Energy
by Naura Hayden

Everything you've always wanted to know about energy but were too weak to ask

1976, Simon and Schuster Pocket Books, 201 pages

My S.O. is always finding deals—one of her biggest pleasures is getting compliments on a sleek new stylish outfit that she paid $1.50 for at the Salvation Army—and she picks up free books when the library cleans out inventory.

A blast from the past, Naura Hayden's little book, dust-colored from the years, peeks out at me the other day in the SO's kitchen nook with that one magic word: Energy. Something we all want and often find wanting:

Power is everything. Power is everything. Without it they don't talk to us, they don't correct their trajectory, they don't turn the heat shield around...
— John (Loren Dean), Apollo 13 NASA briefing

Energy is everything.

Naura gets right to it: she was ill, life wasn't going well, she had bad habits, her 30-something body was falling apart. Then after a doctor's visit and reading Let's Eat Right to Keep Fit by nutrition pioneer Adelle Davis, Naura fiddled around in the kitchen and came up with a simple, remarkably cheap energy drink:

Naura's Dynamite Milkshake

2 cups skim milk
1 tablespoon safflower
2 packets (or equivalent) sugar substitute
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Start the blender on low and add:
4 heaping tablespoons nutritional (or brewer's) yeast
4 heaping tablespoons powdered lecithin [1]

A simple calculation shows this basic formula for the killer milkshake will cost you approximately one Federal Reserve Note (FRN) per cup. Two cups' worth meets an average man's daily protein requirements and almost every nutritional need.

Qua early adopter, I've been using it for a couple of weeks now. Many bennies. Not only energy, but appearance I think, too: skin, hair. An additional major side benefit for me is that the cravings for high-glycemic-index foods and alcohol are diminishing... and I'm sleeping better. (!) ((I can also report some serendipity of meaningful coincidences, reminding
me of a Celestine Prophecy lesson.)

I know, so what? It's all anecdotal. But what's the downside of checking out something so inexpensive and obviously not bad for you?

In this book review, though, I want to make a couple of less direct points: 1) Naura[2] is an incredible woman who's love of life and valuable insights have helped millions and 2) oldies can still be goodies. I don't mean Naura either—she's still going strong at 75—just that the advice and cures of yesteryear are often superior to prime-time prescriptions.

Consider for example Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich.

Energy has sold more than two million copies and was a bestseller back in the day. There's more to it than just the milk shake; she gives practical advice as well for staying mentally positive, using auto-suggestion techniques (like Napoleon Hill), being persistent, feeling the love.

As Naura describes several of the celebrities, political figures, and media people who were big on her ideas—Regis Philbin was an early adopter who's still a big "who"—I'm struck by how many of them "got old" on us. The wellness people and their practitioners are still running into that brutal wall of aging and mortality.

And too many of these health advocates neglect to embrace the modern life extension movement, which I write about in a review of Ray Kurweil's book Fantastic Voyage. I don't know if Naura is hanging back, too. I'll bet as she learns about what is imminent and possible in the vitalist movement, she'll go for it. When you get the most out of life, you want to stay youthful and vigorous forever.

[1] She uses the skim milk, but powdered milk is even better because it will store longer and you can keep bigger batches in the fridge. It's also fun to add a banana, a few strawberries, etc. I use a Life Extension Mix formula powder and a couple of teaspoons of cinnamon that can go right into the blender, too. Check out Naura's site or other health food outlets if you want to buy a premixed package.

[2] Naura has had a varied career on stage and screen. You can check her out here on the IMDb database.