It’s getting chilly out there, which of course means ’tis the season for colds and flu. But it doesn’t have to be—not if you’re armed with The Secrets of People Who Never Get Sick! Gene Stone’s new book reveals the surprising and sometimes unorthodox ways that twenty-five perpetually healthy people stay that way. From yoga to yogurt, from chicken soup to cold showers, and even the power of a positive attitude, the people who never get sick all swear by their individual methods.
Think you know the secrets of people who never get sick? How prepared are you for this year’s flu season? Take the quiz below to test your knowledge! (Hint: You may want to watch Gene’s appearance on Fox and Friends first…)
1. According to the book, which of the following is NOT a secret of people who never get sick?
A. Dousing one’s head in hydrogen peroxide
B. Eating nothing that ever had a face or a mother
C. Avoiding food that has dirt on it
D. Munching on a raw clove of garlic
2. Blue Zones are places in the world where most people are unusually healthy. Which of the following is NOT home to a Blue Zone?
A. A suburb of Los Angeles
B. An idyllic spot in Greece
C. A peninsula in Central America
D. An arctic village in Sweden
3. Which of these terms means “diseases that can be caught from animals?”
A. Zoonoses
B. Neuroses
C. Toxoplasmosis
D. Giardia
4. Mysophobia is a condition characterized by the fear of:
A. mice.
B. facial hair.
C. germs.
D. secrets.
5. The following herbs have all been shown to aid health except:
A. cayenne pepper.
B. ginseng.
C. cinnamon.
D. none of the above; all of these are beneficial.
6. The following odd treatments have been or are currently being investigated for their health benefits. Which one has now been approved by the FDA?
A. Urine therapy (drinking one’s own urine)
B. Maggot therapy (using maggots to heal wounds)
C. Wearing copper bracelets (for curing arthritis)
D. Trepanation (drilling a hole in one’s head)
7. One of the worst things you can do for your health is to:
A. sit still for more than 45 minutes.
B. pick your nose.
C. take more than one nap a day.
D. have sex.
8. Prior to 1847, vegetarians were called:
A. Pythagoreans.
B. vegebites.
C. rosicrucians.
D. lunatics.
9. True or false? Much proof exists that all the following can help either ward off or relieve the symptoms of a cold.
– vitamin C
– vitamin D
– zinc
– Echinacea
How do you think you did? Check your answers below to find out how much you know about staying healthy—and how much you have to learn.
Answers:
- C. In fact, the opposite is true: Being exposed to a little dirt every now and then can help bolster your immune system.
- D. Oddly, none of the six Blue Zones discovered so far are in northern climates.
- A. Zoonoses can be dangerous, but a well cared-for dog or cat shouldn’t cause any problems.
- C. Mysophobes are people who are terrified of catching colds from other people’s germs. Famous mysophobes include Howard Hughes, Glenn Gould, Andy Warhol, and Howie Mandel. And by the way, the fear of facial hair is called “pogonophobia.”
- D. All of them are beneficial, plus hundreds more. Add herbs and spices to your diet!
- B. Maggots can clean and heal wounds as well as—if not better than—man-made preparations. Trepanation, however, is no longer practiced.
- A. Studies show that sitting still for more than 45 minutes is highly injurious to your health. However, some scientists say picking your nose might actually be good for you. Taking two naps is also beneficial, as long as they aren’t more than an hour each. Having sex, too, seems to be good for you, especially for your heart.
- A. The great Greek philosopher Pythagoras was history’s first vegetarian. (Some meat-eaters may feel D is correct as well.)
- False. There is some evidence supporting the efficacy of all the above, but the jury’s still out on whether any of it can make a huge difference to your health. That said, many people swear by vitamin C, including Susan Rennau, whose secret is #24 in the book!
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