Hi everyone,

👆 Your longevity is in your control.

This point was emphasized time and again at Unlocking Longevity, a TEDxBoston event that took place on International Longevity Day (Oct. 1).

Whether the event date was on purpose or not does not matter because every talk had a fundamental purpose—

Bring more health, hope, and optimism to aging. 

It is desperately needed.

Poor health cheats us of years of additional life; as a result, aging is something we fear rather than cherish, said Dana Griffin, the co-founder of Eldera.ai, in her talk.

The six-hour Masterclass in longevity featured a list of other prominent speakers, including:

• Dr. Michael Greger, best-selling author of How Not to Die

• Christopher Gardner, professor of Nutrition at Stanford and feature expert in Netflix’s You Are What You Eat

• Daniel Levy, director of the Framingham Heart Study (c. 1948)

Context varied from talk-to-talk, but overarching themes emerged.

Chief among them was the idea that lifestyle choices significantly contribute to a long and healthy life. 

“Longevity is not about luck,” said author Maddy Dychtwald in her talk. “It's about the choices we make on a day-to-day basis.”

Here are the most important things I learned from Unlocking Longevity.

Eat a mostly whole-food plant-based diet

A healthy diet is rich in vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and fruit.

These foods prevent the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and even death.

“Prevention isn’t sexy,” chortles Dr. Greger, and it does not need to be—it works.

In the U.S., people also consume too much protein, says Gardner.

Gardner reconciles we should “stop obsessing over [it],” and he adds that diverse, plant-based foods can provide enough protein—despite misconceptions.

For instance:

• One cup of black beans has 15 grams of protein.

• Two oz. of walnuts has 14 grams.

🍒 The cherry on top

A healthy vegan diet reduces biological age, said Gardner, who is author of the ground-breaking TwiNS study.

• The study—which compared the health effects of a healthy vegan vs. omnivorous diet in identical twins—shows that a vegan diet is more anti-aging than an omnivorous diet.

You don’t have to eat entirely plant-based to reap the benefits of adding more good-for-you foods into your diet.

Healthy Eating Resources 

• The Canadian Eat Well Plate emphasizes a balanced approach to eating. They recommend half the plate be fruits and vegetables, a quarter of the plate is whole grains, and the other quarter is protein (mostly from plants).

• The Mediterranean Diet is still the most well-researched and highest-ranked diet, said Federica Amati, Head Nutritionist at ZOE and WellFounded, and medical scientist at ICL, KCL. It provides an ideal foundation to meet healthy nutritional requirements.

Redefine physical activity

Physical activity for longevity is leading an active lifestyle.

The longest-living communities don’t even do ‘exercise’ in the conventional sense, said cardiologist John Day, MD, author of The Longevity Plan.

• Their lifestyle cements walking, gardening, and varying forms of movement into a naturally longevity-forward fitness routine.

Oh, and walking 10,000 steps for optimal health is a myth.

Researcher and Harvard professor I-Min Lee turned a few heads when she declared that older adults can achieve the same benefits from 6,000-7,500 steps.

“Some stepping is good, more is better, and up to a certain point,” she summarizes.

• This knowledge should empower and reassure adults who cannot reach the 10,000 step goal.

🎾And as part of an active lifestyle, consider playing tennis. 

Kim Williams, former president of the College of Cardiology, believes tennis was ranked the best sport for longevity because it supports the 6 Pillars of Lifestyle Medicine.

Purpose, social connection, and intergenerational relationships

In the U.S., aging is a “roll-less role,” says Linda Fried, Dean of the Columbia School of Public Health.

This perpetuates feelings of purposeless and loneliness in aging adults, feeling that will continue to grow as average lifespan increases.

• 🔺Loneliness increases risk of dementia by 50%, according to Griffin.

Changing the narrative starts with creating initiatives that foster social connection and purpose in aging adults.

As Fried emphasizes, “Seniors have superpowers!” 

🌟 Superpowers of aging adults:

• Expertise 

• Problem solving

• Generosity

• Conflict resolution

• Generativity

These skills will help the next generation, and Fried urges them not to go to waste. 

Cultivating relationships between younger and older generations would also benefit the mental and emotional well-being of everyone, promote community-building, and, most certainly, extend lifespan.

Manage stress and boost resilience 

Stress is undeniably powerful.

It can be an emotional-turned-physical response that “literally break[s] your heart” and impacts health at the cellular level, says Columbus Batiste, MD, Chief of Cardiology at Kaiser Permanente Riverside. 

• Accordingly, stress increases the risk of cancer by 11%.

💪 Resiliency combats the effects of stress, and being selfish promotes resilience.

In other words, spirituality, exercise, love, food, intimacy, sleep, and humor are proven methods of combating stress and building resilience, explains Batiste.

Similarly, people in some of the longest-living communities choose to embrace stress, said Day.

Mindset is key.

Having a positive mindset about aging adds years to your life, Dychtwald says.

Other notable takeaways

• Near-infrared light (NIR), found naturally in sunlight, could be a novel method of treating chronic disease, says Roger Seheult, MD, clinical processor at UC Riverside and Loma Linda.

• Female reproductive health and physiology research is underfunded. Ovaries are the “architects of health [and] pacemaker for aging in female bodies,” and this trend must change, emphasizes Jennifer Garrison, Co-Founder and Executive Director of ProductiveHealth.org.

• The healthiest diets are centuries old. “Most of what nutrition scientists believe today was contained in some very old book,” says Toni MacAskill, researcher for the YouTube channel Plant Chompers.

Aging can be amazing

The future of aging should be defined by health, vitality, opportunity, and purpose. 

It’s about the quality of your years more than the quantity, enjoying the aging process, embracing the skills of older adults, and exploring opportunities that contribute to global well-being.

It starts with the choices we make today.

“We can each be who we want to be,” says 88-year-old artist and champion surfer Kitty Pechet. Pechet did not even learn to surf until her 50s.

It’s never too late.

Feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] with any comments or questions.

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• 💡 In our most recent newsletter — we explore infrared light.

☝️ Find your next favorite read here. 

We can’t wait to cover more trending topics in longevity in our next newsletter. Stay tuned.

Longevity Media LLC

Be your own expert. Optimize your health. Look beyond conventional.

Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health care professional before starting any exercise, wellness, or health program. Nothing in our content, products or services should be considered, or used as a substitute for, medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Livelong is a media company and not a medical provid