What determines how fast we age? Why do some people live to be over 100, while for others, their life is much shorter? More and more we are learning that for the most part, the answers are not in our genes. It has been estimated that our genetics account for only 7% of our longevity— and our lifestyle habits, for better or worse are the key factor for how fast we age. I am a physician, board-certified in Emergency Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine, and I help people lose weight, prevent disease, and optimize their lifestyle habits, so they can slow down aging and live a longer, healthier, and happier life. Read on to find out more—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these Sure Signs You’ve Already Had COVID.

When surveyed, 75% of Americans think that they are eating a healthy diet, yet the majority of Americans are not eating enough fruits, vegetables, fiber, or nutrients. The food we eat is profoundly related to how fast we age, our risk for developing chronic diseases, and our physical and mental health. Eating a diet high in sugar, fast food, saturated fat, refined carbohydrates, and other highly processed food promotes inflammation and will rapidly age you. Alternatively, if you are eating an anti-inflammatory, nutrient-rich diet, consisting primarily of fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, whole grains, nuts, and seeds, you will be at lower risk for developing chronic diseases, and you will age more slowly.

6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Sleep is vitally important to our physical and mental health and skimping on sleep will not only increase your risk for diseases and negatively impact your quality of life, but it will also prematurely age you. In fact, it has been found that rats who were totally deprived of sleep died prematurely in just a few weeks. When you sleep, your body repairs its cells, your body restores its energy, and your brain clears out toxins and waste. For these reasons, and more, sleep is essential, and an inadequate quantity or quality of sleep will age you.

The people who live the longest lives in the world don’t necessarily go to the gym every day, but they live active lives, and physical activity is just part of their daily routine. In contrast, for many of us, we spend most of our day sitting. This sedentary lifestyle promotes inflammation, which will accelerate aging.

Ideally, we should all try to incorporate a set amount of time to exercise at least 5 times a week. At least 30-60 minutes a day is optimal. But, as we work up to that goal, we should feel good about incorporating any amount of increased physical activity in our life. At the same time, we can also just change our daily routine to be less sedentary. Examples of this are taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking further away in a parking lot, or taking a call while walking.

It is well known that relationships are important for our mental and physical health. But relationships are also closely tied to longevity.

The Harvard Study of Adult Development is a famous, gigantic, and ongoing study that followed more than 700 men since they were teenagers in 1938. This study is one of the most comprehensive studies of health and well-being in history, and the findings are clear that relationships are the single most important factor for our health and longevity. In this study, researchers found that people who were more socially connected to family, friends, and the community, were happier, healthier, and actually lived longer, than people who were lonely.

In contrast, social media use can have a negative impact on our health. Social media interactions are not equivalent to real-life interactions, and may actually promote loneliness. Social media use can also be detrimental to our mental health and has been linked with increased anxiety and depression.

The health of our body and mind are closely connected, and stress has been implicated as a factor in increasing our risk for multiple diseases, and even decreasing our lifespan. In contrast, practicing mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques to better manage stress has been linked to increased longevity.

Telomeres are the protective caps at the ends of our chromosomes, and their job is to preserve our DNA. With every cell division, a small portion of this telomere DNA is lost, so the result is that telomeres shorten with age. Shorter telomeres have been associated with an increased risk of developing diseases and a decreased lifespan.

It has been found that the rate of telomere shortening can be either increased or decreased by specific lifestyle factors and practicing mindfulness and meditation appear to slow this rate of telomere shortening, which in effect may increase longevity.

There are multiple reasons why excessive alcohol intake can age you. Drinking too much alcohol promotes inflammation and increases the risk for multiple chronic diseases such as cancer and liver disease. Alcohol intake also promotes dehydration which accelerates skin aging, including skin puffiness and wrinkles. Additionally, alcohol intake can interfere with sleep, affecting both sleep quality and quantity. For women, and men over 65, moderate drinking means drinking up to 1 drink per day. For men 65 and under, 2 drinks a day is considered moderate.

Everyone wants to live a healthy, happy and long life, free of sickness and disease. But there is no magic bullet or longevity pill, which will slow down aging or lengthen your life. In truth, it is a combination of factors—including the food we eat, our sleep, our physical activity levels, our relationships, our stress, and our substance use that primarily determine how fast we age. By focusing on these areas, we will not only add years to our life— but also improve our quality of life, so that those extra years are healthier and happier. And to protect your life and the lives of others, don’t visit any of these 35 Places You’re Most Likely to Catch COVID.

Ritu Saluja-Sharma MD is a board-certified physician in Emergency Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine, an integrative health coach, and the founder of Head Heart Hands.