Issue 71 | August 8, 2025
image credit: freepik
Happy Friday, we have ‘grape’ news this morning. 🤭
🍇 Researchers think grapes should become a new superfood. With 1,600+ bioactive compounds that interact in a grape matrix, grapes can boost most bodily functions and prevent disease. In other news, it’s week two of the Livelong Wellness Challenge! This week: three rules to immediately improve diet quality.
Let’s go!
This week:
How old is my heart?!
Ask for a pat on the back
Three tools for better diet quality
👁️🗨️SPOTLIGHT
Your heart is probably older than you
image credit: freepik
To put it bluntly, “most Americans are not aging well,” says STAT writer Elizabeth Cooney. Specifically, over 50% of US adults have hearts that are older than their chronological age.
This is according to data from a new heart age calculator tool, which uses key demographic, lifestyle, and health metrics to predict your 10-year risk of getting cardiovascular disease. ⚠️❤️
In some cases, a person’s ‘heart age’ is 10 years older than their calendar age.
Key insights from the study
Based on data from 14,000 adults:
🎓 High school education led to the largest gap between heart age and chronological age. It was a 10-year gap for those with a high school education or less.
🧬 Demographic differences: People who identify as Black or Hispanic had a particularly higher risk.
🏆 The ‘Holy Grail’ is a heart age that is younger than your chronological age.
Genetics play a role, but lifestyle changes keeps your heart young too—healthy diet, exercise, not smoking, and managing diabetes and cholesterol. ❤️🔥
Big picture
‘Heart age’ hits harder
Measuring the ‘age’ of your heart is visceral. Experts hope it’s more relatable and has a bigger impact on incentivizing lifestyle changes that prevent cardiovascular disease.
Address the disparities
Similar to heart age, there are still disparities in life expectancy. Tools like this may improve access to life-changing information.
LIVE MORE:
Muscle age: This new tool measures speed of muscle aging.
Reset your body clock: Get better sleep by tapping into your internal body clock.
WELLNESS WATCH
You deserve to be praised!
Praise gets a bad reputation, especially in the parenting world. But intentional appreciation can help shape a person’s sense of worth and happiness in life. And guess what?
Adults need praise too.
Appreciation and praise says ‘you are important.’ It fuels passion, reinforces positive behaviors, and strengthen relationships. 💖 Offering a sincere compliment not only lifts up others either. Compliments make you more likable, trusted, and emotionally connected.
🔗 Your life can depend on connection. There is almost a 30% increase in early death from loneliness and socially isolation!
Of course, overdoing praise or insincere flattery is not helpful. And it’s not about sugarcoating.
It is about thoughtful recognition of a someone’s work or efforts—even better if it’s sooner after they’ve done it—and expressing thanks and gratitude, which reinforces their motivation and builds their confidence. 🙏✨
One negative comment can have more sway than 10 positive ones. But one sincere compliment?
It can make a person’s month–or two. 🌟
TOP STORY
…in Culture and wellness
In a recent interview with Harpers Baazar, singer and celebrity diva Mariah Carey admits that she doesn’t accept aging…or the passage of time. "I don’t know time,” she says. “I don’t know numbers. I do not acknowledge time." #️⃣❌ Her approach to aging is…unconventional. Especially in a culture of hyper-fixation on data collection, metrics, and discipline. Yet, keeping time can be linked to less happiness or presence.
🫣 Should we pretend time doesn’t exist now? Respond to this email if you have an opinion.
Poll
SHORT READS
🤠 Is Montana the next longevity mecca? There’s a legitimate reason for why investors, start-ups, and biohackers are flocking to Blue sky country.
🐦 Birds age soooo slow: It’s why $1.3 million is going toward studying these patterns and finding safe targets for new anti-aging therapies.
Wellness reset challenge
Week 2: Diet
image credit: freepik
🍽 Balanced eating is intentional eating. It’s not about restriction or perfection–it’s small, consistent choices. The most powerful diets for longevity—The Mediterranean Diet and DASH Diet—are not fads. They emphasize whole foods, healthy fats, and variety.
Your goal this week: 👉 eat with awareness, not anxiety.
Want to level up your meals this week?
Start with these three science-back principles for better mood, metabolism, and health.
🌱 Rule 1: Eat 30 different plants this week
Research from Dr. Tim Spector, founder of ZOE, and the American Gut Project found that eating 30+ types of plants per week creates a more resilient, diverse gut microbiome–this is linked to a better heart, immune system, and happier brain.
🥚 Rule 2: Add protein to every plate (especially breakfast)
Front-loading protein can boost satiety, improve blood sugar control, reduce cravings, and promote muscle growth. Whether it’s lean meats, eggs, legumes, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds or tofu, make sure you are getting enough every day.
🎯 Goal: 100 grams of protein per day.
💧 Rule 3: Prioritization of Hydration
Nutrition is also about what we drink. Hydrate 15-30 minutes before meals–rather than during meals–to improve digestion and nutrient absorption.
And yes—🍉 hydrating foods count too!
Healthy eating tools
🧄 Pantry shortcut: Chop then stop.
Chop onions and garlic and wait 10 minutes before cooking them. This gives them time to develop a healthy compound called allicin.📱 App to try: Chronometer
Analyzes the nutrition of meals (that means getting all 84 essential vitamins and minerals) and offers personalized diets for different conditions and goals.
courtesy of chronometer
🍳 Smart pan: Always pan 2.0.
This is a non-toxic, non-stick aluminum pan that can perform up to 10 different methods of cooking while avoiding toxicity from harmful PFAS chemicals.
🛒 Assignment: Snap a photo of your grocery haul, or of you trying the rules. Tag us at @livelongmedia on facebook or instagram
✏️ Poll response
❓We asked, you answered: What’s your favorite hydrating fruit?
We posed this question in last week’s Eat your water newsletter, and the results were unanimous: watermelon is the most delightful fruit! 🍉 Watermelon is a nutrient-dense powerhouse that is low-calorie, low-sugar, and “chock-full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants” like lycopene and vitamin A. One cup also provides 14% of daily vitamin C recommendations!
What could be sweeter?
Webinar presented by Wild Health
Why should I track metrics?
To thrive at 85 and create the best possible life for myself
Dr. Erin Faules is giving a FREE workshop next week (August 12, 2025)! Come prepared with questions. She is breaking down the most important longevity metrics to track on your Apple Watch, Oura ring, Fitbit, and more. Register here and submit your questions here 👈
Until next time,
- Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified healthcare 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 provider. We try to give the most accurate possible, but sometimes information is subject to change.
- Please note: Some links in this newsletter are affiliate links, meaning we may earn a small commission if you decide to make a purchase through them. This helps us continue to bring you credible and actionable health and longevity insights at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!
Longevity Media LLC
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