
We age like a book and advance, hopefully, toward maturity through the rise and fall of the turning pages of our lives. Consequently, when members of the West Maui Book Club come together to discuss a novel, we’ll often share\ relevant chapters of our personal stories. For us, this is the greatest benefit of all.
Kelli Lundgren, a member since 2013, says, “Since joining, I’ve listened to stories of personal travel to South America and Malaysia. Members shared accounts of being stranded in politically tense areas of the world and in compelling cultural and political experiences.” It “stirs the soul.”
Mihaela Stoops, a member since 2011, adds, “This book club satisfies my need to have an intelligent conversation. It stimulates and challenges me, makes me learn new things and gives me new perspectives.” It’s “awesome.”
Victoria Caputo, a member since 2010, says that at any age, a book club provides brain wellness through conversation and critical thinking.
And according to Diane Pure, an original member in 2005, the West Maui Book Club creates a sense of community and support for one another. She enjoys sharing social time with talented women from different life and work experiences.
Yes, we love to read and discuss our book selections, but sharing relevant wisdom gained through the saga of our lives is the greatest benefit of any book club. So why not join one and experience how your gained insights can help others? In return, expect your life to be enhanced by other members in new and thought-provoking ways.
“There are no faster or firmer friendships than those formed between people who love the same books.” — Irving Stone
WEST MAUI BOOK CLUB
www.westmauibookclub.com
Info@westmauibookclub.com


Statistics show that a majority of U.S. patients who require an amputation are age 65 and older. Amputation will likely intensify feelings of dependency, depression and helplessness: I’m too old now to learn to live without a limb. Who cares anyway? Who knows how many years I have to live?
If truth is stranger than fiction, then this book is the strangest you will ever read. James Dooley, a former investigative reporter for The Honolulu Advertiser, KITV 4 News and Hawaii Reporter, details public corruption and criminality in Hawai‘i during the 70’s and 80’s. A lot of Dooley’s sleuthing formed the basis of the original essay called “Broken Trust,” printed in the old Honolulu Star-Bulletin and later published as a book. Dooley’s gripping memoirs of ties among celebrities, Teamsters, politicians and judges weaves a broad web of “how things were done in Hawai‘i.”
911 dispatchers need callers to give them vital information so they may dispatch EMTs and Firemen to emergencies. Many victims cannot give proper information: little children, victims of heart attacks and strokes, people who are choking, people who don’t speak English, or cannot hear what 911 is asking. Dispatchers lose precious minutes attempting to find out a callers’ exact location and information. With Smart911, they already know where you are and what medications you take. For elderly persons living alone, Smart911 is a very important breakthrough.
When it comes to Alzheimer’s disease, anything that offers hope gets attention. Dr. Blake analyses the latest scientific information and results from his clinical trials with Alzheimer’s patients at Hawaii Pacific Neuroscience Institute on O‘ahu, and dishes us up a simple diet — berries, green vegetables, nuts and beans — to prevent and slow the progression of Alzheimer’s and related dementia. The subject is rocket science, but his book is easy to understand. Learn how powerful flavonoids in plant foods preserve brains cells and keep them active. See how how antioxidant vitamins protect our brain cells.
Years ago, I pioneered a concept of eating more to lose weight. The effectiveness of this approach has withstood the test of time. Some of my patients report losing over 50 to 100 pounds over the years simply by using my food “Mass Index” table that shows which foods will help you to lose weight. This table can be found in most of my books, such as the Eat More, Weigh LessR Diet and my latest book. the “Peace Diet™.” For a sample of this table, go to
In Japan, they say we should first “eat with our eyes.” In other words, food should be presented in a visually pleasing manner. This turns out to be great advice to help slow and reverse the aging process. The more colorful your food, the more anti-aging nutrients it is likely to contain. For example, green foods tend to have lutein and zeaxanthin, powerful antioxidant nutrients that prevent aging. Yellow and orange vegetables and fruit tend to have lot of carotenoids that help with vision, skin, heart and the immune system. Red vegetables tend to have lycopene, which can protect against some cancers — notably prostate cancer — and may also help to protect the brain. Blue and purple vegetables and fruit have anthocyanins, also known to help prevent memory loss. Purple-red vegetables and fruit such as grapes and blueberries have resveratrol in them that can protect the heart. In future articles, I’ll cover these nutrients in detail and explain what foods are rich in these and other anti-aging nutrients.
Cancer is now close to becoming the No. 1 cause of death in the U.S. It seems like we see more cases of cancer than ever before. In addition to smoking and alcohol consumption, diet and lifestyle factors may play as great or greater roles in causing cancer. Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) came out with a statement that processed meats increase the risk of cancer. So avoiding processed meats would be a good health habit, in addition to eating colorful food.