Issue #311: Be a Hero
Good morning. It’s Saturday, March 2nd.
Stat of the Day
The number of red blood cell units needed every single day in the U.S. - in other words, the number of blood donations daily. That’s 10.5M a year! (American Red Cross)
Revisit
This week we discussed cognitive fitness - how to workout for your braing.
Issue #309 - brain exercises (including puzzles) and physical activities, as well as limiting your time sitting, can enhance cognitive function
Issue #310 - daily social interactions, on the decline for years due to social media, are extremely important for overall brain health
Click HERE to check out the entire Thrive25 archive.
Learn
Know Your Blood Type
I recently went to donate blood - something I try to do every few months.
Now I say “try” for two reasons -
1. Despite knowing how important it is (see Stat of the Day) - I don’t exactly love needles and simply don’t schedule it as often as I should, but…
2. Sometimes I go and I can’t fill a full pint of blood. More than a little frustrating to have a nurse jackhammer my vein for 15 minutes and still not have anything to show for it - except another Red Cross or OneBlood blanket (they don’t accept your donation unless you fill the entire bag).
Apparently it doesn’t have anything to do with my blood pressure or heart rate - blood appears to be pumping just fine. Instead it’s due to my blood type.
I’m A positive - along with about 25-35% of the population depending on ethnicity.
Apparently blood types A and B are more likely to clot, than type O - the most common blood type. My blood is so thick that it won’t pump through the syringe and I’m left squeezing this little lacrosse ball for no reason.
But it’s not just blood donation where this might be a problem.
A study of 400,000 people shows that people with blood types A and B are at a higher risk for blood clots. Clotting is a good thing when you get a cut - it quickly stops the blood from gushing out. But it’s not so great when it clots in your body - like say your lungs which is a pulmonary embolism, or your legs which is vein thrombosis.
Even worse - those of us with A and B blood have an 8% higher risk of heart attack and 10% for heart failure.
If you find yourself with these blood types it’s even more important to stay super hydrated and keep off the extra weight. And if you’re a road warrior for work - or find yourself on long flights - check out this to keep the blood out of our legs.
Read more about blood types HERE.
Thrive25 Partner Spotlight
Hannes Bend of breathing.ai led an amazing breathing session at Synapse Summit 2024! We got a great turnout of people interested in breathwork and not afraid to do it in an unconventional setting.
Thanks to Hannes for traveling across an ocean to spread the gift of breath in Tampa!
Hannes Bend at Synapse Summit, 2024
And when you can’t get away from your screen to participate in such an awesome experience - get breathing.ai. Their quick break feature improves your health and your mind with quick 10-second breaks throughout the day.
Inspire
Save a Life
Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood or platelets. These can’t be manufactured (at least not yet) - they can only come from volunteer donors.
Giving blood often means saving a life.
One person in a car accident - still one of the leading causes of death - might require up to 100 units of blood.
Many of the nearly 2 million new cancer patients diagnosed in 2023 will require blood when undergoing chemotherapy.
Giving blood isn’t something that regularly goes on our calendar. But there are a select few people that save dozens of lives a year. My dad is one of those people.
He was just recognized by the Red Cross for giving his 64th donation - thats over 8 gallons of blood.
There’s a limit to how often you can donate - you’ve got to let your body bring back those red blood cells. That means we can donate blood every two months (56 days to be exact) - so about 6x per year.
That might be a stretch for most of us - but consider putting it on the calendar at least 1x per year, especially if you’ve got Type O blood.
Type O is the universal donor - and can be given to any blood type recipient.
Need a little extra incentive (if saving a life isn’t enough) - donating blood is also shown to reduce inflammation and boost antioxidants.
Imagine if every Thrive25 reader gave the gift of life in 2024.
Thanks for the inspiration dad!
Explore
Andorra
At roughly 2.5x the size of Washington, DC, Andorra is one of the smallest countries in the world. But despite the size, it packs a punch - especially during the winter.
Nestled in the Pyrenees between Spain and France, Andorra boasts 300km of ski pistes (French for tracks/slopes). The two most popular mountains, Grandvalira and Vallnord, offer diverse options with amazing runs, reliable snow conditions and gorgeous views. Finished skiing? Then you know what time it is - après-ski in charming mountain villages, with a mix of delicious Spanish and French cuisine and clubs and bars (David Guetta is spinning in June). Oh, and it’s much more affordable than most locations in the neighboring Alps.
Speaking of summer - Andorra turns into hiking country and is growing its wellness services. Roughly 2.5 hours by car from Toulouse or Barcelona, don’t forget Andorra when you book your next European vacation.
And if you go there Gumshoe, maybe you’ll find Carmen Sandiego - Visit Andorra.
Brain Games
Brothers & Sisters
A girl has as many brothers as sisters, but each brother has only half as many brothers as sisters. How many boys and girls are there in the family?
Credit: Reader’s Digest
**For answer, scroll to the bottom of the post
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Thanks for another great week!
Issue #311! Gotta give a shout to one our favorite bands. Play this song in the morning and you’ll have a great day!
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** Brain Games Answer **
Four girls and three boys.
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.