Living Well: A Guide to Health, Happiness, and Longevity
Why this note?
I started jotting down some health tips for a friend’s mother who just finished her cancer treatments—chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. I’m not a doctor, and I don’t know her personally, so the best way I can help is by sharing the methods I’ve researched and tried myself. Sharing this with everyone now.
Building Blocks of Health, happiness and longevity
In the following order:
Mental health (meditation, breathing exercises to calm, stress reduction. Have a life purpose: Feeling excited and happy about waking up daily.)
Sleep
Diet
Physical health (focused workout sessions, through-the-day simple physical activity. Both mental and physical health form a reciprocal reaction.)
However, air pollution in Indian cities significantly negatively impacts all urbanites in India.
Determinant of diseases:
Our bodies can handle a lot of stress until they reach a tipping point, which can lead to health problems like diabetes or chronic pain.
Physical inactivity
Sleep deprivation
Chronic stress
Poor diet
No alcohol in the night. No other bad diet. It messes up sleep.
Mental Health
Meditation provides a mental model to get happier:
Happiness is often simpler than we think. You don’t need to learn or do a million things—just focus on a few basic principles and practice them consistently. Ironically, that simplicity trips up most people; it feels too easy to be true.
Meditating to your happier self is more of an experiential learning, like learning to swim. You can’t master it by reading or watching—you must dive in and experience it yourself.
At its core, meditation is about connecting with the energy or life force within us—the very essence of being human. This energy, often called consciousness, is naturally joyful. Meditation isn’t about adding happiness to your life; it’s about clearing the mental clutter that hides the happiness you were born with.
So pick up one of the guided meditation any of the below types and just start doing it.
Different Types of Meditation
a) Basic Mindfulness
What It Is: You sit comfortably, close your eyes, and pay attention to your breath. When your thoughts wander, you gently return to the present moment.
Why It Helps: Trains you to “notice and let go” of mental chatter instead of getting caught up in it.
b) Guided Sessions
What It Is: An instructor or an app talks you through a session.
Why It Helps: Ideal for beginners who prefer voice prompts to stay on track and learn new techniques.
c) Moving Meditation (e.g., Yoga, Surya Namaskar)
What It Is: Combines gentle movement with controlled breathing and mindfulness.
Why It Helps: Good for those who find it challenging to sit still. It also supports flexibility and muscle strength.
d) Breathing Exercises (e.g., 3-4-5 Breath)
What It Is: A simple sequence of inhaling for 3 seconds, holding for 4, then exhaling for 5.
Why It Helps: Slows down your heart rate and triggers a relaxation response. Great for a quick reset when feeling tense or anxious.
How to Get Started
Begin with 5 Minutes: Start small. Try meditating for just five minutes each morning or evening. If that feels manageable, add an extra minute or two each week.
Find a Quiet Space: Pick a calm corner of your home. If noise is unavoidable, consider using headphones with soft music or white noise.
Set Realistic Goals: Rather than aiming for a “blank mind,” focus on gently guiding your thoughts back to your breath (or any chosen focal point) each time you notice them drifting.
Use Short Breaks Throughout the Day: Even if you’ve done a longer session in the morning, quick 1- or 2-minute sessions during work breaks or while commuting (if you’re a passenger) can help keep stress levels in check.
Breaking the Stress Cycle
Mini-Resets: Use breathing techniques (like 3-4-5) whenever you sense tension creeping in.
Digital Boundaries: Turn off notifications or set “phone-free” windows. Constant alerts can spark repeated stress responses, even if they seem minor.
Commute Hacks: If you have some downtime on public transport, use a guided meditation app or simply close your eyes and focus on slow, steady breaths.
Tips for Consistency
Same Time, Same Place: Doing your meditation at a regular time (e.g., first thing in the morning) helps build a habit.
Track Progress: Jot down how you feel before and after a session. Seeing even small improvements can motivate you to keep going.
Stay Flexible: Life happens. If you miss a session, don’t stress about it—just pick up where you left off.
Combine with Other Healthy Habits: Meditation pairs well with morning sunlight, evening wind-down routines, and short bursts of physical activity (like yoga stretches).
