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                                                         BY THE
  NUMB3RS                           15




                    WANT TO BE SMARTER, HEALTHIER AND MORE PRODUCTIVE?
                   NEW TECHNOLOGY THAT KEEPS TRACK OF YOUR HIDDEN DATA
                                                                                                             16
                                                                                                                                                         42




                              COULD UPGRADE YOUR LIFE – TODAY
                                              23

                                                      BY LUKE BENEDICTUS          I L L U S T R AT I O N S B Y C H A R I S T S E V I S




                    “
                     J
                                  ust relax,” says the chiropractor with a frown.        lack of self-awareness. The antidote to that, of course,
                                  Right now that’s proving something of a                would lie in the pursuit of self-knowledge.
                                  challenge. We’re in a windowless room the size
                                  of a matchbox. Inwardly, I’m already wincing
                                  in anticipation as he fastens his grip on my           A week later, I’m sitting with two new acquaintances in
                     shoulders to manipulate my spine. There’s a pause, then             a half-empty pub in Sydney’s inner-west. Laurence Wolf
                     a violent wrench that forces a deep crack from my neck.             is a muscular, shaven-haired figure wearing a CrossFit
                     Exhaling in relief, I gaze at the ceiling and groan.                hoodie and an air of upbeat intensity. Opposite sits
                         My back has gone. Again. Every three months for the             fresh-faced, sandy-haired Leon Wurfel, who projects the
                     past five years, I’ve made the same laboured shuffle to             calm assurance of the quietly intelligent. I’ve met them
                     my chiropractor on Sydney’s north shore. Every visit, as            through a movement known as Quantified Self.
                     he’s twisted my spine through various grim contortions,                 Built on the promise of “self-knowledge through numbers”,
                     he’s commented on the “chronic tension” in my body and              Quantified Self is a multi-limbed community started by Gary
                     berated me to do more to manage the stress that, he insists,        Wolf (no relation to Laurence) and Kevin Kelly, two editors
                     is the root cause of the issue. Every time, I’ve nodded in          of Wired magazine in the US. Five years on, the movement
                     earnest agreement. Then I’ve completely ignored him.                has gone global, with QS Meetup groups (meetup.com)
                         Why? Partly, I suppose, it’s the photos of native               popping up in 62 destinations around the world.
                     American chieftains on his wall that bother me. I mean,                 Essentially, QS involves collecting data on a specific
                     I like my chiropractor and everything, but those pictures           area of your life with a long-term view to improving it.
                     do give off a faint new age whiff. But it is also because,          Your focus could be anything you’re looking to work on.
                     frankly, I disagree with his diagnosis. If you met me, I            Weight loss, mood swings, productivity, too much booze
                     might strike you as many things: deluded, cantankerous,             . . . To the self-tracker they’re all made to measure. Once
                     tiresome, vain . . . but stressed-out probably wouldn’t             you’ve accumulated a reasonable wodge of data, you can
                     sneak onto your hit list.                                           analyse the patterns and attempt to take corrective action
                         This time, despite my chiro’s decor, I’m ready to listen. As    to nudge things in a positive direction. “QS is all about
                     an otherwise healthy 30-something, I’m sick of the recurring        trying to optimise yourself,” explains Wurfel. “That’s how
                     twinges that regularly leave me with the hunched posture of         I got into it.”
                     a rice farmer. My fingers-in-ears approach hasn’t worked. It’s          For Wurfel, QS is a natural extension of his day job.
                                                                                                                                                              GETTY IMAGES




                     time to experiment and change tactics.                              Working as an engineering consultant, he looks after a
                         Walking outside, I realise that if my chiro’s stress            portfolio of buildings and devises upgrades to improve
                     diagnosis is right, then I’ve been suffering from a woeful          their energy efficiency. “I soup up buildings for a living,”


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BY THE
                                                                                                                                                                                                  NUMB3RS
                                                                                                                            95




                                                                     the 29-year-old explains. “It just fits well with my                          trialling fresh ideas. “The beauty of QS is that you just
                                                                     personality to want to soup myself up, too.”                                  give something a go. Try it out and see the results,” says
                                                                        Wurfel’s interest in QS was fired by American author                       Wolf. “You don’t always need piles of clinical studies to act
                                                                     Tim Ferriss, who helped to popularise QS principles                 38        – try something out for a month and if it works for you,
                                                                     with The Four Hour Body, a bestseller that documented                         then great.”
                                                                     his self-tracking experiments to enhance his physical,                           “Why listen to what someone else is telling you when
                                                                     mental and sexual performance. “It just seemed to be like                     you can measure it and figure it out pretty simply for
                                                                     turbo-charged self-improvement,” says Wurfel. “What I                         yourself?” adds Wurfel, taking a sip of his beer.
                                                                     really liked was that it’s about being able to measure your
                                                                     progress, and not just airy-fairy ideas.”
                                                                        One of Wurfel’s first experiments involved trying                          Inspired by the meeting, I’m going to take a QS
                                                                     to improve his concentration and efficiency at work.                          approach to my back problems by tackling my stress.
                                                                     He began to train with Dual N-Back, a computer game                           During the monthly conference call for the Sydney
                                                                     developed as a cognitive training tool that involves                          QS Meetup group, I’m recommended two gadgets to
                                                                     recalling a flashing sequence of squares and letters.                         help me.
                                                                     Wurfel took an IQ test, then played Dual N-Back every                            New technology is what’s driving QS into the
                                                                     day for four weeks. “It’s not fun, it’s almost painful – like                 mainstream. An increasing array of gadgets and apps are
                                                                     doing bench-press with your brain,” he admits. But these                      making data collection easier than ever. Tracking your
                                                                     mental workouts delivered stark results. In the space of a                    metrics no longer requires you to be anally retentive or
                                                                     single month, Wurfel lifted his IQ score by 14 points.                        numerically astute. Instead, new gizmos can painlessly
                                                                        Since then, he has continued to tinker, including even 11                  record your stats before computing the mad tangle of raw
                                                                     going so far as to experiment with “smart drugs” such as                      figures into a readily comprehended graph.
                                                                     piracetam and modafinil to sharpen                                                                     One of the first areas I’m advised
                                                                     his mental clarity. “My KPIs (key                                                                   to work on is improving my sleep.
                                                                     performance indicators) have all
                                                                     increased by 30-50 per cent since I       “THE B3AUTY                                               The link between poor-quality
                                                                                                                                                                         sleep and stress is well documented.


                                                                                                               OF QS IS THAT
                                                                     started down this path, so something                                                                Lack of sleep, for example, is
                                                                     is working,” he says.                                                                               proven to affect your production of
                                                                        Across the table, Wolf, a 37-year-old                                                            testosterone, with studies at Florida


                                                                                                               YOU JUST GIVE
                                                                     entrepreneur, was drawn to QS after                                                                 State University showing that men
                                                                     he began reflecting on the health of                                                                suffering from this hormone deficit
                                                                     his parents. Between cancer, diabetes                                                               tend to have a higher risk of anxiety.


