There's an old proverb that says "The secret to living well and longer is: eat half, walk double, laugh triple, and love without measure."
Is there any truth to this? Can we halt the aging process? Can you make ourselves at least more immune to age?
Walk More
Of course, walking more (aka moving more) is correlated to a longer lifespan. The more you maintain movement and continue to force your body to adapt, the more capable it is in your older years. Plus, exercise keeps our heart strong and our minds clear.
Laugh More
Laugh triple? This one may not be as explicitly true, but we do know that stress has a negative effect on our physical and mental health. Laughing relieves stress so... sure, this adds up too.
Love More
Love without measure? Strong relationships nurture healthy lifestyles that, in turn, lead to longer lives. This checks out too.
Eat Less?
Eat half? This one is tricky. Does eating less, in general, actually prolong your life? The answer may be a resounding yes, and recent scientific findings are beginning to uncover more of the story.
Ongoing studies suggest that a strict low-calorie diet may slow aging in primates, and researchers have increased life-spans in yeast and mice by having them consume fewer calories per day.
In a joint study between US and Chinese scientists in 2020, the teams found that many of the changes that occurred as rats on the normal diet grew older didn't occur in rats on a restricted diet; even in old age, many of the tissues and cells of animals on the diet closely resembled those of young rats" findings included, "that the increase in the inflammatory response during aging could be systematically repressed by caloric restriction."
So maybe this old folk saying does have some truth in it, but regardless definitely consult a physician before thinking about any major changes to your diet.