Counter Clockwise: My Year of Hypnosis, Hormones, Dark Chocolate, and Other Adventures in the World of Anti-Aging

A bootcamp in Utah in 118-degree heat. A raw food diet. Hypnotic suggestions. A team of crack computer scientists who can age—and de-age—a face with the click of a mouse. The World Convention on Anti-Aging Medicine in Las Vegas (headlined by Suzanne Somers). These are just a few of the stops Lauren Kessler makes on her journey to reverse time from the inside out. At this moment, one in three Americans are entering midlife and many are wondering, ‘How did I get to be this old?’ Plenty will turn to miracle creams, injections, fillers, and surgery to reverse the hands oftime, but Kessler investigates the largely unexplored side of antiaging: what it takes to __be__ younger, not just __look__ younger. Guided by both intense curiousity and healthy skepticism, a sense of adventure, and a sense of humor, she investigates America’s youth obsession and decides, on a very personal level, what to do about it. She is at once the careful reporter, the immersion journalist, the self-designated lab rat, and a midlife woman who is not interested in being as old as her driver’s license insists she is. Kessler’s mission isn’t about vanity (well, maybe a little) but about discovering ways to maintain stamina, vitality, fortitude, and creativity right to the very end. In this age of lunchtime lifts, wrinkle-erasing injections, furrow fillers, and lip plumpers, there's no question that anyone who aims to look younger easily can. But Lauren Kessler wants something more than to follow the cosmetic path to youthfulness. She wants to live with energy, stamina, vitality, resilience, and health for a very, very long time. Her to reverse her biological age from the inside out. Guided by both intense curiosity and healthy skepticism, a sense of adventure and a sense of humor, Kessler sets out to discover just what's required to prolong those healthy, vital, and productive years called the "health span." In her yearlong journey, Kessler investigates and fully immerses herself in the hope and hype of the anti-aging movement. She delves into the new science of "biomarkers"objective, measurable indications of how old you really are on the insidegoing as far as getting a muscle biopsy to determine the state of her mitochondria, the parts of cells that control metabolism. She tries Tabata training, calorie restriction, a diet centered on 20 superfoods, hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), hypnosis to achieve a youthful mindset, and much more. In a voice that speaks to every woman who feels her date of birth and sense of self have little in common, Kessler explores her own fears, attitudes, and assumptions about aging. Counterclockwise is a thoughtful, hilarious, and informative tale of what's really possible when you get serious about taking charge of how well and how quickly you age. "A bootcamp in Utah in 118 degree heat. A raw food diet. Hypnotic suggestions. A team of crack computer scientists who can age and de-age a face with the click of a mouse. The World Convention on Anti-Aging Medicine in Las Vegas (headlined by Suzanne Somers). These are just a few of the stops Lauren Kessler makes on her journey to reverse time from the inside out. At this moment, one in three Americans are entering midlife and many are wondering, 'How did I get to be this old?', Plenty will turn to miracle creams, injections, fillers, and surgery to reverse the hands oftime, but Kessler investigates the largely unexplored side of antiaging: what it takes to be younger, not just look younger. Guided by both intense curiousity and healthy skepticism, a sense of adventure, and a sense of humor, she investigates America's youth obsession and decides, on a very personal level, what to do about it. She is at once the careful reporter, the immersion journalist, the self-designated lab rat, and a midlife woman who is not interested in being as old as her driver's license insists she is. Kessler's mission isn't about vanity (well, maybe a little) but about discovering ways to maintain stamina, vitality, fortitude, and creativity right to the very end"-- Provided by publisher At this moment, one in three Americans is entering midlife, and many are wondering, "How did I get to be this old?" Plenty will turn to miracle creams, injections, fillers, and surgery to reverse the hands of time, but Kessler investigates the largely unexplored side of anti-aging: what it takes to be younger, not just look younger. Guided by an open but pleasantly skeptical mind, a thirst for adventure, and a sense of humor, she investigates America's youth obsession and decides, on a very personal level, what to do about it. She is at once the careful reporter, the immersion journalist, the self-designated lab rat, and a midlife woman who is not interested in being as old as her driver's license insists she is. Counterclockwise is a lively quest to discover how to maintain stamina, vitality, fortitude, and creativity right to the very end. "The human smile is an anti-gravity device. Kessler's delightful, witty book actually takes 20 yearsoff your face!"—Mary Roach, author of Stiff and Gulp At this moment, one in three Americans is entering midlife, and many are wondering, "How did I get to be this old?" Plenty will turn to miracle creams, injections, fillers, and surgery to reverse the hands of time, but Kessler investigates the largely unexplored side of anti-aging: what it takes to be younger, not just look younger. Guided by an open but pleasantly skeptical mind, a thirst for adventure, and a sense of humor, she investigates America's youth obsession and decides, on a very personal level, what to do about it. She is at once the careful reporter, the immersion journalist, the self-designated lab rat, and a midlife woman who is not interested in being as old as her driver's license insists she is.Counterclockwise is a lively quest to discover how to maintain stamina, vitality, fortitude, and creativity right to the very end."The human smile is an anti-gravity device. Kessler's delightful, witty book actually takes 20 yearsoff your face!"0́4Mary Roach, author of Stiff and Gulp A frank, funny exploration of the anti-aging movement and what staying young really takes -- and means. A bootcamp in Utah in 118ʻ heat. A raw food diet. Hypnotic suggestions. A team of crack computer scientists who can age -- and de-age -- a face with the click of a mouse. The World Convention on Anti-Aging Medicine in Las Vegas (headlined by Suzanne Somers). These are just a few of the stops Lauren Kessler makes on her journey to reverse time from the inside out. At this moment, one in three Americans are entering midlife and many are wondering 'How did I get to be this old?' Plenty will turn to miracle creams, injections, fillers, and surgery to reverse the hands of time, but Kessler investigates the largely unexplored side of antiaging: what it takes to be younger, not just look younger. Guided by both intense curiosity and healthy skepticism, a sense of adventure, and a sense of humor, she investigates America's youth obsession and decides, on a very personal level, what to do about it At this moment, one in three Americans is entering midlife, and many are wondering, How did I get to be this old? Plenty will turn to miracle creams, injections, fillers, and surgery to reverse the hands of time, but Kessler investigates the largely unexplored side of anti-aging: what it takes to be younger, t just look younger. Guided by an open but pleasantly skeptical mind, a thirst for adventure, and a sense of humor, she investigates America's youth obsession and decides, on a very personal level, what to do about it. She is at once the careful reporter, the immersion journalist, the self-designated lab rat, and a midlife woman who is t interested in being as old as her driver's license insists she is. Counterclockwise is a lively quest to discover how to maintain stamina, vitality, fortitude, and creativity right to the very end. The human smile is an anti-gravity device. Kessler's delightful, witty book actually takes 20 years off your face! A Lighthearted Assessment Of The Anti-aging Movement As Experienced Firsthand By The Author Describes Her Experimentation With Methods Ranging From Cosmetics And Surgery To Hypnosis And Anti-aging Retreats, Offering Insight Into The Less-explored Aspects Of Actual Physical Youth Maintenance. By The Author Of My Teenage Werewolf. One woman's quest to halt the aging process. Wanting to forestall the effects of aging for as long as possible, the author used herself as a guinea pig to explore the myriad ways this can be done...to a certain extent.