                                                                                                               5OMETHING A
                                                                     and prostate issues, it wasn’t a cheery                                                                To monitor the amount and quality
                                                                     picture. “Although I wasn’t in the                                                                  of my sleep each night, I start using
                                                                     worst shape, I realised that, as you get                                                            a Zeo Mobile Sleep Manager Pro. I


                                                                                                               GO. TRY IT OUT
                                                                     older, the onus is on you to take care                                                              go to sleep wearing a headband with
                                                                     of your health even more,” he says.                                                                 embedded sensors that link up to an
                                                                     “I looked at my parents’ health and                                                                 app on my iPhone. Waking up in the


                                                                                                                AND SEE THE
                                                                     thought, ‘I do not want to end up like                                                              morning, I receive a “ZQ” score that
                                                                     that – I want to be fit’.”                                                                          measures my total shut-eye, REM,
                                                                        QS practitioners tend to share                                                                   deep sleep and light sleep, plus the


                                                                                                                 RESULTS”
                                                                     what they’ve learnt from their DIY                                                                  number of times I’ve woken during
                                                                     trials by circulating their findings                                                                the night.
                                                                     online. Consequently, Wolf began                                                                       The second gizmo I start using
                                                                     experimenting with some of the                                                                      is the emWave2, a handheld
                                                                     ideas he discovered. His food intake is now governed by                       biofeedback device about the size of a deck of cards.
                                                                     a form of intermittent fasting that is claimed, among          60             Researchers from the University of Calgary found
                                                                     other things, to increase longevity, mental clarity and                       the device can help to reduce stress. Since then, it
                                                                     insulin sensitivity. In Wolf’s case, this involves following a                has become widely used within the US military and
                                                                     16:8-hour fast/feeding ratio. You might eat your last meal                    by NASA.
                                                                     at 8pm, then not eat until noon the following day, when                          The emWave2 uses infrared sensors to measure
                                                                                                                                              03
                                                                     you’d consume all your food within an eight-hour window.                      your heart rate variability (HRV), which is the amount
                                                                     “It helps you sleep, it helps you perform, it helps with fat                  of time between each heartbeat. High HRV signals
                                                                     loss,” he insists.                                                            relaxation, while a low rate shows your sympathetic
                                                                        When he does eat, Wolf follows a high-fat diet,                            nervous system is under strain, causing your body to
                                                                     believing that it improves cognitive function. This                           release stress hormones. Using the emWave2 for 10
                                                                     idea was popularised by Dr Seth Roberts, professor                            minutes each day allows you to monitor your HRV and
                                                                     of psychology at Tsinghua University in Beijing and a                         bring it to an optimal level through controlling your
                                                                     prominent QS figure. He shared the results of a long-                         breathing and calming your thoughts.
                                                                     running experiment on his brain function, in which he                            A number of psychologists are convinced this
                                                                     timed his speed to complete 32 easy arithmetic problems                       new generation of devices and apps will prove highly
                                                                     on his computer every morning. Roberts found that eating                      beneficial in helping people with personal goals like
                                                                     four tablespoons of butter (60 grams) every day shaved                        weight loss. “Apps have huge potential because they
                                                                     30 milliseconds off his time to solve the problems. When                      let you self-monitor and track your progress without
                                                      GETTY IMAGES




                                                                     you’re busy, every millisecond apparently counts.                             the trouble of carrying around a diary,” says Dr Eric
                                                                        Sure, some of these ideas may sound wacky – even                           Robinson, a behavioural psychologist at the University
                                                                     dangerous. But QS retains an open-minded outlook to                           of Birmingham.


106   Y A H O O 7. C O M . A U / M E N S H E A LT H                                                                                                                                              OCTOBER 2012      107
23                                                                                                                      BY THE
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 NUMB3RS


                                                                                                                                                                                                                          82




                                                                                                                                                                                               QS GIVES YOU
         Hear that rumble in the distance? It’s the sound of                                                                                      leaving his hotel, he put on a prototype                                                                         claims to help your body rid itself
      start-ups in Silicon Valley – in fact, all over the world
      – scrambling to develop new gadgets and software to
                                                                                 MADE TO MEASURE                                                  headband that measures bloodflow
                                                                                                                                                  to the brain. He spent 10 minutes
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   of positively charged electrons
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   that accumulate over the course of
                                                                                 Use these self-tracking solutions to help you

                                                                                                                                                                                               HARD FACTS,
      service the growing ranks of self-trackers. What was once                                                                                   increasing the flow to his prefrontal                                                                            the day. The benefit of this is that
      the preserve of forward-thinking geeks is rapidly gaining                  gain control and raise your game                                 cortex by five per cent in the belief                                                                            it supposedly helps to accelerate
      momentum as this technology explodes into daily use.                                                                                        this makes him mentally sharper.                                                                                 recovery, lower inflammation and
                                                                                       HEALTH

                                                                                                                                                                                               RATH3R THAN
                                                                                                                                                     Using this prototype reflects                                                                                 increase resilience. The sceptic in me
                                                                                       The tool: Tonic ($2.99, iTunes)                            Asprey’s willingness to pounce                                                                                   initially recoils, but when I discover
      Mid-sentence, David Asprey calmly picks up his right                             What it does: This multipurpose app helps you stay         on emerging ideas and nascent                                                                                    that Lance Armstrong slept on an


