Living a Long Healthy Life

Living a long healthy life isn’t just luck — it’s built on daily habits that nurture your body, mind, and spirit. Here are science-backed tips to help you live past 100:

1. Eat a Balanced, Whole-Food Diet:
Focus on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and legumes. Limit processed foods, sugar, and red meat.

2. Move Every Day:
Engage in regular activity — walking, stretching, gardening, or dancing — to keep your heart, joints, and muscles strong.

3. Stay Socially Connected:
Loneliness shortens life expectancy. Maintain friendships and family ties, and find purpose through community.

4. Manage Stress Wisely:
Practice mindfulness, deep breathing, or prayer. Chronic stress accelerates aging and inflammation.

5. Get Quality Sleep:
Aim for 7–8 hours of restful sleep. Good sleep restores your body, sharpens your mind, and supports longevity.

6. Keep Your Mind Active:
Read, learn, or take up new hobbies. Cognitive engagement protects against decline and keeps life interesting.

7. Avoid Harmful Habits:
Don’t smoke, limit alcohol, and maintain a healthy weight. These three alone can add decades to your life.

8. Maintain a Positive Outlook:
Optimism and gratitude are strongly linked to long life. Focus on what brings joy and meaning.

9. Regular Health Checkups:
Prevention and early detection are key. Follow up on screenings, vaccines, and bloodwork.

10. Live with Purpose:
A clear sense of purpose — something to wake up for — may be the most powerful secret to living beyond 100.

For further tips on living a long healthy life, check out the book Living Past 100 by Tessa Maren.