Sleep:
Sleep is the cornerstone of good health—it impacts everything from how you feel emotionally to how your body recovers. As Dr. Matthew Walker highlights, sleep is even more important than diet and exercise. Poor sleep can throw off your hormones, weaken your immune system, and reduce the benefits of healthy eating or working out. Think of sleep as your body's "reset button," refreshing your brain, boosting your mood, and protecting you from long-term health problems. Even the best diet or workout plan won’t reach its full potential without quality sleep.
Here are some simple tips to optimize your sleep:
Eat your last meal at least 3 hours before bedtime to give your body time to digest.
Turn off screens an hour before bed—Kindle is a good alternative if you want to read.
Sleep in total darkness to help your brain produce melatonin, the sleep hormone.
Spend 20 minutes in bright morning light—this helps reset your internal clock and improves your sleep at night.
Keeping your bedroom cool—around 18°C is ideal for lowering your core body temperature, which is essential for falling asleep.
Take a bath before bed to relax your body. Cold water works best, but even a warm bath can help.
Read Dr. Walker's book Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams for a deeper understanding. Here.
Hygiene habits:
Take a bath before bed: It’s a great way to relax and prepare your body for restful sleep.
Change out of outside clothes as soon as you get home: This helps you feel refreshed and keeps your home cleaner.
Wash your hands frequently: It’s a simple but effective habit to stay healthy.
Floss regularly: Keeping your teeth and gums healthy is key for overall well-being.
Set Digital Boundaries: Smartphones constantly buzz with notifications that create small bursts of stress. Give yourself a break—turn off alerts or set “tech-free” times to let your mind relax and recharge.
Diet
It’s a vast area of study. The following things have worked for me well.
Eating a balanced diet. Adding all nutrients through the week. High protein, no sugar, low carb. (f you are vegetarian, there is a high possibility that you are eating less proteins and more than necessary carbs.
Always eat home-cooked food.
Stop looking at the food as a source of entertainment. You pay a high price for putting all that junk into your stomach. Everything that’s not cooked at home has a harmful chemical in one way or the other. Used either to enhance the test, preserve, etc.
Avoid processed food. It causes inflammation in your body. If it’s avoidable, eat food with less than five ingredients on the label. The more ingredients, the more processed it is.
Cook fresh every time and eat immediately.
Storing in the fridge and reheating doesn’t keep your food the best.
We cook less; we finish that every time.
The food you consume has a very high impact on health. So, we spent money on employing two cooks.
I carry all my meals in a tiffin every day to the office
Don’t store any snacks or cold drinks in the house:
You will end up consuming it during your ‘weak’ moments
Home cook healthy snacks every morning
Low/Zero sugar. Low carb
Food is medicine. Find out what you are allergic to. Avoid that.
Know your daily calorie requirements
Measure BMR through smartwatch plus activity
create a slight calorie deficit
Eat in a 3, 45 min window. 600 calories breakfast, 2 pm lunch and 7 pm dinner
About 2.5 liters of water
Switch away from seed oil. Start using olive, coconut oil and ghee.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the best (Maybe around Rs. 1500 a litre), but it may still be worth it. Following is important
Extra virgin Olive Oil
Non refined
non-treated
Get rid of non-stick vessels in your kitchen
Omega 3: (Manohar’s recommendation)
Omega-3 fatty acids play a role in heart health, brain function, and inflammation control. Source:
Walnuts: A convenient plant-based source of omega-3 (in the form of ALA). (Overnight-soaked walnuts (and almonds) are superfoods)
Fatty fish (salmon, Mackerel, and sardines) are high in EPA and DHA, which are especially beneficial for omega-3.
Flaxseeds and Chia Seeds are also plant-based options for getting more ALA in your diet.
Up protein intake aggressively. Nothing beats eggs.
Overload c vitamin
Low-carb, high-fat diet
My brother, Anand, tried this approach and saw amazing results. He was inspired by Dr. Tim Noakes’ bestselling book The Real Meal Revolution: The Radical, Sustainable Approach to Healthy Eating.
The main idea? A low-carb, high-fat (LCHF) diet can help you lose weight, boost energy, and improve overall health. Yes, high-fat—but the good kind. Instead of obsessing over calorie counts or portion sizes, the focus is on eating nutrient-dense, unprocessed foods like butter, ghee, and certain cheeses while cutting back on refined carbs like bread, pasta, and sugary snacks. This helps stabilize blood sugar, curb cravings, and support a healthier metabolism.
