Hi Friends,

Hope you all had a magical Halloween!

I spent mine protecting a band of rowdy 13-year-old boys in gorilla suits from the oblivion of sugar overload. But I digress…

This Hallow-week, Livelong explored the unseen forces shaping how we live and age—from invisible air pollutants to the sneaky side effects of supplements, zombie cells, and hidden truths in Tarot card reading. Sometimes the scariest things aren’t monsters under the bed—they’re in the air we breathe, the pills we pop, and the stories we tell ourselves.

Health is Your Super Power

Big news! This spring, Livelong is conjuring up something special at The Masonic in San Francisco— The Livelong Women’s Health Summit.

(Get 50% off early-bird tickets with code RACHEL.)

A two-day event featuring fifty thought leaders and zero snake oil. We’ll tackle hormones, metabolism, and the real science of aging well. I’ll be there, hosting conversations with brilliant researchers, thought leaders, and authors—two days of evidence-based talks, interactive panels, and connection. It’s science, sisterhood, and inspiration.

Discover what it means to thrive through every decade! And join our new Livelong Woman WhatsApp group.

Here’s to a restful weekend.

Dr. Chris Cappa, professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UC Davis, studies what most of us never think about, yet is the most important thing for life on earth: Air. Americans spend nearly 90% of our time indoors, and the quality of that air affects every cell in our bodies.

“Air quality is a public-health issue,” says Cappa. “Clean air keeps us alive—but it can also make us sick if we ignore what’s in it.”

The Hidden Ingredient of Longevity 

Air quality determines long-term health. 

Despite the simple chemistry (mostly nitrogen and oxygen), modern habits such as synthetic scents, poor ventilation, burning fuels, and inadequate filtration warp that balance. 

From cooking fumes, candles, pets, and cleaners, to our own exhalations, Cappa says everything we breathe releases invisible particles and chemicals that can stress our bodies over time. Indoor air is often compromised by three main offenders: chemicals and vapors from everyday products, fine particles that trigger lung inflammation, and airborne pathogens or allergens we unknowingly share.

So like fire, air brings both life and destruction. That’s why we need to stay vigilant.

His new BRAVE Project (Building Respiratory Aerosol Vigilance Engineering) aims to do for air what smoke alarms did for fire by building sensor networks that can continuously monitor air for respiratory viruses like flu, COVID, and RSV in the air

Cappa’s Three Principles for Better Air Quality:

1. Ventilate Intelligently:

 2 Filter the Flow:

 3. Control the Sources:

Q: What everyday misconception do you wish people understood about air quality?
A: People assume “if I can’t see or smell it, it’s fine.” In reality, the worst pollutants are the ones you don’t notice—ultrafine particles, viral aerosols, nitrogen dioxide from gas stoves. Sensory cues are a poor proxy for safety; numbers and airflow tell the truth.

Q: What inspired your work on the BRAVE Project?
A:  During COVID, we saw how invisible the air problem really was. We measure temperature and smoke, but not viruses or fine particles. BRAVE uses new sensing to give buildings “situational awareness.” When a pathogen signal is detected, the system automatically adjusts airflow before anyone even realizes there’s a risk.

Q:  How can smarter buildings protect public health? 
A: Buildings already have the hardware—fans, filters, sensors—we just need them to talk to each other. A classroom or childcare center could increase fresh-air exchange when the air looks crowded or particle counts climb. It’s proactive, like how seatbelts quietly save lives.

Q: Looking ahead, what excites you most about the science of clean air?
A:  Integration. We’re moving toward intelligent spaces that sense, learn, and respond. Imagine homes that modulate ventilation based on particle load or schools that share live air-quality dashboards. Once clean air becomes visible data, it becomes a shared civic goal, not an afterthought.

💊 The Supplement Mistake I Didn’t See Coming: Longevity isn’t about taking more — it’s about taking what matters. After learning her “healthy” multivitamin was lowering her blood pressure, our Livelong Woman editor discovered the personal side of supplements. The smartest plan? Fewer bottles, more balance. Know your baseline, track your labs, and take only what your body truly needs.

–Read more

🧟‍♀️ Zombie Cells: As we age, damaged “zombie cells” (senescent cells that refuse to die) build up in our tissues, releasing inflammatory chemicals that accelerate aging, weaken immunity, and cloud cognition. New research on senolytics—compounds that clear these undead cells—is showing promise for healthier aging, from skin to brain.

-Read more

🔮 Tarot Therapy: When the Cards Become Counselors: Tarot isn’t fortune-telling—it’s self-telling. Therapists now use the archetypal imagery as a mirror for the subconscious, helping clients project, process, and reframe emotions. As psychologist Yiu Kwong Au-Yeung writes, “The cards are mirrors which reflect unconscious material.”
–Read more

What to do with the pumpkin leftovers? Pumpkin’s not just a decoration—it’s packed with beta-carotene, fiber, potassium, and immune-boosting antioxidants that support skin, vision, and heart health.
-Read more

We asked, you answered:

What’s your favorite part of shorter days?

More than 30% of you said making soup!