Most people have a vague idea of what it takes to stay healthy as we age—some combination of cutting out the delicious, irresponsible activities while adding in more nutritious, boring ones. While it never seemed overly complicated, it also didn’t sound very fun. Today’s guest flipped that script. According to Maddy Dychtwald, a healthy mindset can lower stress, which can actually make it easier and more enjoyable to exercise and socialize. In other words, you don’t have to white knuckle the tedious tasks. You might even look forward to them!

For nearly 40 years, Maddy has been exploring all aspects of the Age Wave, and she’s contributed to researching how an aging population can have profound business, social, healthcare, financial, workforce, and cultural implications. She’s a national best-selling author, including her latest, Ageless Aging, an acclaimed public speaker, and an overall thought leader on longevity, aging, and the new retirement. Her insights and research have been featured in Bloomberg Businessweek, Forbes, Newsweek, Time, Fox Business News, CNBC, and NPR.

For years, a common belief was that genetics predetermined much of our destiny, but Maddy says that may not be true. New research suggests that up to 90% of our health and well-being is related to our lifestyle and environment.

I grilled her on the questions people want answers to. Are trends like intermittent fasting dubious, or can they help? Is walking 30 minutes per day enough, or do you need to add strength training? What’s the latest you should eat before bedtime? Can adopting a pet add purpose to your life? Are men or women more likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s?

Maddy’s answers and wisdom shed so much light on what people can do to stack their heart and brain health to increase both the span and quality of life in later years. We all want to live longer, better lives. Maddy might be able to help us enjoy the process along the way.

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