Years ago when I was in my thirties, when someone asked me how old I was, I always said, forty-five. When I finally reached forty-five and was asked, I also said fifty-eight. I usually received a statement about how good I looked for my age. Now that I'm in my sixties, I say I am in my seventies. You might ask me why because most women never tell their real age, but unlike others, I go up, rather say that I am younger. I do this because the older I get, the more I realize that age is a state of mind. However, aging comes with its aches and pains. Today's author interview with Dr. Zeev Gilkis, author of "Running Back in Time: Discovering the Formula to Beat the Aging Process and Get Younger," is perfect reading for me, and for you who are chasing the eternal Fountain of Youth. Take a look and meet Dr. Zeev Gilkis in today's author interview.
Running Back in Time: Discovering the Formula to Beat the Aging Process and Get Younger (Younger Than Ever Book 2)
by Dr. Zeev Gilkis (Author)
Dream
big. Set ambitious goals. Attain unusual achievements.
At the age of 68,
while still recovering from his second knee injury, Dr. Zeev Gilkis decided to
give himself an unusual present for his 70th birthday.
He dreamed of running
a full Marathon, and completing the seventh decade of his life seemed to him
the ideal timing to do so.
Perhaps this ambitious
goal wouldn’t have been so unusual, had he been a very physically active person
in his younger years. But Zeev is a cancer survivor who began his ‘career’ in
sports relatively late, in his mid-sixties.
As two years is a long
time, he set a milestone for his 69th birthday: to go mid-way - running a half
marathon.
Along with his plans
and dreams he kept a diary where he recorded the ups and downs, practical tips
and original thoughts that crossed his mind in this long, challenging journey.
Join Zeev in this
adventure and discover that age doesn't matter. You too can achieve anything
you truly dream of.
In his first two
books: Unlock Bliss, A Memoir of Getting Happier and The Secret of
Life, A Memoir of Getting Younger, Dr. Zeev Gilkis shares with readers
the story of his struggle with cancer, some important and original thoughts and
insights into life and happiness, such as that “Age doesn’t matter!” among many
others.
In a very simple
writing style, he describes some of the key processes in the brain, the role of
the immune system and how to care for it, the story of how he got into sports
in his sixties, and much more good stuff.
Product Details
·
Item
Weight: 14.1 ounces
·
Hardcover: 216 pages
·
ISBN-10: 9655751597
·
ISBN-13: 978-9655751598
·
Product Dimensions : 5.5 x
0.56 x 8.5 inches
·
Publisher: ZEEV
GILKIS (May 20, 2020)
Tell us a bit about yourself.
Originally I was a mathematician. Nobody is perfect…
But the stars were with me, and
LIFE offered me several opportunities.
I took them all; serving in the
mythological 8200 Unit of the Israeli Intelligence, senior positions in
high-tech and Venture Capital, and the last, most surprising – establishing and
leading an Institute for Biomedical Development.
In parallel, discovering the
“inner world” by practicing yoga and meditation.
My message: LIFE offers us some
opportunities, usually not too many.
It’s up to us whether we take them or prefer to stay in our comfort zone.
When you’re not preparing for marathons, writing, and training, what are your interests and hobbies?
My primary interest is neuroscience. I’m fascinated with the processes in the brain. My Ph.D. thesis was about the learning process, and now I’m building models for other processes. But it’s probably a topic for another interview😊
To keep my brain in reasonable shape, I also play bridge and chess. Once, in the far past, I played in tournaments, but nowadays, everything is online…
What was your inspiration for writing Running Back in Time?
On my 68th birthday, I set for myself the goal to run a full marathon on my 70th birthday and took the courage to announce it (!), so now I have to do it…
I strongly believed that I’d make it, despite I was just recovering from my second serious knee injury, and was told by two orthopedists to stop running. But it was also very clear to me that it will not be straightforward, and I’ll have to overcome many obstacles.
I thought that sharing these experiences may inspire others to set ambitious goals and go for it. Setting a goal is motivating and causes us to take out from ourselves the best!
How long did it take you to write the book?
I write one book per year. It would be too difficult for me to do it in a shorter time, as I want to enjoy life and to do many other things in parallel. But on the other hand, more than that seems too long for me. So, I set to myself the one-year-deadline😊
What propels you to focus on your
health as much as you do?
This is a great and so important question. Many times we appreciate the health only when something goes wrong. It also happened to me when I was diagnosed with an advanced stage cancer.
Since then, I believe that the best medicine is preventive medicine: the right nutrition, physical activity, positive approach, and more. I write about it in all my books.
It’s not only for me. It’s also for the family. I had to take care of my parents were they became very sick in their last years. I don’t want to be a burden on my family.
And of course, being perfectly healthy is a great feeling
and enables me to do many things and realize my dreams. Like taking a free
diving course three months ago😊
I was the oldest free-diving student they ever had😊😊
What kinds of books do you read?
I
don’t read much. Still don’t have enough free time😊
I usually
read only books, which I believe can teach me something.
I believe we
all are in an ongoing process of personal evolution. We can continually improve
in all aspects (“get better each day”…), but for that, we need to learn and
implement what we learned.
It’s worth
the investment.
When
I read, it’s more like studying. I love to learn; neuroscience, physiology,
psychology, and more. Learning a new thing causes me joy and elation.
I
would mention a few books, which had a major influence on me & my life:
BORN TO RUN,
Christopher McDougall
HOW TO STOP WORRYING
AND START LIVING, Dale Carnegie
ZEN & THE ART OF
MOTOCYCLE MAINTENANCE, Robert Pirsig
SIDDHARTHA, Herman
Hesse
THE PILGRIMAGE, Paulo Coelho. I loved it even more than “The Alchemist.” In this book, he demonstrates beautifully that the journey toward a goal is much more important than achieving the goal!
Tell us about your current writing projects?
I’m in the middle of
my fourth book, a continuation of running Back in Time, and plan to submit it
for editing in March next year, so it takes a significant chunk of my time.
My observations and
conclusions about what happens in our brain will be the subject of my fifth
book. It will be in a “popular science” language.
BTW, I touch some of
these issues in Unlock Bliss.
And I maintain a diary, so much happens in my life… recommend very much to everybody. Not necessary daily. I usually summarize a week or so, including photos.
Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
Yes. Sometimes writing may be frustrating. But it’s worth the effort!
Do you have any advice for people who are middle-aged and sedentary?
Yes, definitely!
The message is that
physical activity is for everyone at any age. It can be almost effortless,
becoming a source of joy and satisfaction, while dramatically improving the
quality of life and physical health.
It’s also the best remedy to prevent any mental health issues in the future.
The activity doesn’t have to be intensive, and the motto is that “even a
little is a lot!” The idea is that it is much easier to persist when we do a
little, and what is essential is to be physically active in the long run as
long as we live.
The beginning can be 10 min/day.
Sport activities are strengthening the immune system; therefore, they are the best preventive medicine for the COVID-19.
All in all, the best
investment in health, in our quality of life, and in our future – to grow old
with health and vitality.
Age doesn’t matter!
The beautiful quote below is attributed to Benjamin Franklin: “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”
How can potential readers get in touch with you?
I always reply to e-mails (zeev.gilkis@yahoo.com). Sometime it may take me a few days, but I don’t leave anyone w/o a reply.
Where can they buy your book?
All my books are available on Amazon. The simplest is to type the name of the series: Younger Than Ever, and all three will show
