Actively cultivate a strong sense of purpose in your life (like Okinawa’s Ikigai or Nicoya’s Plan de Vida) to provide daily direction, reduce existential stress, and simplify decision-making, as this is fundamental to a long, happy existence.
Build and maintain a close circle of four to five friends who offer mutual support, engage in physical activities together (like walking or playing tennis), and keep your mind challenged, as this is identified as the most dependable way to add years to your life.
Reject the pursuit of quick fixes or magic diets for longevity; instead, understand that only consistent healthy behaviors maintained over decades will prevent chronic diseases and lead to a longer life.
Focus your efforts on adopting behaviors that prevent chronic diseases, as approximately 85% of the diseases most people grapple with are avoidable and significantly shorten lives.
Base your diet on minimally processed, whole foods, ensuring that 90-95% of your dietary intake comes from plants, as observed in centenarian populations.
Consistently incorporate whole grains (corn, wheat, rice), nuts of all kinds, tubers (like sweet potatoes), a wide variety of greens, and especially beans into your daily diet, as these are considered the five cornerstone pillars of every longevity diet.
Prioritize taste when preparing healthy meals, ensuring they are delicious so that you will consistently eat them for decades, rather than viewing healthy eating as a temporary, bland, or boring struggle.
Shift your focus from ‘pursuing’ health as a separate goal to creating an environment where healthy choices naturally ensue, making longevity a byproduct of your surroundings and routines.
Set up your kitchen to facilitate the fast and easy preparation of delicious, everyday plant-based meals, integrating them into your daily routines rather than reserving them only for celebratory occasions.
Actively participate in community events, religious services, or local gatherings to foster strong social connections and avoid isolation, mimicking the Blue Zones where community engagement is a strong social expectation.
Dedicate time to get clear on your passions, what you enjoy doing, and what you are good at, then find outlets for these, such as volunteering, as volunteers tend to be happier and healthier.
Be aware that modern conveniences and ‘American food culture’ can negatively impact longevity by reducing physical activity and promoting unhealthy eating, implying a need to consciously resist these trends.
Consider incorporating AG1, a daily health drink, into your routine to support digestion and enrich your gut microbiome with beneficial bacteria, based on its reported benefits.
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