No s**t Einstein. Eat less. Live longer. Who'd think?

Hi,

Did you see the article on MSNBC?

Oh. Now they catch on.

Here's what Jon Benson (author of "Every Other Day Diet"
and "7 Minute Muscle")is saying:

"For years I've been extolling the benefits of eating
fewer calories and exercising LESS (but with more
intensity) in order to both build muscle mass and lose
bodyfat. It works. I've done it for years. I'm not the
first to do it, nor will I be the last, but it seems
that this "old school" approach to fatloss nutrition
and exercise is dying on the vine.

Granted, my new book "7 Minute Muscle" has boomed off
the charts, so there's still an interest in working out
less. But what about eating less?"

From MSNBC:

"While the quest for the proverbial Fountain of Youth is
endless and typically fruitless, one method known to
extend the human lifespan by up to five years has
quietly become accepted among leading researchers. The
formula is simple: Eat less. It could add years to your
life, several experts now say. And done in moderation,
it could at least help you live a more healthy life."

Jon again:

"No s**t Einstein. Eat less. Live longer. Who'd think?

But seriously, why is this the case? And more
importantly, why do so many other health and fitness
pros give the opposite advice, often asking you to eat
5-8 times a day? Is there some common ground?

Yes there is. But first let's look at why eating less
can mean living longer."

Today's article went on to say:

"Calorie restriction, as it is called, is as close to a
real Fountain of Youth as any known technique comes.
Even scientists who are cautious about anti-aging hype
say it works, both by cutting risks for some diseases
and by allowing all body cells, somehow, to hang in
there longer."

Here's Jon:

"This is just part of the story. As usual, the mainstream
media doesn't always bother to give you the entire picture.
That's where guys like me come into the picture.

Ha...such a rebel.

Eating less is a bit over-simplistic. Caloric
restriction is based on "quantitative" reduction, not
simply eating like a bird or starving yourself. That
will never work. You won't stick to it and your body
certainly won't bother to burn off its spare bodyfat
when it thinks you're in a stone age famine.

I use the approach of eating far less for several days
followed by a "feed day" -- a day when I overeat on
purpose. By planning my workouts around these days, I
can maximize both muscle gain and fatburning at the
same time, all while I enjoy some of my favorite foods
on that higher-calorie day.

The net result is superior to merely "eating less" --
you can gain lean tissue, which burns calories around
the clock, and you can manage your insulin levels,
blood sugar, and many other metabolic processes with
greater ease thanks to the lower-calorie days. It's
literally having your cake and eating it too.

Now, here's where the mainstream news misses the big
picture: Combine strategic under-eating with brief
over-eating WITH short-duration weight training and the
magic begins. Weight training has been shown to
literally reverse many of the markers of aging from a
cellular level. It is by far the best form of exercise
for post-exercise caloric expenditure -- i.e. burning
more calories after the workout. And it's the best way
to shape the body. Cardio doesn't hold a candle to
weight training, especially when its done correctly.

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Learn more at 7 Minute Muscle
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So, what about all this talk about "animal studies" in
these news stories? Well, some of this is true. However
there is a plethora of data from both
life-extension-experts and real-world folks that
justify the benefits of a lower-the-calories approach
to living longer. Sure, "further studies are required",
but a bit of common sense is as well.

Less calories means less stress on the body's internal
organs, digestive processes, hormonal processes and
much more. Eating less creates a "clear" state in most
people. Folks engaged in fasting usually report feeling
exceptionally sharp and even vibrant several days into
the fast. And we're not talking about fasting here --
we're just talking about eating less most of the time.

My personal approach is to eat 2-3 meals per day of
higher protein, higher fat, and lower carbohydrate,
focusing on veggies for the carbs, for 2-3 days in a
row. During these days my calories are often 50-65% of
my maintenance level needs.. This is followed by a
higher calorie day where I increase my intake of
grains, starch, and take in a few more meals. When I'm
wanting to really lean out, I will go 4-5 days on lower
calories and lower carbs, making sure I keep my healthy
fats nice and high, then have my high-calorie day.

Try this approach and combine it with my 7 Minute
Muscle style of training. (I include my 3 Minute Abs
routine in the book, as well as a 9-minute long
university tested cardio routine.) The limited volume
of training requires less of a caloric demand, allowing
you to eat less, lose more bodyfat, and then boost
yourself into "anabolic overdrive" on your
higher-calorie days.

This combination allows me to gain muscle and burn
bodyfat at the same time.

Try it -- and, as I wrote in "7 Minute Muscle" and "Fit
Over 40", the benefit may indeed by more than a leaner,
more muscular body. You may just live longer to boot."

Hope you liked this article.

To Your Better Body,
Jorma Persson

P.S. Check out Jon's books:
7 Minute Muscle
Every Other Day Diet
Fit Over 40