The Longevity Compass: Medicine, Mind, and Meaning by Gabriel Lasala, MD offers all the advice you need to live a longer, more meaningful life. He also includes a lot of technical details about how our bodies work. Make sure to add this to your library.

1. Understanding the Biology of Aging

• Our body is made of cells, and each cell is very complex. We know a lot about how they work, and there is a lot we are still working on. Over time, errors can occur in our DNA. Each cell has the same DNA. They just use it differently depending on their specialty. Skin cells use DNA one way while brain cells use it another way. At the ends of our DNA, we find protective caps called telomeres. As we age, they tend to get shorter. If they get too short, they no longer protect the DNA and mutations occur.
• Epigenetics governs the way a cell uses the DNA. As we age, some cells get confused. Proteostasis is a cellular system that maintains protein quality control. Mitochondria are your cell’s energy production units. Their function tends to decline with age. Stem cells can differentiate to produce and replace cells of any kind. Their ability to do so also declines with age. It seems like most of our cell functions decline with age. To slow these processes, exercise, eat a healthy diet, sleep well, and manage your stress. Chapters on each of these are included here.

2. Genetics and Epigenetics: The Blueprint and the Conductor

• Our DNA contains 20,000 to 25,000 genes that build and maintain our body. Epigenetics governs how, when, and to what extent those genes are expressed. If our genes are the notes in a symphony, epigenetics is the conductor deciding which instruments to play. We are not merely the sum of our genes; we are the sum of how we live with them. Genes load the gun, but the environment pulls the trigger. Epigenetic patterns respond to diet, exercise, sleep, stress, and toxins.
• Your chronological age and your biological age may not be the same. If you live right, your biology should be younger than your age. There are a number of ways to measure biological age, but none of them are routine. Some may rate the functioning of a specific organ like your kidneys or heart, but your doctor may not report them in terms of biological age. Gabriel notes that much work is being done on this matter, including doing analysis of your intestinal flora to approximate your biological age.

3. Dietary Interventions

• We start with information about macronutrients, proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, and micronutrients, vitamins, and minerals. They are all necessary. Some plants contain complete proteins, while others need to be blended for completeness. For fats, focus on those that are unsaturated and eliminate any trans fats. Gabriel strongly promotes the Mediterranean Diet with its focus on plants, olive oil, fatty fish, and limited meat. Other diets are included as are sample menus.
• Added sugars and highly processed foods are very negative and contribute to just about every disease. You need to read every label and work on understanding what they mean. If you read ingredients you don’t recognize, you should probably avoid the product. Ironically, tobacco companies are responsible for making a lot of addictive, processed, unhealthy foods. Feed your microbiome with lots of fiber from plants. Avoid foods like flavored yogurt and granola bars that may seem healthy, but contain added sugar. Use glass, metal, and wood containers rather than plastics, which can pollute our system with microplastics. Every meal offers an opportunity to eat for health.

4. Movement as Medicine – Exercise and Longevity

• It’s rare to find a human who doesn’t know that exercise is good for you. Gabriel provides many technical reasons why exercise will keep you healthier and allow you to live longer. Like most sources, he promotes 150 minutes of aerobic activity per week. This can include brisk walking, running, swimming, and effortful cycling rather than riding an e-bike. In addition, you should do resistance work at the gym two or three times a week. Look for machines that use more than one muscle group. To round out your plan, add yoga or similar activities for balance and stretching, and some meditation.
• You should also look for opportunities to incorporate more movement in smaller doses. Take the stairs when you can and walk farther when you park your car, for example. There is a chart of heart rate zones you can use as you plan your workouts. Exercise it good for your brain in many ways, but the big one might be the good feeling you get when you finish. If food is medicine, so is moving.

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