Book Review: I’m Done Aging for Good

Reviewed by Kathy L. Brown

Like a pep talk from your enthusiastic personal trainer

I’m Done Aging for Good: How to Live Long and Healthy with an Age Reversing Diet offers tips and tricks to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle—and it’s all presented with an encouraging, can-do attitude.

This health nonfiction book shares university-level scholar-athlete Frederick Sabido’s thoughts and research on what practices add up to a healthy lifestyle. The book’s stated purpose is to empower its readers with the knowledge to lead a long, satisfying, and productive life.

After introductory chapters on the physiology of aging and natural history of common lifestyle disease processes (like heart disease and diabetes), the book is organized around specific areas of concern, such as sexuality, skin, hair, and types of intervention such as diet and exercise.

The first few chapters convey complex medical information in an academic voice, which, while clear, concise, and assured, may not be always accessible to the average reader. However, most of the book’s ideas are discussed simply and are easy to understand. Frequent use of the second person (“you”) establishes a personal relationship between the reader and the material. Thus, the voice is intimate and conversational, like a trusted mentor sharing their insights. For example, in the chapter discussing exercise, the book explains, “…after you spend a considerable amount of time exercising, there is a buildup of lactic acid in your muscles and tissues, which can be highly toxic for your body. This is what causes the soreness and muscle pain, and if it stays for long, it can cause permanent damage.”

At its core, the book is advice from a young person for other young people: Our modern, unhealthy habits lead to the long-term effects of myriad disease processes. Adopt a healthy lifestyle early on to avoid debilitating disease later. And people who have already experienced problems from poor diet or sedentary living are encouraged to make changes to improve their quality of life in the future.

“Even though life is hard sometimes, and you are bound to experience many rainy days, you have to stay consistent with your lifestyle changes…It is crucial, especially during bad times, to first and foremost look after yourself and make sure you don’t end up going down the self-destructive path.”

I’m Done Aging is geared toward people who are overwhelmed by the sheer number of competing health claims we read every day. Human anatomy and physiology basics provide context for the book’s healthy living advice. The emphasis is always on positive, reasonable practices and habits rather than the miracle-food-de-jour or latest exercise craze.

The book’s recommendations contain common advice: Don’t smoke. Maintain a healthy weight. Drink alcohol in moderation. Eat lean protein and vegetables. Tend to interpersonal relationships. The meat of the book is in the background details as to why these rules are important and how to go about incorporating them into daily life.

I’m Done Aging is prone to joking references about the elderly’s despair over the ravages of time on their crumbling bodies. Little research on how elderly people view their lives, their bodies, and their health is evident on these pages. Of course, it’s all in good fun and likely reflects how young people imagine they will feel in the future. However, fewer assumptions and more empathy might help the message resonant with a wider audience.

Readers interested in improved health over their lifespan will be drawn to this book. In addition to the title’s promise of an “Age-Reversing Diet,” it summaries a wide variety of health practices—from various food choices, exercise programs, and social support habits—that can be incorporated into a regimen worthwhile for the young and the not-so-young.

Genre: Nonfiction / Health & Fitness / Dieting

Print Length: 174 pages

ISBN: 979-8218030322

Purchase from Amazon

Thank you for reading Kathy L. Brown’s book review of I’m Done Aging for Good by Frederick Sabido! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.