“Start the engine, Ben, then shut it off after one minute.”
Daniel stood back, watched the engine while it started, then looked up.
“You a hockey fan, Max?”
“I love to watch it, but I’ve never played. I’m a Canadiens fan.”
“Didn’t they used to be a hockey team?” asked Vic.
“They’re still a team,” said Ben. “They just don’t play hockey anymore.”
“They’re the greatest dynasty in sports history. Well, they were at one time,” said Max.
“And that time has long passed,” said Vic.
“My point, gentlemen, is not who is or was the greatest,” explained Daniel. “I wanted to ask Max why they have the ‘interference’ penalty in hockey.”
“To prevent all that clutching, grabbing and holding of players who don’t have control of the puck,” explained Max.
“And why is that a bad thing?”
“It takes a player out of the action and impedes the flow of the game. It’s an obstruction.”
“That’s what happens when you take drugs, don’t exercise, have poor posture, and don’t eat well. These are all forms of interference in your body. Your internal health care system is designed to work without interference. If there’s no interference, you’ll have a much better chance of being healthy. If there is interference, the system is weakened, and you’ll be predisposed to illness. You want a perfect health care system? Remove the interference. You can do that yourself—just change your lifestyle. A doctor can’t do that for you.”
Ben turned off the engine.
“Do you want me to add ten pounds of sugar to your gas tank before you leave, Ben?” asked Daniel.
Ben looked up, stunned. “You can’t be serious!”
“Why not?” asked Daniel.
“That would destroy the engine, that’s why. You must know that.”
“Of course. I just wondered, though, why you would consume that amount of sugar in a year—probably more—but you wouldn’t put it in your car. It’ll do as much damage to you as it does to your engine, but you consume it effortlessly and without a second thought. That’s interesting, isn’t it?”
“It’s scary, is what it is,” said Vic.
“Ben always had a sweet tooth,” added Max.
“I didn’t know sugar was that bad for you,” said Ben.
“I’m not surprised to hear that,” replied Daniel. “It’s just another form of interference, really. All this interference is what makes the so-called health care system so expensive. You can stop the interference. It’s up to you.”
“It can’t be that simple, Daniel,” said Ben. “I mean, I understand what you’re telling us, but it is hard to accept that we can simply decide to live a certain lifestyle and we will no longer be sick. If it were that easy, wouldn’t everyone be doing it? I mean, there are still a lot of diseases that we can catch out there. What about cancer and arthritis, and illnesses like that? Anyone can catch those.”
“Listen to the way you talk about it. You say we can ‘catch’ a disease. We are taught from a pretty young age that sickness is something that we ‘catch’ from an external source. So naturally we think an external source—a doctor or a drug—can cure the illness. Actually, it is as easy as making a decision not to be sick. We come into this world equipped with everything we need to achieve and maintain good health.”
Daniel closed the hood of the Toyota and wiped it with a clean rag. As he reached for a nectarine, Ben noticed a large wooden chest against the wall under the aquarium, next to a Japanese bonsai tree. It contained several neatly organized large file folders. Probably records of work on his customers’ cars, thought Ben. He wasn’t sure why the word “TUNE” was carved into the wooden slat that ran across the front of the trunk, however. Must be something to do with tune-ups and repairs, he guessed.
“Your car has a well-maintained engine, Ben. That’s very apparent. You drive it with care, don’t you?” asked Daniel.
“Yup, that’s my baby,” answered Ben.
“You could drive it hard and never maintain it. You could keep it on the road all winter, and never wash it. Just think what kind of shape it would be in. But you choose to look after it and treat it with respect. You have the same choice with your own body. If you had a car that was competing in the Grand Prix you would want it to perform at its best, wouldn’t you?”
“You bet,” said Max. “I’d need a few wins to cover all the major expenses of owning a vehicle like that.”
“If you were told you could have only one mechanic and you needed to choose between one who was really good at fixing it when it broke down as opposed to a mechanic who specialized in enhancing the performance of the engine as well as fixing breakdowns, which one would you choose?”
“The second one, of course,” said Max.
“Exactly,” said Daniel, “and why would you not do that for your own body as well? Find a health professional who can help you perform at your best, instead of just using one that provides you some kind of relief when problems occur.”
“I guess you’d better stop putting all that sugar into your internal engine, Ben,” joked Max.
“Listen, Max, do you want me to remove those vending machines at work that you like to visit every afternoon? You know, the ones with the cream-filled cakes.”
“Not unless you want a revolt on your hands.”
“But Daniel,” said Ben. “Some people are born with diseases, or are predisposed to getting them.”
“That’s true, Ben. There are genetic diseases that are inevitable, like cystic fibrosis, and you can’t do anything about it. That kind of situation accounts for a small percentage of diseases. Some of us have weaknesses from birth passed on through the genetic pool. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do. It isn’t inevitable that you will become ill because your father or his father had a certain disease. You’re right that we can’t change our innate predisposition to certain illness and disease, but look at it this way: Your genetic makeup is a loaded gun. Your lifestyle is what determines whether or not the trigger is pulled.”
Turning toward the wall, Daniel reached into his pocket and pulled out a large skeleton key. He closed the lid on the trunk, locked it, and returned the key to his pocket.
“Tell them about the eleven secrets, Daniel,” said Vic. He seemed visibly excited.
“You certainly don’t beat around the bush, do you, Vic?” replied Daniel. “I was coming to that.”
“The eleven secrets?” asked Max.
“They aren’t really secrets. Vic makes it sound more mysterious than it really is. My wife and I have knowledge of eleven lifestyle choices that can contribute to a long and healthy life. They are referred to as the ‘secrets’ simply because the majority of people either do not know them or choose not to follow them. These principles of wellness are not really secret or mysterious, but the impact of their widespread adoption and application would be revolutionary. Learn these eleven secrets and you will be in full control of your health.”
“Do you know these secrets, Vic?” asked Ben.
“They