Consensus won"t come anytime soon, but even if you don"t extend your own life, you might save someone else"s.
Karma is what karma does.
A Little Flower, Please The Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen, beloved for his fairy tales, including "The Little Mermaid" and "The Emperor"s New Clothes," perhaps put it best: "Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower."
Extending lifespan at the expense of quality of life makes little sense. It"s easier (and lazier) to focus on subtraction and avoidance, but a life of constant denial is not a life of freedom.
The greatest rewards come from a good life, not just a long life. This probably includes a bit of red wine and a few cheesecakes.
Perhaps even an e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n or two.
TOOLS AND TRICKS.
Donating Blood If you have high iron levels (as I did after adding orange juice to my diet), an easy and karmically positive way to lower those levels is by donating blood. Any of the following sites can help you find a local center, schedule an appointment, and save lives. If you have high iron levels (as I did after adding orange juice to my diet), an easy and karmically positive way to lower those levels is by donating blood. Any of the following sites can help you find a local center, schedule an appointment, and save lives.
American Red Cross (www.redcrossblood.org/make-donation)Bonfils Blood Center (www.fourhourbody.com/bonfils)National Blood Service (For people in England and Wales: www.blood.co.uk) Alcor (www.alcor.org) Perhaps you"d like to store your body in ice-free cryosuspension at the first sign of terminal illness, just in case technology catches up? There"s nowhere better than Alcor in Scottsdale, Arizona, where gems such as Ted Williams"s head are allegedly stored. Perhaps you"d like to store your body in ice-free cryosuspension at the first sign of terminal illness, just in case technology catches up? There"s nowhere better than Alcor in Scottsdale, Arizona, where gems such as Ted Williams"s head are allegedly stored.
Transcend: Nine Steps to Living Well Forever by Ray Kurzweil by Ray Kurzweil (www.fourhourbody.com/transcend) Kurzweil, called the "rightful heir to Thomas Edison" by Kurzweil, called the "rightful heir to Thomas Edison" by Inc. Inc. magazine, proposes that those interested in "radical life extension" should make it their immediate goal to live through the next 20 or so years, in order to see advances like DNA reprogramming and submicroscopic, cell-repairing robots. This book outlines the nine key areas for extending your life. magazine, proposes that those interested in "radical life extension" should make it their immediate goal to live through the next 20 or so years, in order to see advances like DNA reprogramming and submicroscopic, cell-repairing robots. This book outlines the nine key areas for extending your life.
Protein-Cycling Diet by Dr. Ron Mignery by Dr. Ron Mignery ( (www.fourhourbody.com/protein-cycle) According to this book, available for free at this link, a single day per week of restricting protein to no more than 5% of maintenance calories can produce effects similar to extended caloric restriction. According to this book, available for free at this link, a single day per week of restricting protein to no more than 5% of maintenance calories can produce effects similar to extended caloric restriction.
Methuselah Foundation (www.mfoundation.org) The Methuselah Foundation is a nonprofit medical charity dedicated to extending healthy human life. The foundation also offers the NewOrgan Network for those in need of replacement organs, making it easier to reach out to friends and family for support. The Methuselah Foundation is a nonprofit medical charity dedicated to extending healthy human life. The foundation also offers the NewOrgan Network for those in need of replacement organs, making it easier to reach out to friends and family for support.
Immortality Inst.i.tute (www.imminst.org) The Immortality Inst.i.tute is an international not-for-profit. Its mission is "to conquer the blight of involuntary death." Though I don"t love the word The Immortality Inst.i.tute is an international not-for-profit. Its mission is "to conquer the blight of involuntary death." Though I don"t love the word blight, blight, I do love the forum on this site, where hundreds of self-experimenters (including published scientists who post pseudonymously) report on surprising results and advances from using experimental supplements, drugs, and other off-label therapies. I do love the forum on this site, where hundreds of self-experimenters (including published scientists who post pseudonymously) report on surprising results and advances from using experimental supplements, drugs, and other off-label therapies.
s...o...b..ll (www.fourhourbody.com/s...o...b..ll) If you think about death too much, life seems too G.o.dd.a.m.n serious. Take a look at this site. It will put things in perspective. Trust me. If you think about death too much, life seems too G.o.dd.a.m.n serious. Take a look at this site. It will put things in perspective. Trust me.
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End of Chapter Notes 1. Roger Cohen, "The Meaning of Life," Roger Cohen, "The Meaning of Life," New York Times New York Times, July 19, 2009, sec. Opinion.
2. Rapamycin chemically induces autophagy, which protein cycling, mentioned later, achieves naturally. Rapamycin chemically induces autophagy, which protein cycling, mentioned later, achieves naturally.
3. Not entirely unlike hibernation in some species. Not entirely unlike hibernation in some species.
5. Following dinner until lunch the subsequent day. Following dinner until lunch the subsequent day.
6. From From The Protein Power Life Plan The Protein Power Life Plan.
CLOSING THOUGHTS.
CLOSING THOUGHTS.
The Trojan Horse We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.-Carlos Castaneda "Running an ultramarathon can"t be good for you. I can"t imagine how it"s possibly good for your body," I said.
I wasn"t biting on endurance. Running wasn"t my thing and it never had been. Brian MacKenzie laughed: "Good for you physically? No. But you"ll recover. And I a.s.sure you: if you run 50K or 100 miles, when you finish, you won"t be the same person who started."