                                                                                                                                                                                               FUZZY LOG1C
      foot and wedges it right behind his neck. We’re sitting                          healthy by remembering and recording all your              technology. Working in computer                                                                                  earthing mat during the Tour De
                                                                                       related activities. Symptoms, supplements, spikes in
      at a cafe by the water in Elizabeth Bay and this surprise                                                                                   security has given him the mindset                                                                               France to optimise his rest, I figure
                                                                                       blood pressure – Tonic keeps track of the lot. Winner
      yoga trick draws wide-eyed stares from the next table.                                                                                      of a hacker – he’s always angling for                                                                            I’ve got nothing to lose. Over the next
                                                                                       of the 2011 prize for “Best Mobile Health Solution for
      Asprey, though, remains completely unfazed. The                                                                                             the solution, “with the least amount                                                                             few weeks, my REM sleep actually
                                                                                       Behaviour Change” at the Mobile Health conference.                                                                            77
      39-year-old American is used to ignoring conventions. In                                                                                    of time and energy invested”. Rather than wait for the                                    creeps up by eight per cent. That’s enough for me to
      fact, that’s what’s enabled him to go beyond the limits of                                                                                  sanctioned approval of large-scale medical studies, Asprey                                persevere with earthing for a longer trial.
      ordinary men.                                                              ALCOHOL                                                          is willing to forge his own route based on his research and                                  Practising daily with the emWave2 is also proving
         A towering figure dressed all in black, Asprey is visiting              The tool: Boozerlyzer (free, Android)                            experiments. Admittedly, things don’t always work out.                                    beneficial. When your HRV is low, a red light on the
      Sydney for a work conference. By day, he’s vice-president                  What it does: This drinks-tracking app                           Earlier this year, he sustained first degree burns to 15 per                              emWave2 glows. By controlling your breathing and
      of Cloud Security at Trend Micro, a global computer                        counts your drinks and their kilojoules, while                   cent of his body after an experiment testing the effects                                  actively calming your thoughts, your aim is to turn the
      company. But he’s better known in QS circles as “the                       monitoring your current blood-alcohol level.                     of extreme cold went badly wrong. Becoming a human                                        light to green and reach a physiological state the emWave2
      bulletproof executive”.                                                    You can also play a range of simple games that                   guinea pig clearly has its dangers.                                                       describes as “coherence” between your blood pressure,
         Asprey made his first million at 26 as the co-founder              99   measure your coordination, reaction time, memory and                Another potential flaw with self-experiments on a                                      breathing and heart rate. This balances your body’s
      of a company that pioneered modern cloud computing.                        judgment (or worrying lack thereof).                             sample group of one is the risk of the placebo effect.                                    nervous system and reduces your blood pressure. Soon,
      But as his career hit overdrive, Asprey’s health began to                                                                                   Asprey agrees this form of distortion is a genuine risk.                                  I’m hitting coherence for increasing lengths of time and
      suffer. Overwhelmed with stress, his weight rose to 111                          ACTIVITY LEVELS                                            “But that’s why quantifying things and collecting accurate                                move up to the device’s next level.
      kilograms, while an ominous medical revealed he was at                           The tool: Fitbit ($119.95, harveynorman.com.au)            data is so important.”                                                                       Occasionally, it strikes me that poring over these
      severe risk of stroke and heart attack. “I thought I was                         What it does: Like a super-charged pedometer, this            What QS does, he insists, is provide you with hard facts                               daily stats is narcissistic and borderline obsessive. Yet
      going to die unless I fixed this stuff, so I made it a really                    measures your daily activity, from number of steps,        rather than the fuzzy logic of a subjective hunch. As a                                   large organisations have always relied on numerical
      big priority,” he says.                                                          to stairs climbed, to distance travelled. Research         result, it can keep you better informed about what’s really                               evidence to gauge how they’re shaping up. Businesses
         Most people would take a holiday to sit on the                                from Fitbit claims that 88 per cent of the device’s        happening with your body and mind. “Whether you’re                              12        study balance sheets, governments scrutinise trade
      beach and unwind. Asprey opted to spend $250,000 to           45                 users increase their average number of steps by            a stay-at-home parent or a CEO, everyone benefits from                                    figures, TV networks analyse ratings. The corporate
      upgrade his body and mind. He put himself through an                             43 per cent.                                               becoming more mindful of their own system and their                                       maxim, “if it’s not measurable, it’s not manageable”,
      extensive battery of tests and experiments to collect a                                                                                     impact on themselves and other people,” he insists.                                       hammers home a basic truth: what numbers deliver is
      mountain of personal data. He delved into his health                                                                                                                                                                                  an objective yardstick to measure your progress against.
                                                                                 HAPPINESS
      in microscopic detail, checking 85 variables, from his                                                                                                                                                                                Reducing your life to a spreadsheet of data may seem a
                                                                                 The tool: MoodPanda (free, iTunes)
      nutrient, hormone and mineral levels, to his risk of                                                                                        Faced with the Zeo’s read-out every morning, I start                                      little impersonal, but viewed from a broader perspective,
                                                                                 What it does: This mood-tracking website and iPhone
      cancer and diabetes. At the same time, he painstakingly                                                                                     to explore the variables that may affect my score. Sadly,                                 monitoring your individual metrics is a logical extension
                                                                                 app allows you to rate your happiness on a 0-10
      analysed his cognitive function with a succession of scans                 scale, with the option of adding a brief note on what’s
                                                                                                                                                  alcohol seems to have an adverse effect, particularly on                                  of the numbers game.
      and tests. Having used QS techniques to measure his                        influencing your mood. Use it to identify specific               my deep sleep and the number of times I wake in the
      performance, Asprey then began to explore the best ways                    things that cheer you up or bring you down.                      night. Positive influences, meanwhile, include daytime
      to raise his game.                                                                                                                          exercise and taking a magnesium supplement an hour                                        “I’m just going to put on my headphones to walk and
         This quest for self-improvement led him to tap the                                                                                       before bed.                                                                               talk at the same time,” says David Dembo over the phone
      expertise of an army of biochemists, nutritionists and                                 WEIGHT LOSS                                             On Asprey’s advice, I also begin sleeping on an                                        from Melbourne. “That way I can remain healthy and
      meditation experts. He also experimented with cutting-                                  The tool: WiScale (free, iTunes store)              “earthing mat” ($261, barefoothealing.com.au), which                                      live longer.”
      edge technology. Asprey once spent a week (and $20,000)                                 What it does: After you step on the scales, this
      in a private facility in a Canadian forest rigged up to an                               wi-fi-enabled device uploads directly to your                                                                   69
      electroencephalography amplifier that bounced electrical                                 smartphone. The ability to track your weight,
                                                                                                BMI and fat mass levels can help you to
      signals into his brain. “In seven days, I learned to put my
      brain into a mental state that would normally take over 40                                pinpoint the areas that are leading you astray.     BACK ON TRACK: CASE STUDY
      years of zen meditation to achieve,” he explains.                                                                                             How one man used QS to reclaim control of his life
         Today, he’s whittled his 1.95-metre frame down to                       SLEEP                                                              Paul Kittson was in trouble. The     He kept a journal and every            a day of intense pain, the log was a     gradually come off the medication
      95kg and moved from the highest risk category for                          The tool: Zeo Mobile (US$149.95, harveynorman.
                                                                                                                                                    persistent niggle in his knee had    morning and evening he would           reminder that the tough days were        he took for the condition. But
      stroke, heart attack and diabetes to the very lowest.                      com.au; accompanying app free in iTunes store)
                                                                                                                                                    degenerated into patellofemoral      rate his pain from one to 10. This     only fleeting. “When I had a flare-      he uses the self-tracking app
      After being diagnosed with arthritis in his knees as a                     What it does: How did you sleep? The Zeo tells you                 syndrome. As it worsened, the        simple process enabled him to          up, it reassured me that it wasn’t       MoodPanda (see “Made to
      teenager, he’s now capable of extreme flexibility, as                      in detail right on your smartphone. Going to sleep                 26-year-old was left in chronic      compare the effectiveness of the       the end of the world.”                   Measure”, page 110) to monitor his
                                                                       67
      witnessed in the cafe. He’s also raised his IQ by 30 points                wearing the Zeo headband measures your total sleep,                pain until just standing up made     various treatments his physio              Since bringing his pain under        state of mind. “I’m keeping track of
      through smart drugs, dietary tweaks and gadgets that                       REM and deep sleep, and provides you with an overall               his knees shake. Kittson, who        had suggested. “The first thing        control, Kittson has begun using         my mood just in case, so if I start
      are literally mind-bending. By sharing his techniques and                  ZQ score that you can chart over time.                             works in human resources for         I learned was what didn’t work,”       QS tactics to master other issues,       to go south I can talk to someone
      findings on his website, bulletproofexec.com, Asprey has                                                                                      the Victorian police service, made   says Kittson. Gradually, through       ranging from repetitive strain           before it gets any worse.”
      inspired a cult following.                                                       STRESS                                                       regular trips to his physio – in     measuring the results, he found        injury to hayfever. “When there             Kittson admits to being
         Self-tracking, he insists, was the key to these mental                        The tool: emWave2 ($240, macquarieinstitute.com)             vain. “I was terrified because I     the most beneficial treatment was      could be 1000 different variables,       “evangelical” about the
      and physical upgrades. “If you have an innate desire to                          What it does: This handheld device measures your             was a healthy young guy and          to use a foam roller to massage his    it’s up to you to investigate yourself   transformative benefits of QS.
      improve and to further evolve, then it’s very hard to do                         heart rate variability, a physiological gauge of your        suddenly my mobility was taken       iliotibial band and quads.             because obviously the doctor             “Once you learn about the factors
      that without a map,” he explains. “What Quantified Self                                                                                       away,” he says.                          Keeping the journal also brought   doesn’t have the resources.”             that affect your life, you can take
                                                                                       stress. Follow the emWave2’s flashing prompts to
      does is gives you a map and a GPS. That’s priceless.”                                                                                            Desperate for a solution,         Kittson valuable perspective.              Having suffered from                 control of them,” he says. “It’s very
                                                                                       control your breathing and achieve calm, so as to
         Today, Asprey continues trying to navigate shortcuts to                                                                                    Kittson began self-tracking.         Rather than starting to despair on     depression in the past, Kittson has      motivating and empowering.”
                                                                                       reach a state of “coherence”.
      higher performance. This morning, for example, before


