Longevity isn’t about living longer!

It’s also about how well we live!

Bengaluru Express
Bengaluru, March 21:
Longevity is Living Young for a Lifetime! It’s about living fully, deeply, and intentionally. You’re never too old to feel young. The average life expectancy in India is just over 68 to 70 years. However, there are regions around the world where people routinely live beyond 100 years, often without intentionally striving for longevity. These areas, called “Blue Zones”, are home to some of the healthiest and longest-living populations on Earth. A major factor in these environments is their walkability. People in Blue Zones typically get to walk 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day!
How old am I? I stutter for an answer: My chronological age is a matter of years in existence, my biological age is vital, my psychological age is growing, my emotional age is mature and my functional age is young.
How long will you live – depends 80% on – your choices – and your genes- 20%!
Factors — like exercise, a healthy diet, going to the doctor regularly, and taking care of our mental health — are within our reach.
Try committing to200 to 300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week. Love it or hate it, physical activity is a cornerstone of healthy aging. People who exercise regularly not only live longer, but also live better — they enjoy more years of life without pain or disease and disability.
Deep connections with family, friends, and community don’t just make life richer. They make us healthier and more resilient. Strong relationships lower stress, improve immune function, and may even extend lifespan.
Ayurveda has long promoted longevity through ingredients like turmeric, amla, and ashwa-gandha, which are celebrated for their anti-inflammatory properties. One of the biggest factors influencing lifespan and health span is stress. “Most of us live in a constant state of fight-or-flight mode. Learning how to regulate stress—through breath work, meditation, or simply stepping away from your screen—has a huge impact on longevity.
Life expectancy has increased by 5 years since 2000! Multi-morbidity has negative consequences on health-related quality of life! On average, people above the age of 80 years are treated for 3.62 diseases and 31.4% of older people over 85 receive medical treatment for 4 or more diseases!
It is not just adding years to life. It is about adding life to those extra years! The biological age is how old your body actually feels and functions at a certain age – a reflection of your health, habits, and lifestyle choices.
Modern medicine has turned death sentences into “manageable conditions,” but – manage is the key word here. Health span describes a life without disease, disability and years of good health- the years we spend free of disease!
Mark my words- We cure very few diseases! We cure often by removing the offending organ in the case of appendicitis or gall bladder disease, less frequently in some instances for infectious diseases and essentially never for degenerative neurological disease or most musculoskeletal disorders. However, the care we do offer in abundance is palliative – “focused on improving quality of life for people with serious illnesses,” and therefore not wholly restorative.
Why We Age—and in fact we don’t have to! We can reverse biological ageing. Well, not everyone is convinced. Still, the allure is undeniable. The longevity industry capitalises on the desire to live longer! Longevity is at a lifestyle level, regenerative medicine takes it further—treating ageing at a cellular level rather than just managing the decline.
Purpose in life refers to a deeper sense of meaning, direction, and significance—our personal compass – that we have lived and lived better and lived well! Those with purpose experience less chronic stress and inflammation, both of which accelerate aging.
Purpose changes with life stages – We may strive for professional recognition, financial affluence, and personal growth, benevolence and empathy! After retirement, we often experience significant challenges to finding purpose! We live in societies in which elders are not necessarily widely respected! This is why I would advocate for “purpose planning,” alongside financial retirement planning!
Avoid overeating! Adults with obesity have an increased risk of death, disability, and many diseases such as type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. Both obesity and underweight conditions can lead to loss of muscle mass, which may cause a person to feel weak and easily worn out. Exercise is able to prevent age-related decline in muscle function. In addition to helping older adults live better, maintaining muscle mass can help them live longer.
Healthy eating: Make smart food choices! Eating healthfully supports healthy aging. Eat with heart in mind!
Rainbow diet – An ideal diet should be low in saturated fat, with lots of fruit and vegetables, whole grains, oily fish, and small amounts of low-fat dairy and lean meat. Fruit and vegetables contain a range of vitamins, minerals and fibre. Aim for at least five portions of different-coloured fruit and vegetables each day.
Beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins! Nuts are packed with antioxidants, fibre, minerals, and vitamins. These foods all contain protein, minerals and vitamins which help maintain and repair your body after an injury or surgery.
You don’t need to eat meat every day – try eggs, beans, lentils. Try to eat wholegrain versions such as brown rice, wholegrain bread and millets! We do need some fat in our diets, but only a small portion. Avoid all whites-rice, sugar, salt and mida- highly refined wheat flour! Milk is an exception!
Don’t forget to top-up with lots of water to avoid dehydration! Aim for 6-8 glasses of fluid every day. Tea, coffee and fruit juice will also help you to stay hydrated, but avoid sugary fizzy drinks.
If you drink alcohol, keep at least two days per week alcohol-free to give your liver time to recover from the effects of alcohol, and don’t exceed recommended daily limits for alcohol.