Issue #367: The Real Fountain of Youth
Good morning. It’s Friday, July 12th.
Welcome to the first Friday edition of Thrive25. We’ve heard from quite a few readers that they don’t always get to the Saturday newsletter. So now you can expect us to hit your inbox 2x per week - every Tuesday and Friday.
Stat of the Day
Athletic Brewing (non-alcoholic beer) is now the 10th largest brewer in the U.S. selling over $90M last year. It’s now valued at $800M as more people jump on the “drinking a little less” train. (CNBC)
Learn
Health is Like Wealth
When we started Thrive25 nearly two years ago, longevity was still a bit of a fringe concept.
But now you barely go a day online without some headline on the secret to living longer.
This shouldn’t be surprising - since after Alexander the Great conquered most of the known world in 323 B.C. he is thought to have searched for a river to stop him from aging (I mean what’s left after you rule the Earth).
While the story might be more fable than truth, Juan Ponce de León searched for the Fountain of Youth in Florida over 500 years ago.*
Today that search continues - the rare molecule rapamycin found only on the remote Easter Island attracts modern day scientists and biohackers as the next magic elixir.
While there’s no doubt that medical research is progressing at an unprecedented rate, the reality is far from the hype.
Building Wealth
I’ve become a huge fan of Scott Galloway for his honest and raw - but insightful - takes on modern society. In his new book, “The Algebra of Wealth” he succinctly gives his insight on money:
The Good News - I know how to make you rich.
The Bad News - It’s going to take a long time.
He gives his formula for what it takes to build wealth.
Focus = put yourself in position to be successful. Look at what the market needs and how you can add value (not just following your passion).
Stoicism = remain true to yourself in the face of temptation (not needing to keep up with the Joneses).
Time = just that, time. The patience and perseverance needed for the power of compound interest to take over.
Diversification = protecting yourself as the market is unpredictable if you put all your eggs in one basket.
Here’s the crazy thing - longevity is the exact same thing:
The good news is that we know how to wake up full of energy, build up real strength, have a positive mindset and keep chronic disease at bay.
The bad news is that what really works is doing the small things day in and day out over most of your life. Or maybe that’s not bad news…
Focus with health is determining your goals - your identity. Who do you want to be? What do you want to be able to do? The blessing (or the curse depending on your POV) is that we control the majority of health - both how we feel today and what will happen to us tomorrow.
Just like you set career goals or financial goals - it’s just as important to write down your health goals. It’s not “not being sick.” It’s about how you want to feel, what you want to be able to do, what you want to know about your risks.
For me - I want to feel like an athlete. That I can bounce out of bed without pain or stiffness, full of energy. I want to have the mental capacity to solve problems the way I did 10-20 years ago. I want to make my kids feel like they can’t keep up. I want my wife to feel like she can’t keep up 😄.
And just like your career - the environment you surround yourself in plays a huge role in who you are and how you live. So you need to surround yourself with the right people and the right situations that promote your desired identity.
Stoicism ties right into that last point. We’re inundated with temptation - junk food, social media, Netflix. We live confined to an indoor desk miles or hundreds of miles away from friends and extended family. It takes real effort to overcome these forces that go against our natural instincts to be healthy.
via Giphy
The key isn’t about feeling like you’re “living without.” It’s about doing the things that make you feel so good you’d do them anyway - even if you didn’t live longer.
I get such a high from a bootcamp class that I’m full of energy the rest of the day. I feel so good the next morning without drinking or eating sugar that I don’t miss it (you actually reset your taste buds in 10-30 days - I don’t even like overly sweet food or drinks anymore).
Time is the real variable. Rapmycin or GLP-1 or whatever other drug or supplement might play a role in supporting our health and longevity (and we’ll continue to bring you the latest science on all things longevity).
But no one pill will ever replace the power of those hundreds of decisions we make every day. Just like interest, these decisions compile over time. You won’t just be young at heart - but young in mind and body too.
And diversification is the key. It’s not about being perfect. Have a bite of that dessert or stay up late once in a while. But it’s about knowing where in your life you have gaps that are holding you back from living your best life today and putting you at risk in the future.
That’s why we’ve created our 9 elements of longevity - because being able to manage stress (Mindset) and reaching out to long distance friends (Connection) is just as important as cutting out sugar (Nutrition) or getting enough exercise (Movement).
*Ponce de León did marry a woman 35 years younger so he did have the incentive to find that fountain of youth.
Try
Personal Check-In
Take a minute to figure out where you are on each of these elements on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 is mastery) - and how altering your focus can yield a massive effect on your health and your life.
Being more intentional and patient will grow your wealth - it will also really boost your health.
Thrive25 Partner Spotlight
Check out breathing.ai. It's a free browser extension that reminds you to take breaks (the counterintuitive way to increase productivity), personalizes the color of your screen, and offers relaxing music to help you stay focused.
Get a gentle guide to breathe better, a quick reminder to drink more water, or simply improve your posture. Your body and mind will thank you for it. Download the free browser extension now and give it a try.
Cook
Hormone-Boosting Almond & Maca Smoothie
Maca root, a superfood and adaptogenic herb from Peru, balances hormones, boosts energy, and supports libido. Related to broccoli and kale, it's perfect for sustaining energy without coffee. Enjoy this smoothie with maca, almonds, flaxseeds, and MCT oil for a nutritious start to your day!
In the News
The 4-Year-Old That Has Climbed More Mountains than You: Lydia Pearson has summited all 48 of New Hampshire’s 4,000 foot peaks, becoming the youngest person to achieve this feat. (Outside)
Leaderboard for Slowest Agers: 11,000 people are signed up to competition to age the slowest. For example, can you average getting only 10 months older every year? How do I know these “biological age” tests aren’t ready for prime time? My favorite quote from the article: “Dave Pascoe, who is 61 but whose biological age estimates range from roughly 38 to 52 depending on measure and test.” How old are you - well last month I was 52, but today I’m only 38! (WSJ)
Anger Increases Risk for Heart Attack: A study found that anger can impair blood vessel function, which is an early marker for conditions like atherosclerosis - the gateway to heart disease. (NBC News)
Brain Implant to Help Epilepsy: A 13 year old from England has become the first person in the world to receive a brain implant designed to control treatment-resistant epilepsy. (Good News Network)
Brain Games
The 1% Club
Max’s family has been watching this show on Fox - it’s kind of a fun way to test the brain. The contestants struggled with this one - how can you do with the 1% question?
Clue: Listen up! What is the only letter of the alphabet logically missing from this list?
Credit: FOX “The 1% Club”
** For answer, scroll to the bottom of the email
Product Recs
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Brain Games Answer
The letter “V”
The clue starts “Listen up” - it’s all about the sounds of the letters. All the other letters end with “ee” - B sounds like Bee, C like Cee, Dee, Eee, Gee, etc.
Check out the video here:
Why Thrive25
We’re 40-something dads that felt our bodies and minds start to slow down and we’re not ready for that. We found too much information on every subject. So we started Thrive25 to transform what we’ve learned into something useful for the rest of us to spend just 3-5 min a day to optimize our health & longevity.
This newsletter is for you and we truly value your feedback. Never hesitate to reach out to us at team@thrive25.com.
To health!
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The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable based on your individual circumstances. Thrive25, Inc. does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.