“Longevity” is the flexible term that can either mean just "lifespan" or both lifespan and healthspan—years spent in good health. The internet is flooded with articles that claim to tell you how to increase your longevity. And why not? Most of us want to live longer, especially if we can still possess the vitality of our younger years. In addition, research tells us that getting older brings with it a happiness bonus—a fact so amazing to me that I wrote a whole book about it.

Most articles on longevity emphasize the healthy habits you should be practicing or the unhealthy habits that you must change if you want to live longer and better. Of course, your genes might account for as much as half of your lifespan. And Lady Luck also plays a role.

But there is one secret to longevity that most writers on the subject (myself included) tend to overlook, and this factor is also critical for healthy longevity. I will reveal this secret below.

First, what are the healthy habits that promote longevity? So that you........

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