The 4-Hour Body_ An Uncommon Guide to Ra - Timothy Ferriss [190]
So, here’s what I do:
First, I drizzle fat gravy over a bowl of tapioca pearls.
Kidding. I fast following an early Friday dinner (6 P.M.) and then, around 10 A.M. the next morning (16 hours later), I eat 1 cup spinach with vinegar and spices, one slice of sourdough toast with lots of butter, and enjoy it all with a large glass of grapefruit juice. Delish. Sometime after noon, I’ll then head off to eat my usual chocolate croissants and continue cheat day as a binge monster.
3. THE LOST ART OF BLEEDING (COST: FREE)
Thought bloodletting went out of fashion around the time of the Salem witch trials? Not entirely.
I’m betting on a major resurgence, and it all has to do with excess iron.
More than estrogen, it’s thought to partially explain why post-menopausal (but not pre-menopausal) women have a similar incidence of heart attack to men. I’ve donated blood since 2001 to be on the safe side.
And I’m not alone. The New England Centenarian Study, conducted by Boston University’s School of Medicine, is the world’s largest and most comprehensive ongoing study of “centenarians,” or people who live past 100. Dr. Tom Perls, director of the study and an associate professor of medicine, gives blood every eight weeks to mimic the loss of iron due to menstruation, which he believes will increase his longevity:
“Iron is a critical factor in our cells’ ability to produce those nasty molecules called free radicals that play an important role in aging.… It may be as simple as having less iron in your body.”
There is ample evidence that iron reduction through phlebotomy (bloodletting) can not only improve insulin sensitivity, but also reduce cancer-specific and all-cause deaths. High iron stores have been correlated to an increased number of heart attacks in otherwise symptom-free males, and blood donation has conversely been correlated to a decrease in “cardiovascular incidents.”
Drs. Michael and Mary Dan Eades suggest aiming for blood ferritin levels of 50 mg/dl, which, if your levels aren’t over 400, can usually be achieved with 1–4 whole blood donations spread two months apart.6 No leeches required. If you’d like to increase the removal of pesticides and other environmental toxins normally stored in fat, you can do two things: schedule to donate a double portion of plasma, and drink a cup of caffeinated coffee about 60 minutes before going to the center. Donated blood will always contain such toxins, so you are not being a bad citizen by temporarily increasing their excretion.
Though some scientists argue that iron depletion is necessary for full cardiac benefits, I see no harm in acting on the positive implications of dozens of other studies.
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 ejaculation 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.
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