There has never been a better time to live longer and healthier than today.
In the past two decades, we learned more about aging and health than in the two thousand years prior (read about the “main causes of aging” here).
However, we are currently being flooded with a tsunami of health advice, made up of diets, supplements, devices, creams and other products, all claiming to be the best way to slow aging, become healthier or lose weight.
Lots of this advice conflicts with other advice (e.g. meat-based diets versus plant-based diets), or is just unscientific, outdated, or even dangerous advice, in the sense that such recommendations in the long-term can actually accelerate aging or increase the risk of diseases (for example, antioxidants, male hormones like testosterone or high-protein diets can accelerate aging).
Below, I list some of the best, most science-based approaches to live longer, and to look younger for longer.
1. Follow a longevity diet
Currently, the most powerful method to live longer is via nutrition. What, how, how much and when we eat can have a big impact on our rate of aging and our risk of aging-related diseases.
Learn more about the Food Hourglass Longevity Diet here.
2. Take science-based anti-aging supplements
Make sure you take “longevity supplements” that have lots of good science behind them, demonstrating they act on important aging pathways, can extend lifespan in multiple species, and are associated with reduced risk of aging-diseases and mortality in humans.
I give an overview of some great anti-aging supplements here.
3. Take health supplements
Health supplements are vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients like vitamin A, potassium, calcium, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Health supplements do not extend maximum lifespan like longevity supplements, but deficiencies can shorten lifespan.
Unfortunately, many people, even people who eat “healthy”, are deficient in many micronutrients.
I listed the most important health supplements here.
4. Science-based anti-aging skin routine
If you want to look younger, you need the best products and therapies to make your skin age slower and stay healthy.
Unfortunately, there is a lot of outdated or less-than-good skin care advice out there.
Find out the best anti-aging skin care routine and products here.
5. Exercise
Try to exercise at least 5 times per week for at least 20-30 minutes.
This can range from “light” but very healthy exercise like brisk walking to extensive workouts, like swimming, running, fitness or dancing.
6. Little or no alcohol
For a long time, lot’s of scientists thought that a little bit of alcohol was healthy.
However, large recent studies (with up to 600,000 people) show that even a little bit of alcohol is unhealthy. According to these new insights, even one glass of alcohol per day increases the risk of cancer, stroke and other diseases. However, this increase was relatively small.
However, from two glasses of alcohol per day, the risk of many diseases, and the risk of dying, increase substantially.
Therefore, I advise to drink (ideally) no alcohol, or if you really want to drink alcohol, to drink a maximum of one glass per day, with alcohol-free days each week.
7. Positive psychology
One thing that a lot of centenarians (people who become 100 years or older) have in common is that they have a very positive disposition. They always try to look at the bright side, even when terrible things happened to them during their life.
A negative outlook in life and stress can shorten lifespan. Therefore, try to be happy and cheerful, and cultivate feelings of gratefulness and happiness. Be good to other people and people will also make your life a happier one. You reap what you sow, so spread around some happiness and goodness.
8. No smoking
Duh!
9. Take care of your sleep
Sleep is very important for longevity. Try to wake up each day at the same time (having a constant waking up time is more important than the time when you go to bed), and make sure you sleep long enough (for most people, this is 8 hours per night).
I listed the best tips to improve sleep here (coming soon).
10. Other tips
Many more longevity tips are coming soon.
And many more tips and information will be found in Dr. Verburgh’s new, upcoming book on longevity and health.
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