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NUMB3RS                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           44



                                                                                              36




                                                                                                                                                                                                                              “THE HUMAN BODY
                                                                                                                                                                                                                71
                                        Melbourne is shivering through a bitter cold snap. But                As Dembo paces the streets of Caulfield, he’s
                                     Dembo, the organiser of the Australian QS Meetup group                embodying his belief that individuals should take greater


                                                                                                                                                                                                                               I5 OPAQUE. YOU
                                     and, until recently, a managing director at Microsoft,                responsibility to safeguard their long-term health. This
                                     prefers to take his calls striding through the winter chill.          fervour is based on bitter experience – he’s seen how
                                        There’s a good reason behind this. Eighteen months                 things work from the other side.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                              HAVE NO IDEA HOW
                                     ago, Dembo began measuring his activity levels with a                    For six years, Dembo was a practising GP. The
                                     Fitlinxx 3D accelerometer that he attaches to his shoe. He            experience left him disillusioned with how modern
                                     was horrified to discover that he was regularly sitting for up        healthcare works. It is, he says, impossible for doctors


                                                                                                                                                                                                                             YOU’RE DO1NG UNTIL
                                     to 13 hours a day. “That scared me,” he admits.                       to take a remotely holistic view of your health because
                                        Dembo was already familiar with research showing that              their contact with you is so limited and episodic.
                                     sitting for just four hours a day can negate the benefits of          “During the 45 minutes or so a year that you spend with


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                IT’S TOO LATE”
                                     exercise and increase your risk of heart disease. Yet until           your GP, there’s only time for them to delve into the
                                     he began self-monitoring, he was oblivious to the severity            current crisis you have, whether it’s the flu or gastro or
                                     of his situation. “What’s scary about the human body is               high blood pressure.”
                                     that it’s completely opaque,” he says. “You have no idea                 The resulting problem, he argues, is that our healthcare
                                     how well or badly you’re doing until it’s too late.”                  is largely focused on treating sickness, not preserving
                                        Since then, he’s declared war on his sedentary lifestyle.          wellbeing. What self-monitoring offers is the chance to fill                                              “That’s the way I was trained, so it’s hard to escape that.
                                     Every day he tracks his daily number of steps and the                 in the gaps where the medical system is unable to help.                                                   But I do think it’s prudent,” he says.




                                                                                                                                                                             KINGHAM / CAMERA PRESS / AUSTRAL
                                     minutes he’s spent sitting down. Every evening, he                    “The emergence of these devices can empower you to                                                          For him, the main value of QS is less about medical
                                     uploads the data via USB to pinpoint the times he’s                   benchmark your state of health and not necessarily rely                                                   breakthroughs than it is about enabling you to help
                                     most sedentary and the areas – like talking on the                    on a doctor to be your agent of wellness,” he says. “It’s an                                              regulate your behaviour.
                                     phone – where he can make amendments. For added                       unbelievably exciting time.”                                                                                “Look, if you eat well, sleep well and exercise, you’ll
                                     motivation, Dembo became involved with LEAP4LIFE                         Ultimately, Dembo still believes in the authority of                                                   be healthy – that’s not rocket science,” he says. “What
                                     (leap4life.com), a wellbeing program that challenges its              medicine. He doesn’t follow the more extreme bio-                                                         excites me about the Quantified Self movement is these
                                     members to accrue reward points and financial incentives              hackers like Asprey who push the boundaries with                                                          devices kind of force you to do the fundamentals of
                                     for the number of steps they take each day. He now sits on            bold experiments. Dembo treads the middle ground,                                                         looking after yourself.”
                                     its board.                                                            continuing to defer to the scientific proof of clinical trials.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     38
                              78
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     And the truth is they actually do. Measuring my sleep
         TOP BIO-HACKS                                                                                                                                                                                               with the Zeo has forced me to prioritise my shut-eye for
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     the first time in my life. Suddenly, it’s harder to justify
         Dave Asprey (pictured) spent $US250,000 to upgrade his mind and body.                                                                                                                                       hours of late-night TV or mindlessly surfing the net.
         These are the bulletproof executive’s top tips for improving your own performance                                                                                                                           Confronting my ZQ score each morning has subtly
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     coerced me into becoming more accountable for my sleep.

         1   FORTIFY YOUR
             IMMUNE SYSTEM
         The easiest way to crank up your
                                                      3    RELAX THEN STRENGTHEN
                                                           YOUR BODY
                                                       “If you’re holding tension in a
                                                                                               5    TRAIN YOUR HEART
                                                                                                    “Heart rate variability training
                                                                                               is a more quantifiably precise way
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Eight weeks on, my sleep data certainly reflects this.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     I’ve improved my nightly rates of REM and deep sleep to
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     drive up my ZQ average. My overall score is now 17 per
         immune-boosting powers is by                 particular part of your body and         of doing breathing exercises,”                                                                                        cent better than the average guy my age.
         taking vitamin D3 supplements,               you’re not aware that you’re             says Asprey. Spending 10 minutes                                                                                          The effect of the emWave2 is more profound.
         says Asprey. Its advice backed by            doing it, it will be there for a long    a day controlling your HRV with                                                                                       Previously, I’d always struggled with anything that
         a study in the British Journal of            time,” says Asprey. That’s bad           an emWave2 can help you beat                                                                                          resembled meditation due to my pitiful attention span.
         Nutrition showing that people with           news. Research at Tokyo Medical          stress, boost your immune                                                                                             But I found the emWave2 more engaging, as the instant
         the greatest vitamin D levels in their       University shows that people             system and improve your
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     HRV feedback turns your 10-minute sessions almost into a
         blood were the least likely to suffer        whose bodies are more limber have        sleep. In the US, professional
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     game. Receiving this flow of data sharpened my focus by
         respiratory infections. To ensure            about five per cent less arterial        sportsmen such as NFL kicker
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     turning the otherwise nebulous concept of relaxation into
         your vitamin D levels are on target,         stiffness – a marker for heart           Billy Cundiff use the emWave2 on
         Asprey recommends asking your                disease. Asprey recommends               the sideline to help remain calm
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     something more tangible. Daily practice with the device
         doctor to run a simple blood test to         making an effort to unlock your          and focused under pressure.                                                                                           has taught me breathing techniques that have pushed my
         find out where you stand. Current            muscles by going to yoga classes,                                                                                                                              HRV into coherence for extended lengths of time. The

