Have you ever noticed that the one of the common-est invocations for the ones we love, across all
cultures, is to wish them a long life? All living beings, from the smallest single celled ones to the most
complex, crave for a long life and procreation. These desires are universal. Despite this, only one in a
hundred humans in India manage to reach the age of 80 years. While, philosophically speaking, one
might live only as long as he is destined to, there is little doubt that several medical advances have
contributed to a significant reduction in mortality thus contributing to a longer life span than most of
our ancestors ever had. Life expectancy has steadily and universally increased even among lesser
developed nations. How does one plan to live longer? It is well known that there are pockets across
the globe called Blue Zones, where people live unusually longer than their peers elsewhere. Many
studies, books and a series on a popular OTT site have tried to analyse this. All of them arrive at a
similar conclusion that a long life result from a combination of both nature (the genes that one is born
with) and nurture (how one leads his life). While very little can be done about the former, a few broad
principles and lifestyle tips can surely contribute to nurturing a body in order to make it survive
longer. This article, the first of two, deals with a few general measures that might contribute to one’s
longevity. The list is only suggestive and not exhaustive. It can never be! The next article will cover the
specific measures that might lead to a healthier (and longer) life.

Eat Well, Exercise Well

Almost all people whom I interact with, whether professionally or socially, seek a dietary advice. My
usual policy is to advise them a middle path – neither too many restrictions, nor too many
indulgences. We cannot but acknowledge that good food makes us happy and needless restrictions
make us sad. Hence, in my advice, there is never a no. It is always about minding what one eats (both
in terms of quantity and quality) and being moderate in ones eating. Don’t starve, don’t indulge. As
simple as that. Even when one is overweight or grossly obese, what’s going to work is a long term
moderate and sustained weight loss. Anyone who promises to lose 10 kgs in a month is sure to fail.
Trying to lose a kilogram of body weight each month, (which might add up to about 10 kgs in a year),
is much more doable and more likely to succeed. Another aspect about dietary advice is about
unfamiliar diets and food fads.

Most of us grow up consuming a certain type of food.These are our comfort foods. A moderate
approach of gently modifying ones existing diet to a lower calorie and lower fat one is much more
acceptable in the longer run than an approach that attempts at replacing one’s diet with a completely
new one. Exercise is another life- style change which is right fully and rapidly gaining importance in
lives of many young and middle-aged Indians. This is evident from the rapid mushrooming of
gymnasiums, frequency of marathons and a pervasive increase in our vocabulary about all things
sporty such as Pilates, power yoga and so on. Good exercise, undoubtedly bestows several health-
related advantages and is perhaps the single most important lifestyle change contributing to
longevity. Paradoxically however, once in a while, we hear of individuals sustaining adverse cardiac
events during bouts of exercise. Even trained athletes do not seem to be completely immune from
these events. How can an activity that is supposed to be universally beneficial sometimes cause
harm? The answer to this also seems to narrow down to being mindful (of one’s age, body habit us
and previous exposure to exercise) and moderate with exercise schedules, at least to start with. This
is one life style choice where peer pressure and faddism to blindly follow others’ exercise schedules,
without being mindful of one’s own capabilities, can result in more harm than benefit. Even if one
aspires to be a competitive sportsman, he needs to build up gradually and consistently. Just as
Rome wasn’t built in a day, one can’t expect to become a champion with a week’s training.

Stick To A Routine, Sleep Well

Ask any octogenarian or his family members and they will vouch for their self-
discipline. One of the great- est casualties of a fast-paced life is a definite daily routine. Linked very
closely to this is inadequate sleep, which is perhaps among the least recognized stressors in one’s life.

Several studies have highlighted the immense benefits of a restful sleep. Awareness of the emotional
and psychological benefits of good sleep is widespread. Physical impact of inadequate sleep is
discussed less often. Sleep deprivation, by altering several hormones and neurotransmitters can
increase heart rate, blood pressure and blood sugar, thereby increasing chances of cardiovascular
events. It also lowers immunity, thus making an individual more prone to infections.

It’s All In Our Hands

A story is often narrated about a young boy who visits a future-predicting sage, while holding a small
living bird behind him. He asks the wise man to predict whether the bird was alive or dead. His plan,
just to prove the sage wrong, was to kill the bird by wringing its neck, in case the sage predicted that
it was alive or to bring it out alive, if he predicted it was dead. The sage, smilingly and knowingly
replied that the answer to this question entirely lay in the boy’s own hands! Quite similar to the story
above, the answer to the eternal question of how one can strive to live healthy and long, often lies in
one’s own hands!