I haven’t fully embraced this yet, but I plan to experiment because it makes sense:
The 12-Hour Window: Eat all your meals within a 12-hour (e.g., 6:30 am to 6:30 pm). This gives your body the other 12 hours to repair itself, like a daily reset for your digestive system—no fancy diet tricks required, just smart timing.
Food Timing: I aim to eat 70% of my daily intake in the first 8 hours, with a lighter dinner by 6:30 pm. I’m still working toward this and usually finish eating closer to 8 pm.
It’s a simple, logical approach I’m eager to make part of my routine.
Physical Health:
So if we were to stack up every possible known risk factor, no smoking, type two diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary disease, and state kidney disease, whatever. And we were to talk about how much of a hazard ratio these bring to you in terms of all-cause mortality:
Hypertension is about 20%
Type II diabetes is about a 30% increase in mortality.
Smoking is 50% increase.
Being weak is about 250% compared to being strong.
Having a very low VO2 max in the bottom 25% of the population versus being in the top two and a half per cent of the population is about 400%.
So when you line everything up, the two things that stand out the most are incredible cardiorespiratory fitness as measured by VO2 max and strength. Ref 1. Ref 2.
Designing Your Physical Health
To stay fit and healthy, here’s how I approach physical activity:
Mobility (15 Minutes a Day)
Helps keep your joints flexible and reduces stiffness.
Improves your range of motion, making everyday tasks easier.
Lowers the risk of injury by keeping your muscles and joints ready for movement.
Cardio Fitness (15-20 Minutes a Day)
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT):
Short, Intense Bursts: Quick but powerful intervals (under a minute) followed by short rest periods push your heart and muscles to their limit.
Structured Progression: Gradually increasing intensity based on heart rate and recovery keeps you improving without burning out.
Whole-Body Focus: Switching between activities like cycling, sprints, or rowing ensures you target different muscle groups.
Calorie Burn: HIIT’s “afterburn” effect keeps your metabolism working even after the workout.
Mind-Body Connection: Combining HIIT with mindful breathing or meditation builds mental discipline alongside physical fitness.
Pranayama for VO2 Max increase:
While pranayama is traditionally used for respiratory health, stress relief, and mindfulness, certain pranayama techniques can also enhance lung capacity, strengthen respiratory muscles, and improve oxygen utilization, which may indirectly boost VO2 max. Here are the best pranayama exercises for this purpose:
Bhastrika Pranayama
Kapalabhati Pranayama
Anulom Vilom Pranayama
Nadi Shodhana
Ujjayi Pranayama
Deep Diaphragmatic Breathing
Pranayama alone may not directly boost VO2 max as much as aerobic training, but it complements physical workouts by enhancing respiratory efficiency and oxygen utilization.
Air Quality:
Air pollution has a massive impact on health—in many Indian cities, it’s like smoking dozens of cigarettes every day. Protecting yourself from poor air quality is crucial. Here are some practical tips:
Move if Possible: If your situation allows, consider staying in areas with better air quality.
Invest in a Quality Air Purifier: Devices with long-lasting HEPA filter that traps 99.99% of viruses and fine particles can help a bit
Upgrade Your AC with filters designed to convert your air conditioner into an air purifier. The filters are sub Rs. 1000.
Natural Solutions: Check out innovative methods to improve air quality in your space. For example, see this YouTube video on improving air quality in Delhi.
Wear a Mask Outdoors: When you're in a dusty or high-pollution environment, a mask can make a big difference in reducing exposure.
Prioritize your air quality—it’s a vital part of staying healthy and avoiding long-term health issues.
Bryan Johnson: Blueprint
Bryan Johnson is a tech entrepreneur and biohacker known for creating “Blueprint,” a data-driven protocol to optimize health and longevity. He spends millions annually to slow ageing and improve his physical and mental performance. By combining cutting-edge science with actionable habits, he offers insights that go beyond theory to measurable results. Listening to him provides a glimpse into how technology and discipline can redefine health and longevity. You might want to explore his work further.
Longevity: Blue Zone Research
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ff40YiMmVkU
The video on Longevity: Blue Zone Research explores why some communities live longer, healthier lives. It reveals how lifestyle—not genetics—accounts for 90% of lifespan and uncovers secrets from "Blue Zones" like Sardinia, Okinawa, and Loma Linda. These regions emphasize plant-based diets, low-intensity activity, strong social bonds, and a clear sense of purpose. Watch to learn practical, science-backed habits that can add years to your life and enhance its quality.
