#1950 Quadrillions of Engines

I’m typing this on a Wednesday morning.

It’s 10:47 a.m. CT.

I’m 2 hours and 25 minutes into a Deep Work block so far this morning as part of my DEEP WORK WEEK as I HAMMER to get ahead on content so I can then Focus my Energy on the next WIN.

Note: I’m employing one of my favorite Ideas from Peter Drucker’s The Effective Executive.

This one: “If there is one ‘secret’ of effectiveness, it is concentration. Effective executives do first things first and they do one thing at a time. ... There are always more important contributions to be made than there is time available to make them. ... Therefore, there is always a time deficit.

The more an executive focuses on upward contribution, the more will he require fairly big continuous chunks of time. The more he switches from being busy to achieving results, the more will he shift to sustained efforts—efforts which require a fairly big quantum of time to bear fruit. Yet to get even that half-day or those two weeks of really productive time requires self-discipline and an iron determination to say ‘No.’

Similarly, the more an executive works at making strengths productive, the more will he become conscious of the need to concentrate the human strengths available to him on major opportunities. This is the only way to get results.”

Now…

I just finished my Notes on Johann Hari’s GREAT book Stolen Focus in which he walks us through the TWELVE causes of “Why You Can’t Pay Attention—and How to Think Deeply Again.”

When I finish one Note on days like this, before I take a break, I like to IMMEDIATELY start the next Note to keep the momentum going and get my Energy Focused on my next micro-WIN.

In this case, the next Note I’m working on is a book called Metabolical by Robert Lustig. Sub-title: “The Truth About Processed Food and How It Poisons People and the Planet.”

Metabolical.

I have to say that the title creeps me out a bit. (Hah.)

And, I must say that this was a tough book to read. Let’s just say that it’s not a warm and fluffy, super-inspiring self-development book.

As per the inside flaps of the book, Lustig documents how processed food has impacted each of the eight pathologies that underlie all chronic diseases “over the last fifty years to ruin our health, economy, and environment; and he proposes an urgent manifesto and strategy to cure both us and the planet. ... He insists that if we do not change the way we eat, we will continue to court chronic disease, bankrupt health care, and threaten the planet. But there is hope--this book explains what’s needed to fix all three.”

Although not warm and fluffy, it IS incredibly sobering and, ultimately, inspiring.

But that’s not quite why I started creating this +1.

This is…

Lustig (who is one of the world’s leading experts on the root causes of chronic diseases), tells us: “Chronic disease is mitochondrial dysfunction, and mitochondrial dysfunction is chronic disease. They are one in the same.”

I repeat…

“Chronic disease is mitochondrial dysfunction, and mitochondrial dysfunction is chronic disease. They are one in the same.”

Remember your high school biology class?

(Neither do I! 😆 😉 🤓)

If so, you might remember that mitochondria are the little Energy engines inside nearly every single one of your cells (that isn’t a red blood cell!).

There are about 7-10 TRILLION (non-red-blood) cells in your body.

The number of mitochondria within each of those cells varies.

The cells that require the most Energy, have the most mitochondria.

For example, your skin (which doesn’t require much Energy), only has a few hundred while high-Energy cells like your muscles and your liver have thousands.

But…

You know what has THE MOST mitochondria?

Your BRAIN CELLS.

Remember: Although your brain only accounts for 2% of your body weight, it uses 20% of your Energy.

And…

All that begs the question…

How do we make sure we’re taking good care of our mitochondria?

To which I say…

DOMINATE YOUR FUNDAMENTALS.

Eating.
Moving.
Sleeping.
Breathing.
Focusing.

Every.single.one of the little things we talk about all.the.time is helping you optimize the little engines inside your body—which helps you not only avoid chronic diseases in the future, but enjoy your life by activating your HEROIC Energy TODAY!

Oh!

I forgot to mention.

You know how many mitochondria we have when you add them all up?

ChatGPT tells me that: “If we conservatively assume an average of 500 mitochondria per cell, then in 7–12 trillion cells, the total number of mitochondria could range from:

• 7 trillion × 500 = 3.5 quadrillion mitochondria (low estimate)
• 12 trillion × 500 = 6 quadrillion mitochondria (higher estimate)

Therefore, the human body likely contains several quadrillion mitochondria in total, though the exact number can vary based on individual factors like activity level, health, and specific cell function.”

Let’s take care of those little guys.

All day.

Every day.

Especially…

TODAY.