say, ending a hot shower with 30 seconds or so of a bracing cold rinse. Believe it or not, this makes for a stronger system.

The easiest way to lose weight

Eat delicious food while dropping pounds. This Kindle book tells you how. (Photos: Gentl & Hyers)
Eat delicious food while dropping pounds. This Kindle book tells you how. (Photos: Gentl & Hyers)

Fasting turns out to be a big deal, and though we’ve heard a lot about fasting before, we’ve never seen it explained this well. The short version is that regular fasts—14 or 16 hours between dinner in the evening and your next meal—is an easy and fairly effortless way to drop pounds, improve sleep and strengthen many systems in the body, including the immune system. We had no idea.

Crystal-clear advice on food, CBD, supplements and more

Enjoy the view: Relaxation and self-care play into immunity. (Photo: Gentl & Hyers)
Enjoy the view: Relaxation and self-care play into immunity. (Photo: Gentl & Hyers)

The New Rules of Aging Well is full of good news, like the fact that a cup or two of coffee isn’t bad for you and even has some mild benefits. (Spoiler alert: Tea is the superstar of morning drinks—it’s packed with anti-aging benefits). This book is full of surprises, showing you the shortest distance between you and optimal health, including:

  • How you can use CBD (Cannabidiol) instead of so many other things in your medicine cabinet—meds you might think are not harming you but could, in fact, be causing all sorts of side effects that pile up over time.

  • Why it’s fine—and even better—not to eat before exercising in the morning.

  • Clarity about tricky things like eggs (are they good or bad?), salt (it’s not necessarily the quantity, but the type that can be trouble) and sugar (agave and honey are basically just as damaging to your body).

  • How to take care of your feet daily, so they don’t ache as you get older.

  • A clear list of supplements for building immune resilience and supporting longevity—and the doctor’s levels and dosages, which may be more forward-thinking than those you’ve heard before.

There’s even great sections on the importance of certain ‘soft factors’ to health—caring for a cat or a dog can be a serious boost to wellness. Hanging with your friends is critical (doctor’s orders). Nature and laughter and intimacy are excellent medicine. This doctor speaks to your whole life and your overall wellness, not just the medical side of things.

And even though the advice in this e-book is straightforward and direct, The New Rules of Aging Well is encouraging and supportive, with gorgeous photos that make the experience of reading it a pleasure. You can sort of see the life you’re moving toward, in the photos.

For only $13, this e-book just might change your perspective on this crazy time we’re living through—reframing it as a call to action, a time to build strength and immunity and become the best version of yourself. Grab a friend, and jump in together. There’s a lot of uncertainty in the world right now—this is one thing we know will make you feel better.

All photos excerpted from The New Rules of Aging Well by Frank Lipman, MD, and Danielle Claro (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2020.

The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.

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