                                                                                               6
         Australian guidelines recommend a            getting regular massages or                  UPGRADE YOUR HEAD                                                                                                 sessions are calming and mentally restorative – I definitely
         minimum of 50 nanomoles per litre            visiting an acupuncturist.                   “Do whatever it takes                                                                                             plan to continue with them.
         (nmol/L) of blood.                                                                    to develop mindfulness and                                                                                                The overall impact of this two-pronged attack on stress

                                                      4    BUILD BREATHWORK                    become more aware of how                                                                                              is that my back is now fine. I haven’t suffered a twinge

         2   NAIL YOUR NUTRITION
             “The key point is that you have
         to get your primary types of food
                                                           “Learning to breathe the
                                                      right way will help you to relax,
                                                      improve your brain function and
                                                                                               you’re thinking.” To start, set
                                                                                               your phone to bleep three times
                                                                                               during the course of the day and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     since the week I started using the emWave2 – and haven’t
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     visited my chiropractor for almost six months.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         This may just prove a temporary fix. But the broader
         right,” he says. Make sure you ace           control your heart rate,” says           check in to observe how you’re                                                                                        message I’ve learnt is that measuring an aspect of your
         the bulk of your diet with quality           Asprey. To perfect this vital skill,     thinking and feeling. “Doing that is                                                                                  behaviour compels you to become more mindful about
         protein, fresh foods and healthy             seek instruction from a yoga             a really powerful practice,” insists                                                                                  it. Whether your focus is physical or mental, self-tracking
         fats before getting too distracted.          teacher or a breathwork expert           Asprey. The pay-off? Researchers                                                                                      provides you with a virtual training log to chart your steps
         “Don’t eat cheese just for the               from the Art of Living (artofliving.     at West Virginia University found                                                                                     (and stumbles) to solve your problem or reach your goal.
         calcium or drink wine just for the           org). But to get started try this        participants who underwent
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     If knowledge is power, QS presents you with the heavy
         resveratrol in it,” says Asprey.             simple exercise: “Breathe into the       “mindfulness meditation”
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     artillery to take control.
         Your first priority is securing your         diaphragm for five seconds, hold         saw a 44 per cent reduction in
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Ask Dave Asprey why you should try QS and he thinks
         macronutrients before you sweat              for five seconds and release for         psychological distress over
         the small stuff.                             five seconds,” says Asprey.              three months.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     for a second, then shrugs. “It just makes a ton of sense,” he
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     says. “Who doesn’t want to kick more ass?”




110   Y A H O O 7. C O M . A U / M E N S H E A LT H

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Quantified Self in Men's Health

