Playing The Long(evity) Game
In this newsletter, I share updates on what I have been up to, inspiration behind this newsletter, and tips to living a long, healthy life.
Hi, Wunderfully Well community,
I took last week off from the newsletter because I was in the Pacific Northwest exploring, attending a wedding, and visiting family. It was so refreshing to be surrounded by nature in all of its glory, with gigantic trees that seemed to stretch for miles, crisp fall air, and flowing rivers. It truly is such a magical place that seems to be out of a fairy tale.
While I was up there, I spent time with several generations of people - children, millennials, boomers, and older folks in their 80s and beyond. While there are many differences in how these generations perceive the world, what will always be consistent is that if we want to live a healthy, happy life, we have to take responsibility today, regardless of our age. Similar to finances, it’s clear that the health and longevity game is truly a long-term journey, and there isn’t one “get-rich-quick” fix for living a long, happy life.
Healthy aging is something that is incredibly important to me, as I have seen firsthand what a difficult aging process can look like. My goal is to live well into my late 80s, 90s, and possibly even 100s with a happy, functioning mind and body, as exemplified in the Blue Zones documentary. I aim to live an autonomous life for as long as possible, where I can lift myself up, go on long walks, play with my grandchildren, exercise, and care for my physical body independently. Because of this, I have learned a lot about healthy aging and health span and want to share with you quick, tangible habits I follow to support living a long, healthy, and happy life.
Move my body for at least one hour daily.
Incorporate heavy weight lifting 2-3 times per week.
Eat approximately 0.7-1.0 grams of protein per pound of body weight to support muscle production and maintenance.
Ensure I get at least 8 hours of sleep per night.
Journal/meditate daily for mental, emotional, and spiritual health.
Connect with at least one loved one per day.
Eat a serving of dark, leafy greens at least twice per day.
Spend time in nature at least once a week, ideally more.
Minimize my toxic load by using non-toxic products and household items daily.
Practice living into my purpose by publishing this newsletter weekly and sharing my love of food with others.
Organize quality time to spend with my friends weekly or bi-weekly to build stronger social connections and have fun.
It may seem like a lot of things to incorporate into each day or week, but often, these habits can be stacked on top of each other. For example, calling my best friend on the phone while going for an hour-long walk is a way to combine two together.
Looking for additional resources on longevity?
"Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity" by Peter Attia is a great resource that shares tangible tips to support living a long and healthy life.
"The Blue Zones Secrets for Living Longer" by Dan Buettner shares the common themes and behaviors that people in the Blue Zones express to support having the largest populations of centenarians.
The "Life Optimized" podcast by Dr. Neil Paulvin discusses maximizing performance and how to optimize healing.
Living well into our elderly years happily is possible, but it takes setting intentions sooner rather than later. I hope this newsletter inspires you to take action and take responsibility for your future today. The best time to start is now :)