thank you, friends

Recently, I watched a TED (technology, entertainment, and design - this is a series of 20 minute long "riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world" - http://www.ted.com/ - I owe my regular enjoyment of these lectures to Nirali, who first clued me into them) talk about Longevity. It was given by Dan Buettner. He asserted that longevity is dictated only 10% by genetics, the rest is determined by our lifestyle. And of course there are many factors, and no single easy fix to ensure you achieve centenarian status, but there were a several factors that were repeatedly distilled from societies with high proportions of long lived community members. In short, these are those factors:

- move naturally (low intensity exercise, walk, built into your daily routine, etc.)
- slow down, take time out (biologically, even 15 min a day can reverse the inflammatory response caused by stress)
- sense of purpose (iki gai - what gets you out of bed in the morning)
- no one particular longevity diet, but tend to be primarily plant based, moderate alcohol (glass of wine a day, woo hoo!), prevent overeating)
- connectedness (care networks include children and aging parents, membership in faith base community, )
- FRIENDS (with you for life, often impact you more than family, huge impact on illness recovery, activity level, emotional support, etc.)

I think all of these are familiar to us, but I was still pleased and a bit surprised to see the significant emphasis on the last couple. Coincidentally, the day after listening to the lecture, I read an article sent by a friend on the same theme - the impact of friends on health and longevity. It further emphasized that these friendships are key even in the absence of physical proximity. You don't have to see your friends every day to reap the protective benefits, just to have them.

That's how I feel about my friends in general. I can't be with them very often, but I feel like I am always reaping the benefits of their friendship.

Just wanted to say, thank you, friends, for your friendship, support, and for helping me live longer. ;)