Question 10 of 433
What habits do you prescribe more often than any pill?
The short answer
Ten small ones. None costs much, and together they outperform most of what is sold as longevity medicine.
1. Walk 7,000 or more steps a day. Ten thousand was a marketing number.
2. Walk for ten minutes after meals. It is the simplest blood-sugar treatment there is.
3. Lift something heavy twice a week. Muscle is the organ of longevity.
4. Eat protein at every meal, and never eat sugar “naked,” without fiber, protein, or fat alongside it.
5. Close the kitchen three hours before bed.
6. Wake at the same time every day, and get outside light in the first hour.
7. Know your numbers, starting with blood pressure. A cuff is cheaper than a stroke.
8. Wait twenty-four hours before answering anything that made you angry. Your arteries will thank you.
9. Spend five minutes in prayer, gratitude, or stillness.
10. Call someone you love. Connection is cardiovascular.
I do not manage all ten every day either. The point is the direction, not the perfection.
“This book is for education. It is not medical advice, and reading it does not make you my patient or create a doctor-patient relationship.” From the book’s medical disclaimer. Full disclaimer
MIXED — Adult habits: some trial outcomes, some observational associations; the combined routine is not a tested prescription.Evidence grade (draft mapping)BLimited or small human studiesPart 1, Q10 · Part sources
From Longevity Unmasked by Afshine Ash Emrani, MD, FACC. Medical disclaimer. This book is for education. It is not medical advice, and reading it does not make you my patient or create a doctor-patient relationship. Nothing here is meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Medicine is personal: a test, drug, supplement, or exercise plan that helps one person can harm another. Do not start, stop, or change any medication or treatment because of something you read in these pages. Talk with a licensed clinician who knows your history first. If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911. The author disclaims responsibility for any loss or harm arising from use of the information in this book.