Life Force, Tony Robbins’ most recent book (co-authored by Peter Diamandis, MD and Robert Hariri, MD, PhD) is like an encyclopedia of cutting edge healthcare. It’s a fascinating read but because it’s based in science (much of which is still actively in research, development and trial stages) I find it challenging to share without more study. I started reading it Monday and here it is Saturday night and I’m only on Chapter 4 (approximately a sixth of the way through). If I had the ear of a medical person to talk to it’d be much easier and a lot more fun.

An artistic person writing about science could be a compelling proposition. Most of the science writing out there is so foreign to the Everyman, most of us don’t even read it. WebMD is as good as it gets for Muggles wanting quick access via the Internet. That’s because Medicine, like music, has its own language. There needs to be a more engaging, layered approach so more of the public can access it and take better control of their health. Don’t you think?

Tony does his best to embody that accessible voice. It’s a big job because he’s covering a ton of material. Getting the word out is what drives Life Force. That and the fact that Tony is so sold on the promise of cutting edge medicine he has partnered with Diamandis and Hariri in a couple of new companies (see Postscript). So he stands to profit if you buy what he’s selling. Yes, that’s true. But I know Robbins’ truly cares about the people he serves. What’s shared in this book is life enhancing and potentially life saving knowledge. If I could, I’d invest in it too.

So. What are the first three and a half chapters about? Life Force begins with Tony’s personal story, a man who is and lives larger than life. Beginning with a pituitary tumor that threatened his life, mercury poisoning that did the same and a horrendous shoulder injury eight years ago. For the latter, Tony got stem cell injections in Panama (because fresh allogenic stem cells are still not FDA approved in the U.S.) that healed him, relieved him of chronic back pain and improved his brain). Allogenic stem cells are stem cells that come from someone else. Cord blood, to be specific, was used in Tony’s case.

The story of healing and getting strong and even turning back time in terms of longevity is the underlying message and Robbins backs it up with facts. We aren’t only looking at scientific breakthroughs but biotechnology and Artificial Intelligence transforming the healthcare space. In Chapter 2 Robbins summarizes the genesis of Dr. Bob Hariri’s ground breaking stem cell research.

Dr. Hariri’s research journey is an amazing story. The details are complicated but basically Hariri is the guy that discovered and 20 years later proved that the placenta is the supply depot for pluripotent stem cells (the stem cells that can duplicate/replace organ tissue). Hariri founded the biotech company Celularity 20 years ago to store human placenta and umbilical cords and is now at the forefront of making pharmaceutical grade cellular medicines available in off-the -shelf form for physicians. https://celularity.com

Chapters three and four are all about the power of prevention and diagnostics to give us the heads up on our health before problems manifest. There are many examples: like a stem cell spray gun that can repair burns without skin grafts and an injection of saline and placental matrix that can repair osteoarthritis in 10 minutes. One of the most incredible new technologies is from Dr. Bill Kapp, an orthopedic surgeon (and now CEO of Fountain Life). It’s an A.I. assisted non-invasive CCTA of the heart –Coronary CT Angiography called Cleerly. It amplifies the images so every artery can be examined to determine if the plaques are hard or soft and if you’re in danger of a heart attack. There are also new blood tests for the early detection of cancers. They spot problems at the molecular level, months or years before evidence of a tumor shows up in standard testing.

Chapter 4 is largely devoted to the work of Harvard Medical professor of genetics Dr. David Sinclair. His pioneering work on life style, epigenetics and an information theory of aging which posits the idea that it’s not our DNA that controls things but what gets communicated to our cells that matters. He believes aging is a form of disease that interrupts the flow and repair of genomic information and that’s at the root of deterioration. This means repairing the damaged messages can heal our damaged DNA and, ultimately, can turn back the clock on our biological age.

Basically, some genes are up-regulated and some down-regulated. There is also a set of seven regulatory genes called sirtuins that regulate and repair our DNA. Hence, healthy sirtuins can protect against aging, disease, cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s. The causes of corrupt DNA and the strategies for repair are related to radiation, environmental toxins, psychological stress, inactivity and poor diet. These create inflammation. One final note (to end on an up-beat), we can feed our sirtuins with supplements that boost our NAD+, a naturally occurring molecule in the body. Sinclair takes one gram of NMN (nicotinamide mono-nucleotide) daily to boost his NAD+ levels.

That’s all I have for you right now. Big love and happy days ahead.

Postscript: One of the companies Robbins co-founded with Diamandis and Hariri is Fountain Life http://www.fountainlife.com a total health and wellness company that is a one-stop-shop to access the cutting edge blood tests, A.I. assisted imaging, stem cell therapies and more. They currently have nine locations worldwide and are also offering a new type of health insurance that emphasizes prevention and wellness.