Longevity 

In order of important these non-pharmacologic "interventions" that should help humans with longevity and happiness

Tier 1 - Core Pillars (Highest Impact)

1. Social connection and community
   
   

   • This often comes out as the single strongest predictor of long life and happiness. Loneliness is as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes a day in terms of mortality risk. Best book reference  "The Good Life"
     
     

2. Avoiding smoking
   
   

   • Quitting adds up to 10 years of life expectancy, and it dramatically lowers cancer, heart disease, and lung disease risk.
     
     

3. Physical activity
   
   

   • Regular movement adds years of life, protects against nearly every chronic disease, and boosts mental health.

   • Cardiovascular - The minimum requirement is HIIT 3x/week is 20 seconds of heart rate at 220-(age x 0.9), pause until hear rate less than 100 (this time should get to less than 3 minutes, then do the 20 seconds again at same heart rate

   • Strength-  No gym required.  Pull ups, Squats, Bridges, Push ups, Leg Raises. Good book reference on this "Convict Conditioning"
     
     

Tier 2 - Strong Lifestyle Factors

4. Diet quality and timing
   
   

   • Food affects insulin resistance, metabolic health, cardiovascular risk, cancer prevention, gut health, and mood. A high-quality diet can extend life by 10+ years if adopted early.

   • Diet details - Veges with Insoluble fiber, intermittent fasting to have positive morning ketones,
     
     

5. Sleep quality and consistency
   
   

   • 6.5 to 8 hours of quality non-medicated sleep. Not sleeping well erodes every other system: immunity, cognition, hormones, and cardiovascular health. Good tool is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia. 

Tier 3 - Amplifiers

7. Stress management and mindfulness
   
   

   • Goal is 1 hour daily of no-tech, no distraction, me-time, ideally in nature outside. Reduces chronic inflammation, helps with emotional resilience, and improves mental well-being.
     
     

8. Moderating alcohol
   
   

   • Heavy drinking shortens life. Little or none is best.
     
     

9. Lifelong learning and mental engagement
   
   

   • Protects brain health, reduces dementia risk, and increases satisfaction.
     
     

10. Meaning, gratitude, and optimism
    
    

• People with purpose and positive outlooks live longer and report higher happiness, even controlling for health status.
  
  

Key Takeaway

If you want a priority order, focus first on:

1. Staying socially connected
   
   

2. Not smoking
   
   

3. Moving your body daily
   
   

Then layer in diet, weight management, and sleep. The amplifiers (learning, gratitude, stress mastery) make life richer and protect against decline, but they build best on top of the core pillars.