This Just In: The Key to a Long and Happy Life!
Eat. Move. Sleep. Talk. And Moderate the alcohol and oh my, please, quit the smoking and vaping.
Want to live longer and live well while living longer?
That’s the formula. No magic here.
Eat + Move + Sleep + Talk + Stop = Live Well and Longer.
Author Brad Stulberg, in The Key to Longevity is Boring (New York Times, July 14, 2024) writes this while citing data to support it and raising a strong argument against following the latest fad or slew of advertised products (e.g. the global supplement market is $250 billion): “Research has long shown that health and longevity come down to five fundamental lifestyle behaviors: exercise regularly, eating a nutritious diet, eschewing cigarettes, limiting alcohol consumption and nurturing meaningful relationships.”
You’ll notice he didn’t mention sleep. I threw that in there because, well, it should be there (check the research on that!). If we take the quitting (smoking/vaping) and limiting (alcohol) and roll them together into one Stop we have a nice tidy number of five again for the fundamentals. Eat + Move + Sleep + Talk + Stop.
Let’s just say you have better things to do than do this, or even to think about doing this (the five things). Fair enough. But a question, please: what can you do to help you do what you want to do, better and longer? With that question we are back to what the marketing experts are working hard to answer for you, and they do a masterful job. Stulberg again: “In this era’s search for eternal youth, there are supplements, green powders, cold plunges, the supposed benefits of low-angle morning sunlight, continuous glucose monitors for non-diabetics, box breathing, and supposed benefits of rapamycin (a drug originally used in organ transplants being adapted for longevity), and countless restricted diets that range from avoiding seed oils to becoming aware of the ‘hidden dangers’ in fruits and vegetables to shunning nearly everything but meat.”
All of that is an option.
For my money I go with Eat + Move + Sleep + Talk + Stop.
