Several years ago, we were with some friends and one guy bragged his dad was still golfing at 98. Another said he didn’t worry about exercise or diet because his parents lived to 99. He announced, “How long you live is up to your genes.”
I was shocked! You see, my mother died at 54, my sister at 52, my dad at 60… and all my uncles before 50. At the time I was 58.
According to popular belief, I was well past my “sell-by” date!
That was 17 years ago, and today, almost 75, I’m still here. That moment was a tipping point: the first time I had thought about my own death. Since then, I’ve studied aging and longevity with a passion.
Genes and Longevity
How long do you think you will live? It may have little to do with your parents’ longevity. I’ve learned that your genes account for only about 20% of longevity. The rest depends on your personal health habits, all of which you have some considerable control over:
- What you eat
- How much you exercise
- How well you sleep
- How well you manage stress
- How many meaningful social connections
- Do you have a purpose for your life and meaningful goals
Our message in the book War on Aging is that if you pay attention to six pillars of your life, you will age well and avoid the degenerative diseases of aging (heart disease, diabetes, strokes, dementia and cancers.) We want to see more seniors take advantage of the natural, abundant and free resources to live happy lives beyond what our parents and grandparents had.
The 6 Pillars of Aging Well
- Exercise: expand over the minimal amounts deemed official by government health sites. Exercise up-regulates mitochondria, the power houses inside your cells, giving you more energy and fighting inflammation and disease.
- Diet: low to moderate protein, eat more plant-based foods, less animal sources (meat and diary)
- Sleep: 7 – 8 ½ hours
- Stress: manage it
- Social life: be with friends
- Purpose and goals: find meaningful ways to express what really matters to you
More on this later. For now, think about how you live your life in each of these six areas.
And don’t forget to sign up to receive more about aging well.
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