Interview with Doctor Gilles Lapointe

The secret is in your philosophy. People often race through their daily lives. This hectic lifestyle causes people to neglect important health factors like sleep and nutrition.

To better adapt to this hectic lifestyle, people need advice. I invite them to become aware of their needs. Even though the advice is based on common sense, it is difficult to put into practice. Human beings have this ability to lie to themselves. For example, people say they eat well. If you ask a diabetic to choose between a 600-calorie piece of cake and a 100-calorie fruit plate, he'll say, "I know myself, I'll have both," even though he should only have the fruit. If, on top of this, he says he does not have time to go for a walk afterwards, but he does have time to watch television, that means he's not taking his situation seriously. Human beings are inclined to make excuses.

When people start asking others to repeat what they have said or pretend to understand, they must see a hearing health professional. If they need hearing aids, it is important that they get them. They don't make you dependent; they make you independent. It's just like wearing glasses when you can't see, or using a cane when you have osteoarthritis or knee pain.

This book is about what is happening in modern society, for example in terms of progress and anxiety. Can human beings cope with such progress? We always tend to cross the line; we can't help ourselves. We invent new technologies and use them without taking a step back to see whether certain things may be bad for us. For example, texting all day long is a bad habit, as is cutting back on the more important things in life, like outdoor activities, because we are short on time. Stress and anxiety make people a lot sicker than sickness itself. Sleep, nutrition, exercise and stress management are fundamental to good health.