Angela Brooks-Wilson, a geneticist at the Genome Sciences Centre in Vancouver, quoted in a Washington Post article (December 29th), says that 70-75% of longevity is down to lifestyle and the rest can be accounted for by your genes. I quote in brief the recommendations on how to play the hand you are dealt with:

– Exercise helps the body, and scientists think it helps the brain as well.

– Stay on your feet. Sitting around kills. Something as simple as rising from your chair helps maintain blood pressure and balance.

– Eat healthily in small amounts four or five times a day, with very little in the evening.
Make sure your vitamin B and D levels are adequate.

– Get into regular good habits. Muscles have a memory, so use them regularly. It is habit not cravings, that determine food choices.

– Cultivate a feeling of progress, small wins despite gathering aches and pains.

– Reduce stress, don’t fill your day and try to do too much.

Epicurus would add “human company, a good laugh and a joke, and serious conversation thst keeps the little grey cells active and the memory sharp.

Happy New Year!