What is the secret to living longer?

Our genes account for only 25% and our lifestyles account for 75%!

What is key to incorporate into our lifestyle to live a long, healthy life?

Close Relationships and Social Integration

In Susan Pinker’s TED Talk, The Secret to Living Longer May Be Your Social Life, she discusses why  Sardinia, Spain hosts more than ten times as many centenarians as in the United States. According to this developmental psychologist, it is not a low-fat, gluten-free  diet or exercise that keeps the Sardinians healthy. It is the Sardinians’ emphasis on close relationships and face-to-face interactions. What’s more? These social interactions can be brief encounters or  conversations with the people we meet throughout the day, such as the coffee barista or postman. Focus on developing a few close relationships with people you trust and can depend on in times of need instead of the increasing number of “friends” in your phone book or social media account.