“Longevity isn’t just about living a long life but also about living well,” I read in a recent CNN article. They talked to a geriatric specialist from the University of North Carolina who shared three key tips for living well and long.

He said: “You can’t change your genetics; you can’t change your past. You can try to change your future with modifiable things. If it means altering what you’re eating, how much you’re exercising, engaging in the community, or stopping smoking or drinking — these are things that are in your control.”

His three biggest tips for living well and long are:

1. Healthy nutrition, specifically a Mediterranean-type diet.

2. Regular exercise - 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week.

3. Social connections - having social networks to stimulate conversations and provide purpose.

This advice isn't just for the elderly but for everyone, including cancer patients. Multiple studies have shown that chowing down on a balanced diet, especially a Mediterranean one, and ditching those ultra-processed snacks can help you live longer and avoid colon and other cancers. I’ve been blogging my fingers off about the Mediterranean diet, ultra-processed food, and exercise.

Exercise also gives you a fighting chance against breast cancer and can make you feel like a million bucks during treatment. Recent research even shows that squeezing in daily stretching and balancing exercises for 10-15 minutes and doing 1-2 sessions of strength training can keep you nimble as you age.

And let's not forget social connections! Nowadays, many of us live far from family and friends. Our grandparents, and especially great-grandparents, had it easy—they lived close to their relatives and didn't have to move for work every five minutes. Meanwhile, my parents are in Auckland, my brother’s hanging out in Coromandel, and my friends are scattered from Dunedin to Croatia.

Since we moved to New Zealand in 1995, I've played musical cities seven times, which is a real buzzkill for friendships and family ties. And let's face it, most of us are in the same boat. As we age, our friend and family circles can shrink faster than your favourite wool sweater in a hot wash.

So, let’s make a pact with ourselves to eat better, pump up our muscles, move more, and put some real effort into making new friends. Our future selves will high-five us for it!