  • 1. 08 04 BY THE NUMB3RS 15 WANT TO BE SMARTER, HEALTHIER AND MORE PRODUCTIVE? NEW TECHNOLOGY THAT KEEPS TRACK OF YOUR HIDDEN DATA 16 42 COULD UPGRADE YOUR LIFE – TODAY 23 BY LUKE BENEDICTUS I L L U S T R AT I O N S B Y C H A R I S T S E V I S “ J ust relax,” says the chiropractor with a frown. lack of self-awareness. The antidote to that, of course, Right now that’s proving something of a would lie in the pursuit of self-knowledge. challenge. We’re in a windowless room the size of a matchbox. Inwardly, I’m already wincing in anticipation as he fastens his grip on my A week later, I’m sitting with two new acquaintances in shoulders to manipulate my spine. There’s a pause, then a half-empty pub in Sydney’s inner-west. Laurence Wolf a violent wrench that forces a deep crack from my neck. is a muscular, shaven-haired figure wearing a CrossFit Exhaling in relief, I gaze at the ceiling and groan. hoodie and an air of upbeat intensity. Opposite sits My back has gone. Again. Every three months for the fresh-faced, sandy-haired Leon Wurfel, who projects the past five years, I’ve made the same laboured shuffle to calm assurance of the quietly intelligent. I’ve met them my chiropractor on Sydney’s north shore. Every visit, as through a movement known as Quantified Self. he’s twisted my spine through various grim contortions, Built on the promise of “self-knowledge through numbers”, he’s commented on the “chronic tension” in my body and Quantified Self is a multi-limbed community started by Gary berated me to do more to manage the stress that, he insists, Wolf (no relation to Laurence) and Kevin Kelly, two editors is the root cause of the issue. Every time, I’ve nodded in of Wired magazine in the US. Five years on, the movement earnest agreement. Then I’ve completely ignored him. has gone global, with QS Meetup groups (meetup.com) Why? Partly, I suppose, it’s the photos of native popping up in 62 destinations around the world. American chieftains on his wall that bother me. I mean, Essentially, QS involves collecting data on a specific I like my chiropractor and everything, but those pictures area of your life with a long-term view to improving it. do give off a faint new age whiff. But it is also because, Your focus could be anything you’re looking to work on. frankly, I disagree with his diagnosis. If you met me, I Weight loss, mood swings, productivity, too much booze might strike you as many things: deluded, cantankerous, . . . To the self-tracker they’re all made to measure. Once tiresome, vain . . . but stressed-out probably wouldn’t you’ve accumulated a reasonable wodge of data, you can sneak onto your hit list. analyse the patterns and attempt to take corrective action This time, despite my chiro’s decor, I’m ready to listen. As to nudge things in a positive direction. “QS is all about an otherwise healthy 30-something, I’m sick of the recurring trying to optimise yourself,” explains Wurfel. “That’s how twinges that regularly leave me with the hunched posture of I got into it.” a rice farmer. My fingers-in-ears approach hasn’t worked. It’s For Wurfel, QS is a natural extension of his day job. GETTY IMAGES time to experiment and change tactics. Working as an engineering consultant, he looks after a Walking outside, I realise that if my chiro’s stress portfolio of buildings and devises upgrades to improve diagnosis is right, then I’ve been suffering from a woeful their energy efficiency. “I soup up buildings for a living,” 104 Y A H O O 7. C O M . A U / M E N S H E A LT H OCTOBER 2012 105
  • 2. BY THE NUMB3RS 95 the 29-year-old explains. “It just fits well with my trialling fresh ideas. “The beauty of QS is that you just personality to want to soup myself up, too.” give something a go. Try it out and see the results,” says Wurfel’s interest in QS was fired by American author Wolf. “You don’t always need piles of clinical studies to act Tim Ferriss, who helped to popularise QS principles 38 – try something out for a month and if it works for you, with The Four Hour Body, a bestseller that documented then great.” his self-tracking experiments to enhance his physical, “Why listen to what someone else is telling you when mental and sexual performance. “It just seemed to be like you can measure it and figure it out pretty simply for turbo-charged self-improvement,” says Wurfel. “What I yourself?” adds Wurfel, taking a sip of his beer. really liked was that it’s about being able to measure your progress, and not just airy-fairy ideas.” One of Wurfel’s first experiments involved trying Inspired by the meeting, I’m going to take a QS to improve his concentration and efficiency at work. approach to my back problems by tackling my stress. He began to train with Dual N-Back, a computer game During the monthly conference call for the Sydney developed as a cognitive training tool that involves QS Meetup group, I’m recommended two gadgets to recalling a flashing sequence of squares and letters. help me. Wurfel took an IQ test, then played Dual N-Back every New technology is what’s driving QS into the day for four weeks. “It’s not fun, it’s almost painful – like mainstream. An increasing array of gadgets and apps are doing bench-press with your brain,” he admits. But these making data collection easier than ever. Tracking your mental workouts delivered stark results. In the space of a metrics no longer requires you to be anally retentive or single month, Wurfel lifted his IQ score by 14 points. numerically astute. Instead, new gizmos can painlessly Since then, he has continued to tinker, including even 11 record your stats before computing the mad tangle of raw going so far as to experiment with “smart drugs” such as figures into a readily comprehended graph. piracetam and modafinil to sharpen One of the first areas I’m advised his mental clarity. “My KPIs (key to work on is improving my sleep. performance indicators) have all increased by 30-50 per cent since I “THE B3AUTY The link between poor-quality sleep and stress is well documented. OF QS IS THAT started down this path, so something Lack of sleep, for example, is is working,” he says. proven to affect your production of Across the table, Wolf, a 37-year-old testosterone, with studies at Florida YOU JUST GIVE entrepreneur, was drawn to QS after State University showing that men he began reflecting on the health of suffering from this hormone deficit his parents. Between cancer, diabetes tend to have a higher risk of anxiety. 5OMETHING A and prostate issues, it wasn’t a cheery To monitor the amount and quality picture. “Although I wasn’t in the of my sleep each night, I start using worst shape, I realised that, as you get a Zeo Mobile Sleep Manager Pro. I GO. TRY IT OUT older, the onus is on you to take care go to sleep wearing a headband with of your health even more,” he says. embedded sensors that link up to an “I looked at my parents’ health and app on my iPhone. Waking up in the AND SEE THE thought, ‘I do not want to end up like morning, I receive a “ZQ” score that that – I want to be fit’.” measures my total shut-eye, REM, QS practitioners tend to share deep sleep and light sleep, plus the RESULTS” what they’ve learnt from their DIY number of times I’ve woken during trials by circulating their findings the night. online. Consequently, Wolf began The second gizmo I start using experimenting with some of the is the emWave2, a handheld ideas he discovered. His food intake is now governed by biofeedback device about the size of a deck of cards. a form of intermittent fasting that is claimed, among 60 Researchers from the University of Calgary found other things, to increase longevity, mental clarity and the device can help to reduce stress. Since then, it insulin sensitivity. In Wolf’s case, this involves following a has become widely used within the US military and 16:8-hour fast/feeding ratio. You might eat your last meal by NASA. at 8pm, then not eat until noon the following day, when The emWave2 uses infrared sensors to measure 03 you’d consume all your food within an eight-hour window. your heart rate variability (HRV), which is the amount “It helps you sleep, it helps you perform, it helps with fat of time between each heartbeat. High HRV signals loss,” he insists. relaxation, while a low rate shows your sympathetic When he does eat, Wolf follows a high-fat diet, nervous system is under strain, causing your body to believing that it improves cognitive function. This release stress hormones. Using the emWave2 for 10 idea was popularised by Dr Seth Roberts, professor minutes each day allows you to monitor your HRV and of psychology at Tsinghua University in Beijing and a bring it to an optimal level through controlling your prominent QS figure. He shared the results of a long- breathing and calming your thoughts. running experiment on his brain function, in which he A number of psychologists are convinced this timed his speed to complete 32 easy arithmetic problems new generation of devices and apps will prove highly on his computer every morning. Roberts found that eating beneficial in helping people with personal goals like four tablespoons of butter (60 grams) every day shaved weight loss. “Apps have huge potential because they 30 milliseconds off his time to solve the problems. When let you self-monitor and track your progress without GETTY IMAGES you’re busy, every millisecond apparently counts. the trouble of carrying around a diary,” says Dr Eric Sure, some of these ideas may sound wacky – even Robinson, a behavioural psychologist at the University dangerous. But QS retains an open-minded outlook to of Birmingham. 106 Y A H O O 7. C O M . A U / M E N S H E A LT H OCTOBER 2012 107