I thought for a minute, and that"s when I bit.
I"d seen a strange ripple effect dozens of times in the world of strength, but for some reason, I"d never connected the dots with endurance. Perhaps just as you haven"t connected the dots with some subjects in this book. After all, in a knowledge economy, what"s the value of deadlifting more or losing 2% bodyfat? Of hitting a home run?
In a word: transfer.
My father lost 70+ pounds of fat in 10 months and tripled his strength. During his annual checkup, his doctor declared that he might live forever.
The physical changes were incredible, but the curious side effects of the program were the strongest incentives to continue. As my dad explained:
It"s very odd. I used to feel like the invisible man, but now people more readily ask my opinion and take me more seriously. I went from not being noticed to being noticed. Quite apart from the aesthetic and performance benefit, there"s a huge social benefit. I lost my invisibility.Also, after losing 50 or 60 pounds and doing what you once thought impossible, you start to see the other "impossibles"-doubling income in 12 months or whatever-as "possibles."
This book is a Trojan horse full of unexpected transfers.
It"s intended to make you a better all-around human. It"s also intended to make you a role model for those around you.
Partial Completeness Most of us have resigned ourselves to a partial completeness partial completeness, just as Chad Fowler did before losing more than 100 pounds. Partial completeness can take many forms, usually in the form of self-talk like: "I"m just not [thin, fast, strong, muscular, etc.]. That"s the way it is."
"XYZ doesn"t matter. It"s not that important."
These are said or thought for many reasons. Oftentimes, they"re used to excuse something on the outside that people believe they can"t change.
The beauty is, almost all of it can be changed.
More important, the reason to change the physical isn"t physical at all.
In 2007, I was interviewed for the monthly newsletter of Eben Pagan, who runs a $30 million per year relationship-advice empire. One of his first questions was: "What"s the fastest way for someone to improve their inner game?"
To which I responded: "Improve your outer game."
If you want to be more confident or effective, rather than relying on easily-defeated positive thinking and mental gymnastics, learn to run faster, lift more than your peers, or lose those last ten pounds. It"s measurable, it"s clear, you can"t lie to yourself. It therefore works.
Recall Richard Branson"s answer to the question "How do you become more productive?": work out.
The Cartesian separation of mind and body is false. They"re reciprocal. Start with the precision of changing physical reality and a domino effect will often take care of the internal.
Becoming Complete Your body is almost always within your control.
This is rare in life, perhaps unique. Simply focusing on some measurable element of your physical nature can prevent you from becoming a "Dow Joneser," someone whose self-worth is dependent on things largely outside of their control.
Job not going well? Company having issues? Some idiot making life difficult? If you add ten laps to your swimming, or if you cut five seconds off your best mile time, it can still be a great week.
Controlling your body puts you in life"s driver"s seat.
Fifteen months after giving birth to her first child, Dara Torres took home the U.S. Nationals gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle...at age 40. Three days later she broke her own record in the youth-dominated 50-meter freestyle, a record she"d set at age 15.
At age 45, George Foreman knocked out Michael Moorer, age 26, to become heavyweight boxing champion of the world, reclaiming the t.i.tle he"d lost to Muhammad Ali two decades earlier.
Jack "The Dipsea Demon" Kirk ran the infamous Dipsea trail race for the first time in 1905. He proceeded to run it 67 times, the last at age 94, and broke the record for consecutive foot races held by Boston Marathon legend Johnny Kelley. Jack"s oft-repeated saying was "You don"t stop running "cause you get old. You get old if you stop running!"
Refuse to accept partial completeness.
Take the next step: uncap a pen and take an inventory of all the things in the physical realm that you"ve resigned yourself to being poor at. Now ask: if I couldn"t fail, what would I want to be exceptional at? Circle these alternate realities.
This list, circles staring back at you, gives you a blueprint for not just a new body, but an entirely new life.
It"s never too late to reinvent yourself.
Computer scientist Alan Kay once said, "The best way to predict the future is to invent it."
Where will you start?
APPENDICES AND EXTRAS.
HELPFUL MEASUREMENTS.
AND CONVERSIONS.
Weight (Food) QUANt.i.tY.
GRAMS GRAMS.
1 ounce 28 g 28 g 4 ounces or 1/4 pound 113 g 113 g 1/3 pound 150 g 150 g 8 ounces or 1/2 pound 230 g 230 g 2/3 pound 300 g 300 g 12 ounces or 3/4 pound 340 g 340 g 16 ounces or 1 pound 450 g 450 g
Body Weight POUNDS (LBS).
KILOGRAMS (KGS) KILOGRAMS (KGS).
100.
45.4 45.4.
120.
54.4 54.4.
140.
63.5 63.5.
160.
72.6 72.6.
180.
81.6 81.6.
200.
90.7 90.7.
220.
99.8 99.8.
240.
108.9 108.9.
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GETTING TESTED- FROM NUTRIENTS TO MUSCLE FIBERS.
There"s no need to spend a fortune on testing.
The critical few in this section are ordered from least to most expensive,1 and I"ve put asterisks (***) next to the tests that yielded the most actionable results for me and other test subjects in the book. and I"ve put asterisks (***) next to the tests that yielded the most actionable results for me and other test subjects in the book.