Not everything healthy is hard to do...check out this one simple trick.

We all want to live longer, so we all are continuously searching for the latest supplement, exercise or nutrient that will be the fountain of youth. But there is one simple trick you can do to extend your life and improve your health that isn't hard to do.

First, allow me to digress.

I've been reading all over the internet about iron-overload--especially found in adult males and post-menopausal women.

It not only ages you and contributes to the development of degenerative disease, but if you read Dr. Mercola, he says it can be as dangerous as the Vitamin D deficiency he's always talking about. Dr. Mercola says we need to get our ferritin levels checked and confirm we are below 80 nanograms, preferably between 40 and 60.

Try getting your doctor to run regular ferritin levels on you. Your HMO will never go for it.

So how do you check it on a regular basis without paying an arm and a leg? And if you have it, how do you fix it?

How about donating blood? That not only tells you your ferritin levels, but also fixes the problem if it's too high. And it's free. Yes, donating blood will fix your iron overload just as well as the therapeutic phlebotomy your doctor would have to do if he diagnosed the problem.

But here's the real find.

Donating blood, recent studies suggest, can help you live longer. It's true. Go online and do the research. One 1998 study suggests people who donate blood regularly are 18 times less likely to die of a heart attack.

(Maybe there was something to that ancient blood-letting and use of leeches used before we had the technology to use donated blood to save lives.)

We all know donating blood saves lives--three lives for every time you donate, according to Red Cross statistics. 

But the fourth life you save may be your own!

Do it on the regular. It's not only the right thing to do, but you'll live longer.

Remember, adult males and post-menopausal women are the ones most likely to have iron overload, so it's especially important that they donate blood regularly.

I wonder if you younger women don't get iron overload as often because of monthly menustration...hmmmm. But you young 'uns will still reap the longevity benefits of donating blood. So do it.

Check out this link on the Red Cross website for more details and to find a Red Cross location near you.


Find a Location to Give

Oh and if you live near me in Virginia, on July 7, that's this Thursday, the Natural Bridge Hotel is doing a blood drive from 12-4. Two days away. Get it over with.