  • 3. 23 BY THE NUMB3RS 82 QS GIVES YOU Hear that rumble in the distance? It’s the sound of leaving his hotel, he put on a prototype claims to help your body rid itself start-ups in Silicon Valley – in fact, all over the world – scrambling to develop new gadgets and software to MADE TO MEASURE headband that measures bloodflow to the brain. He spent 10 minutes of positively charged electrons that accumulate over the course of Use these self-tracking solutions to help you HARD FACTS, service the growing ranks of self-trackers. What was once increasing the flow to his prefrontal the day. The benefit of this is that the preserve of forward-thinking geeks is rapidly gaining gain control and raise your game cortex by five per cent in the belief it supposedly helps to accelerate momentum as this technology explodes into daily use. this makes him mentally sharper. recovery, lower inflammation and HEALTH RATH3R THAN Using this prototype reflects increase resilience. The sceptic in me The tool: Tonic ($2.99, iTunes) Asprey’s willingness to pounce initially recoils, but when I discover Mid-sentence, David Asprey calmly picks up his right What it does: This multipurpose app helps you stay on emerging ideas and nascent that Lance Armstrong slept on an FUZZY LOG1C foot and wedges it right behind his neck. We’re sitting healthy by remembering and recording all your technology. Working in computer earthing mat during the Tour De related activities. Symptoms, supplements, spikes in at a cafe by the water in Elizabeth Bay and this surprise security has given him the mindset France to optimise his rest, I figure blood pressure – Tonic keeps track of the lot. Winner yoga trick draws wide-eyed stares from the next table. of a hacker – he’s always angling for I’ve got nothing to lose. Over the next of the 2011 prize for “Best Mobile Health Solution for Asprey, though, remains completely unfazed. The the solution, “with the least amount few weeks, my REM sleep actually Behaviour Change” at the Mobile Health conference. 77 39-year-old American is used to ignoring conventions. In of time and energy invested”. Rather than wait for the creeps up by eight per cent. That’s enough for me to fact, that’s what’s enabled him to go beyond the limits of sanctioned approval of large-scale medical studies, Asprey persevere with earthing for a longer trial. ordinary men. ALCOHOL is willing to forge his own route based on his research and Practising daily with the emWave2 is also proving A towering figure dressed all in black, Asprey is visiting The tool: Boozerlyzer (free, Android) experiments. Admittedly, things don’t always work out. beneficial. When your HRV is low, a red light on the Sydney for a work conference. By day, he’s vice-president What it does: This drinks-tracking app Earlier this year, he sustained first degree burns to 15 per emWave2 glows. By controlling your breathing and of Cloud Security at Trend Micro, a global computer counts your drinks and their kilojoules, while cent of his body after an experiment testing the effects actively calming your thoughts, your aim is to turn the company. But he’s better known in QS circles as “the monitoring your current blood-alcohol level. of extreme cold went badly wrong. Becoming a human light to green and reach a physiological state the emWave2 bulletproof executive”. You can also play a range of simple games that guinea pig clearly has its dangers. describes as “coherence” between your blood pressure, Asprey made his first million at 26 as the co-founder 99 measure your coordination, reaction time, memory and Another potential flaw with self-experiments on a breathing and heart rate. This balances your body’s of a company that pioneered modern cloud computing. judgment (or worrying lack thereof). sample group of one is the risk of the placebo effect. nervous system and reduces your blood pressure. Soon, But as his career hit overdrive, Asprey’s health began to Asprey agrees this form of distortion is a genuine risk. I’m hitting coherence for increasing lengths of time and suffer. Overwhelmed with stress, his weight rose to 111 ACTIVITY LEVELS “But that’s why quantifying things and collecting accurate move up to the device’s next level. kilograms, while an ominous medical revealed he was at The tool: Fitbit ($119.95, harveynorman.com.au) data is so important.” Occasionally, it strikes me that poring over these severe risk of stroke and heart attack. “I thought I was What it does: Like a super-charged pedometer, this What QS does, he insists, is provide you with hard facts daily stats is narcissistic and borderline obsessive. Yet going to die unless I fixed this stuff, so I made it a really measures your daily activity, from number of steps, rather than the fuzzy logic of a subjective hunch. As a large organisations have always relied on numerical big priority,” he says. to stairs climbed, to distance travelled. Research result, it can keep you better informed about what’s really evidence to gauge how they’re shaping up. Businesses Most people would take a holiday to sit on the from Fitbit claims that 88 per cent of the device’s happening with your body and mind. “Whether you’re 12 study balance sheets, governments scrutinise trade beach and unwind. Asprey opted to spend $250,000 to 45 users increase their average number of steps by a stay-at-home parent or a CEO, everyone benefits from figures, TV networks analyse ratings. The corporate upgrade his body and mind. He put himself through an 43 per cent. becoming more mindful of their own system and their maxim, “if it’s not measurable, it’s not manageable”, extensive battery of tests and experiments to collect a impact on themselves and other people,” he insists. hammers home a basic truth: what numbers deliver is mountain of personal data. He delved into his health an objective yardstick to measure your progress against. HAPPINESS in microscopic detail, checking 85 variables, from his Reducing your life to a spreadsheet of data may seem a The tool: MoodPanda (free, iTunes) nutrient, hormone and mineral levels, to his risk of Faced with the Zeo’s read-out every morning, I start little impersonal, but viewed from a broader perspective, What it does: This mood-tracking website and iPhone cancer and diabetes. At the same time, he painstakingly to explore the variables that may affect my score. Sadly, monitoring your individual metrics is a logical extension app allows you to rate your happiness on a 0-10 analysed his cognitive function with a succession of scans scale, with the option of adding a brief note on what’s alcohol seems to have an adverse effect, particularly on of the numbers game. and tests. Having used QS techniques to measure his influencing your mood. Use it to identify specific my deep sleep and the number of times I wake in the performance, Asprey then began to explore the best ways things that cheer you up or bring you down. night. Positive influences, meanwhile, include daytime to raise his game. exercise and taking a magnesium supplement an hour “I’m just going to put on my headphones to walk and This quest for self-improvement led him to tap the before bed. talk at the same time,” says David Dembo over the phone expertise of an army of biochemists, nutritionists and WEIGHT LOSS On Asprey’s advice, I also begin sleeping on an from Melbourne. “That way I can remain healthy and meditation experts. He also experimented with cutting- The tool: WiScale (free, iTunes store) “earthing mat” ($261, barefoothealing.com.au), which live longer.” edge technology. Asprey once spent a week (and $20,000) What it does: After you step on the scales, this in a private facility in a Canadian forest rigged up to an wi-fi-enabled device uploads directly to your 69 electroencephalography amplifier that bounced electrical smartphone. The ability to track your weight, BMI and fat mass levels can help you to signals into his brain. “In seven days, I learned to put my brain into a mental state that would normally take over 40 pinpoint the areas that are leading you astray. BACK ON TRACK: CASE STUDY years of zen meditation to achieve,” he explains. How one man used QS to reclaim control of his life Today, he’s whittled his 1.95-metre frame down to SLEEP Paul Kittson was in trouble. The He kept a journal and every a day of intense pain, the log was a gradually come off the medication 95kg and moved from the highest risk category for The tool: Zeo Mobile (US$149.95, harveynorman. persistent niggle in his knee had morning and evening he would reminder that the tough days were he took for the condition. But stroke, heart attack and diabetes to the very lowest. com.au; accompanying app free in iTunes store) degenerated into patellofemoral rate his pain from one to 10. This only fleeting. “When I had a flare- he uses the self-tracking app After being diagnosed with arthritis in his knees as a What it does: How did you sleep? The Zeo tells you syndrome. As it worsened, the simple process enabled him to up, it reassured me that it wasn’t MoodPanda (see “Made to teenager, he’s now capable of extreme flexibility, as in detail right on your smartphone. Going to sleep 26-year-old was left in chronic compare the effectiveness of the the end of the world.” Measure”, page 110) to monitor his 67 witnessed in the cafe. He’s also raised his IQ by 30 points wearing the Zeo headband measures your total sleep, pain until just standing up made various treatments his physio Since bringing his pain under state of mind. “I’m keeping track of through smart drugs, dietary tweaks and gadgets that REM and deep sleep, and provides you with an overall his knees shake. Kittson, who had suggested. “The first thing control, Kittson has begun using my mood just in case, so if I start are literally mind-bending. By sharing his techniques and ZQ score that you can chart over time. works in human resources for I learned was what didn’t work,” QS tactics to master other issues, to go south I can talk to someone findings on his website, bulletproofexec.com, Asprey has the Victorian police service, made says Kittson. Gradually, through ranging from repetitive strain before it gets any worse.” inspired a cult following. STRESS regular trips to his physio – in measuring the results, he found injury