“The idea is to die young as late as possible.”….

So, the quote is attributed to anthropologist Ashely Montagu and is basically just a clever way of saying that a life of quality is better than a life of quantity. Just because we may succeed in extending our life well into older age, if we don’t hold onto our youthful spirit, energy, and passion, is it really something to look forward to?

We may be able to live well into our late 90s never exposing ourselves to the outside world and the “dangers” it holds. Is that any way to live though? The goal isn’t just to stack up years. The goal is to stack up years filled with habits which keep us physically healthy, mentally sharp, and emotionally engaged - ensuring that we remain “young” regardless of chronological age.

The passage of time is inevitable and with it so is aging. But how we age is largely within our control. People automatically associate aging with declines in vitality, curiosity, and joyfulness. Some people even attempt to trick themselves into making decline a badge of honer. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Our later years can very much be filled with energy, enthusiasm, mobility, and purpose.

Genetics most certainly plays a role in our longevity, but lifestyle choices are the secret weapon. Approximately 80% of chronic disease is caused by garbage lifestyle choices like poor diet, excess alcohol, smoking, and lack of exercise1. If you want to die young, here’s the blueprint

Eat whole healthy foods. It can’t be overstated. We are literally what we eat, so our longevity depends on nourishing ourselves with nutrient rich unprocessed food. Vegetables, fruit, proteins, healthy fats all support graceful aging by reducing risk of chronic issues like heart disease, diabetes, and cognitive decline. Making sure we get enough water is equally as important. We’re mostly made of water, so staying hydrated promotes organ function, helps with digestion, circulation, brain function, and keeps our skin healthy. Sugar filled drinks and highly processed poisonous “food like products” age us faster than those people in the M. Night Shyamalan flick.

Stay active. Move often. We are designed to move. Regular exercise (strength, mobility AND conditioning) keeps our heart, muscles, and bones young while at the same time boosts our mental health. Staying active boosts immune system function helping us avoid sickness. Mobility and balance work helps us to avoid falls. (In 2021 alone, there were 38,742 unintentional fall-related deaths among older adults in the U.S.)2 

A youthful mind is an engaged and curious mind. We have to be lifelong learners. We can do this through reading, new hobbies, taking courses. Our minds are exactly like our muscles in that if we don’t use them, we lose them. We have the ability to keep our minds sharp and adaptable by remaining curious and looking for challenges to approach with a sense of gratitude and wonder.

We have to take our health into our own hands and be proactive about it. Get regular checkups and choose your doctor wisely. If your doctor is the pill first type, find another one. If he/she never asks you about your sleep, diet and exercise habits, find another one.

Dying young as late as possible means living with curiosity, enthusiasm, engagement. It means taking care of the one body and mind we’re given with intentional choices. If we do this right, we’re more likely to tack on not only chronological length to our lives, but also immeasurable quality.

1) Katz DL, Frates EP, Bonnet JP, Gupta SK, Vartiainen E, Carmona RH. Lifestyle as Medicine: The Case for a True Health Initiative. Am J Health Promot. 2018 Jul;32(6):1452-1458. doi: 10.1177/0890117117705949. Epub 2017 May 19. PMID: 28523941.

2) Kakara R, Bergen G, Burns E, Stevens M. Nonfatal and Fatal Falls Among Adults Aged ≥65 Years — United States, 2020–2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2023;72:938–943. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7235a1