‘No magic pill for Longevity'

 Longevity does not come from a single supplement, drug or hack, rather it is the cumulative effect of many small, consistent choices over time.  It is not the diet, it is not the exercise and certainly it is not the genetics.  The main factor behind a healthy heart, a healthy brain the entire healthy body and longevity is ‘No Chronic Stress’ rest everything else in the world is secondary.  Even if you train daily, you eat healthy, you quit smoking but if you are under constant stress you will still age faster not just by your skin but also from the internal organs.

What does matter, according to the strongest evidence so far, is a combination of lifestyle fundamentals which includes regular physical activity, good sleep and stress management.  Secondly, nutrition patterns, not a super food, but overall dietary quality, calorie balance and metabolic health.  Thirdly avoiding major harms that is smoking, excess alcohol and chronic inactivity. 

So, rule number one - do not engage into anything that is creating internal resistance. You hate your job but continue for money, minus the 15 years of life.  You surround yourself with people who drain out your energy, minus the 10 years of life.  Every single day living in the same toxic environment is going to age you at a considerable level.  Rule number two - social connection matters more than material attachment.  People who have strong social connection live longer up to fifty per cent and it is definitely not about having many friends or relations, it is about having meaningful ones.  So even one person who allows you to be truly yourself can extend your life more than a diet.   Rule number three - find a purpose bigger than yourself.  People with a clear purpose live an average of seven years longer.  And it does not have to be a big mission but a strong one because what matters is the feeling that I am here for a reason, I am needed.  Rule number four - listen to your body otherwise one fine day your body will stop talking to you.  Sleep when you feel sleepy, rest when you feel tired, and eat whenever you are hungry because healthier people do not punish themselves, they follow the rules but they follow the natural rhythm.  It is a myth that one should have dinner by sunset and such others. Modern life teaches us to push through and rest for later but you know what, the body cannot actually endure it because it is not designed like that. 

 Chronic stress is actually not about work, money, success or fame or the achievements.  In fact it is the biggest misconception.  Chronic stress is about the inner conflict of who we are and what we want to be and what we actually pretend to be in front of others.  So when we are not living with authenticity, when we are not living an honest life, the life that is truly ours, the body stays under survival mode non-stop.  Cortisol destroys the blood vessels, immunity gets weaken and brain function gets damaged.  So people who are actually living healthier and longer are not consuming some magic pill but because they choose to live in peace within themselves.  Even the most promising longevity drugs being studied (like rapamycin or metformin) do not replace these basics, they only potentially layer on top of them and evidence in humans is still evolving.

Subbiah Sridhar