to hayfever. “When there Kittson admits to being Self-tracking, he insists, was the key to these mental The tool: emWave2 ($240, macquarieinstitute.com) vain. “I was terrified because I the most beneficial treatment was could be 1000 different variables, “evangelical” about the and physical upgrades. “If you have an innate desire to What it does: This handheld device measures your was a healthy young guy and to use a foam roller to massage his it’s up to you to investigate yourself transformative benefits of QS. improve and to further evolve, then it’s very hard to do heart rate variability, a physiological gauge of your suddenly my mobility was taken iliotibial band and quads. because obviously the doctor “Once you learn about the factors that without a map,” he explains. “What Quantified Self away,” he says. Keeping the journal also brought doesn’t have the resources.” that affect your life, you can take stress. Follow the emWave2’s flashing prompts to does is gives you a map and a GPS. That’s priceless.” Desperate for a solution, Kittson valuable perspective. Having suffered from control of them,” he says. “It’s very control your breathing and achieve calm, so as to Today, Asprey continues trying to navigate shortcuts to Kittson began self-tracking. Rather than starting to despair on depression in the past, Kittson has motivating and empowering.” reach a state of “coherence”. higher performance. This morning, for example, before 108 Y A H O O 7. C O M . A U / M E N S H E A LT H OCTOBER 2012 109
  • 4. BY THE NUMB3RS 44 36 “THE HUMAN BODY 71 Melbourne is shivering through a bitter cold snap. But As Dembo paces the streets of Caulfield, he’s Dembo, the organiser of the Australian QS Meetup group embodying his belief that individuals should take greater I5 OPAQUE. YOU and, until recently, a managing director at Microsoft, responsibility to safeguard their long-term health. This prefers to take his calls striding through the winter chill. fervour is based on bitter experience – he’s seen how There’s a good reason behind this. Eighteen months things work from the other side. HAVE NO IDEA HOW ago, Dembo began measuring his activity levels with a For six years, Dembo was a practising GP. The Fitlinxx 3D accelerometer that he attaches to his shoe. He experience left him disillusioned with how modern was horrified to discover that he was regularly sitting for up healthcare works. It is, he says, impossible for doctors YOU’RE DO1NG UNTIL to 13 hours a day. “That scared me,” he admits. to take a remotely holistic view of your health because Dembo was already familiar with research showing that their contact with you is so limited and episodic. sitting for just four hours a day can negate the benefits of “During the 45 minutes or so a year that you spend with IT’S TOO LATE” exercise and increase your risk of heart disease. Yet until your GP, there’s only time for them to delve into the he began self-monitoring, he was oblivious to the severity current crisis you have, whether it’s the flu or gastro or of his situation. “What’s scary about the human body is high blood pressure.” that it’s completely opaque,” he says. “You have no idea The resulting problem, he argues, is that our healthcare how well or badly you’re doing until it’s too late.” is largely focused on treating sickness, not preserving Since then, he’s declared war on his sedentary lifestyle. wellbeing. What self-monitoring offers is the chance to fill “That’s the way I was trained, so it’s hard to escape that. Every day he tracks his daily number of steps and the in the gaps where the medical system is unable to help. But I do think it’s prudent,” he says. KINGHAM / CAMERA PRESS / AUSTRAL minutes he’s spent sitting down. Every evening, he “The emergence of these devices can empower you to For him, the main value of QS is less about medical uploads the data via USB to pinpoint the times he’s benchmark your state of health and not necessarily rely breakthroughs than it is about enabling you to help most sedentary and the areas – like talking on the on a doctor to be your agent of wellness,” he says. “It’s an regulate your behaviour. phone – where he can make amendments. For added unbelievably exciting time.” “Look, if you eat well, sleep well and exercise, you’ll motivation, Dembo became involved with LEAP4LIFE Ultimately, Dembo still believes in the authority of be healthy – that’s not rocket science,” he says. “What (leap4life.com), a wellbeing program that challenges its medicine. He doesn’t follow the more extreme bio- excites me about the Quantified Self movement is these members to accrue reward points and financial incentives hackers like Asprey who push the boundaries with devices kind of force you to do the fundamentals of for the number of steps they take each day. He now sits on bold experiments. Dembo treads the middle ground, looking after yourself.” its board. continuing to defer to the scientific proof of clinical trials. 38 78 And the truth is they actually do. Measuring my sleep TOP BIO-HACKS with the Zeo has forced me to prioritise my shut-eye for the first time in my life. Suddenly, it’s harder to justify Dave Asprey (pictured) spent $US250,000 to upgrade his mind and body. hours of late-night TV or mindlessly surfing the net. These are the bulletproof executive’s top tips for improving your own performance Confronting my ZQ score each morning has subtly coerced me into becoming more accountable for my sleep. 1 FORTIFY YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM The easiest way to crank up your 3 RELAX THEN STRENGTHEN YOUR BODY “If you’re holding tension in a 5 TRAIN YOUR HEART “Heart rate variability training is a more quantifiably precise way Eight weeks on, my sleep data certainly reflects this. I’ve improved my nightly rates of REM and deep sleep to drive up my ZQ average. My overall score is now 17 per immune-boosting powers is by particular part of your body and of doing breathing exercises,” cent better than the average guy my age. taking vitamin D3 supplements, you’re not aware that you’re says Asprey. Spending 10 minutes The effect of the emWave2 is more profound. says Asprey. Its advice backed by doing it, it will be there for a long a day controlling your HRV with Previously, I’d always struggled with anything that a study in the British Journal of time,” says Asprey. That’s bad an emWave2 can help you beat resembled meditation due to my pitiful attention span. Nutrition showing that people with news. Research at Tokyo Medical stress, boost your immune But I found the emWave2 more engaging, as the instant the greatest vitamin D levels in their University shows that people system and improve your HRV feedback turns your 10-minute sessions almost into a blood were the least likely to suffer whose bodies are more limber have sleep. In the US, professional game. Receiving this flow of data sharpened my focus by respiratory infections. To ensure about five per cent less arterial sportsmen such as NFL kicker turning the otherwise nebulous concept of relaxation into your vitamin D levels are on target, stiffness – a marker for heart Billy Cundiff use the emWave2 on Asprey recommends asking your disease. Asprey recommends the sideline to help remain calm something more tangible. Daily practice with the device doctor to run a simple blood test to making an effort to unlock your and focused under pressure. has taught me breathing techniques that have pushed my find out where you stand. Current muscles by going to yoga classes, HRV into coherence for extended lengths of time. The 6 Australian guidelines recommend a getting regular massages or UPGRADE YOUR HEAD sessions are calming and mentally restorative – I definitely minimum of 50 nanomoles per litre visiting an acupuncturist. “Do whatever it takes plan to continue with them. (nmol/L) of blood. to develop mindfulness and The overall impact of this two-pronged attack on stress 4 BUILD BREATHWORK become more aware of how is that my back is now fine. I haven’t suffered a twinge 2 NAIL YOUR NUTRITION “The key point is that you have to get your primary types of food “Learning to breathe the right way will help you to relax, improve your brain function and you’re thinking.” To start, set your phone to bleep three times during the course of the day and since the week I started using the emWave2 – and haven’t visited my chiropractor for almost six months. This may just prove a temporary fix. But the broader right,” he says. Make sure you ace control your heart rate,” says check in to observe how you’re message I’ve learnt is that measuring an aspect of your the bulk of your diet with quality Asprey. To perfect this vital skill, thinking and feeling. “Doing that is behaviour compels you to become more mindful about protein, fresh foods and healthy seek instruction from a yoga a really powerful practice,” insists it. Whether your focus is physical or mental, self-tracking fats before getting too distracted. teacher or a breathwork expert Asprey. The pay-off? Researchers provides you with a virtual training log to chart your steps “Don’t eat cheese just for the from the Art of Living (artofliving. at West Virginia University found (and stumbles) to solve your problem or reach your goal. calcium or drink wine just for the org). But to get started try this participants who underwent If knowledge is power, QS presents you with the heavy resveratrol in it,” says Asprey. simple exercise: “Breathe into the “mindfulness meditation” artillery to take control. Your first priority is securing your diaphragm for five seconds, hold saw a 44 per cent reduction in Ask Dave Asprey why you should try QS and he thinks macronutrients before you sweat for five seconds and release for psychological distress over the small stuff. five seconds,” says Asprey. three months. for a second, then shrugs. “It just makes a ton of sense,” he says. “Who doesn’t want to kick more ass?” 110 Y A H O O 7. C O M . A U / M E N S H E A LT H