We are bombarded with advice and information about diet and exercise, but what about the impact of friendship, optimism and kindness on our longterm wellbeing? It is eye-opening to discover that a strong support network of family and friends lowers mortality risk by about 45 percent, while volunteering your free time reduces the chances of early death by a staggering 20-60 percent, depending on the study. Science journalist Marta Zaraska is the author of Growing Young: How Friendship, Optimism and Kindness Can Help You Live to 100. In this episode of the LLAMA podcast, she discusses the peer-reviewed studies that suggest living to a great age is about more than what we eat or how much we move.  We cover how caring for children motivates us to keep on living and why Marta's long-held beliefs about aging and longevity were shattered through an understanding of the research.

Check out our website at LLAMApodcast.com and social media sites @LLAMApodcast

In this episode we cover: 

• Coping with Covid-19 in France, where the outlook is looking better, with no second wave of the virus yet.
• Becoming a mother and thinking more about health and longevity. 
• Why fixating on nutrition and exercise does not tell the whole story. 
• Delving into the science behind friendship, optimism and kindness. 
• What “Growing Young” means.
• The folly of “anti-aging."
• Why hugging and cuddling is good, most of the time.
• The extremes some people go to for human contact.
• The blood science that validates acts of kindness as a positive behavioral trail. 
• Oxytocin, serotonin and endorphins. 
• The science behind that fuzzy warm feeling. 

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Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast
Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...

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The Live Long and Master Aging (LLAMA) podcast, a HealthSpan Media LLC production, shares ideas but does not offer medical advice. If you have health concerns of any kind, or you are considering adopting a new diet or exercise regime, you should consult your doctor.