A lot is being said these days about longevity. That doesn’t just mean living a long life, but a long, healthy life. Not just living, but being fully alive as you age. It is a trending topic, especially with the surging interest in natural approaches to health. Numerous books, articles, and, of course, social media posts are talking about this as if it were a new topic. As with many things in the natural health field, we have been discussing this topic for years. Those of you who know me may be aware of my motto when it comes to health: I want to die young, at a very advanced age. This means that I want to live well past the average life expectancy, while feeling like I’m still young.

So I thought that, as we approach another new year, I would cover some of the most important determinants in aging not just gracefully, but amazingly. Things that matter to your health today, but also are like deposits you make to your future self’s health. So read on, get ready to embrace change, and think of what your future self is hoping and wishing you will do to keep future you as healthy as possible.

Exercise is a Key to Longevity

I have often said that if you could bottle the effects of exercise, you would have the most amazing pill on the planet. But since we can’t do that, let’s make a commitment to start exercising regularly in 2026. Cardio training a few days a week keeps all your body systems toned and tuned so that your reserve capacity — your body’s ability to handle stress and other challenges — remains ready to handle whatever life throws at you. Combine that with weight training, and your body will be ready for long hauls or intense experiences. Here’s an interesting statistic: longevity is most closely related to muscle mass, especially in your legs. That’s one reason why it’s so important to keep your muscles strong!

A Healthy Diet Can Help You Live Longer

The Standard American Diet is one of the unhealthiest diets on the planet. The outdated food pyramid is being replaced by a much healthier version that actually results in a healthy mind and body. For example, eating healthy fat is good for you, especially your brain and heart, and staying away from seed oils (like canola, corn, and soy) and sticking with the good ones (like olive, coconut, and avocado oils). Eating fat doesn’t make you fat. Eating fat does not raise your cholesterol. Excess carbs do that. Healthy animal and plant proteins are the way to provide the building blocks to build muscle. A ketogenic diet is one of the best ways to fuel your brain, heart, and muscles and help you live a long, healthy life. It is actually one of the cornerstones of the lifestyle to reverse Alzheimer’s. People who live the longest have the cleanest diets. In Blue Zones, places on Earth where people live the longest, common diets are typically clean, natural, and home-cooked.

Supplements Help Correct Important Health Markers

While exercise and diet are two key components to long-term health and longevity, supplements can add to this effect and kick-start the process once you make the change. One good example is berberine, which has actually been shown to help you live longer. Berberine helps control blood sugar, which is a key concept in maintaining youth. People also use supplements like cinnamon and alpha-lipoic acid to keep their blood sugar under control. A good multivitamin keeps the body’s energy systems working well, even as the years start to take their toll. One important supplement for those of us who live this far north is vitamin D3. D3 (make sure to get the kind with K2) has been shown to slow aging by preserving telomeres in your chromosomes. Optimal D3 levels are 50-80, not just over 30 like some baseline tests suggest.

Chiropractic Reduces Stress on Your Body

Anything that reduces stress and improves your nervous system is going to keep you going longer and stronger. My favorite, of course, is chiropractic. Many of these claims made over the years have been recently verified through research by neuroscientists like Dr. Heidi Haavik. I can’t quote specific research that shows that people who live the longest use chiropractors, but the research has shown that people who use chiropractors have more robust immune systems, and that has a lot to do with longevity. Chiropractic has also been shown to reduce cortisol, which affects aging.

There are other things you can do to help you live longer, like working out your brain every day, breathing clean air, and getting plenty of sunshine. Social connections can make a difference as well and improve the quality of your life. Though longevity is a trending topic, living a long, healthy life has been a goal of people for centuries. Long after the fad fades, I will still be here trying to die young at a very advanced age. Here’s to a long and healthy life. May God bless us each and every one!

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4035379

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6974710

Dr. Burtis, D.C., M.S., CFMP, DACBN, has been providing natural healthcare to the Fairmont area at Burtis Chiropractic Center for over 35 years. He uses a combination of chiropractic, nutrition, and functional medicine to help individuals restore and maintain health and healing through individualized care plans. The mission of Burtis Chiropractic Center is to provide transformational healthcare that takes an individual’s life to the next level. We strive to be a solution for families to experience transformational healthcare and help create vibrant and resilient lifestyles that can be passed to future generations.