I first heard Dr. Joel Fuhrman express this idea in his book “Eat to Live.”
-> http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/cat-calorie-restriction.html
-> http://www.drfuhrman.com/library/metabolism_longevity.aspx
Then, in a 2012 episode of BBC’s “Horizon” titled “Eat, Fast and Live Longer,” I heard about Calorie Restriction with Optimal Nutrition (CRON).
-> http://youtu.be/p9YxZrtM0dg
-> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRON-diet
-> http://www.optimal.org/peter/cron.htm
Personally, I have no idea if lowering the metabolism will extend my life. However, what I *do* know is I already have cold hands and feet (one of the admitted symptoms of CRON) and it sucks. So, that’s enough of a reason for me to pass.
It reminds me of something I once heard in a podcast. It was about increasing lifespan by wearing socks to bed. (I just searched Google for a reference, but couldn’t find it.) The increase was something like hours or days.
For me, I plan to focus on the low-hanging fruit to help me optimize my longevity:
– Wear my seatbelt
– Avoid drugs
– Eat good food
– Don’t diet
– Sleep more
– Don’t shave with a broken beer bottle
– Don’t keep a rattlesnake as a pet
– When asked “Do these pants make my butt look big?” always answer “No.”
You know, commonsense stuff.
Having been involved with Paleo, Low-Carb, Intermittent Fasting, Ketosis, and everything else that goes along with those topics, all I managed to do it seriously complicate my life, obsess over food to the point I could only eat a small group of foods, over-exercise, drive my mental and physical stress through the roof, and, ultimately, crash from the sum of it all. I’m still trying to dig out of the hole, over six months later.
In other words, being “healthy” nearly killed me.
I guess my point is there should be some risk vs. reward assessment with all the various “hacks” to “improve” our lives. I don’t think it should be so complicated. Every other animal is pre-programmed and knows how to live. Humans, however, the brainiacs that we (think we) are, mostly ignore or override our basic instincts.
Speaking of instincts, mine are telling me to have another Virgil’s Root Beer. Won’t you join me?