In this eye-opening conversation, I sit down with best-selling author and researcher Shawn Stevenson to reveal the real missing piece in the longevity puzzle — one that researchers say outranks exercise, diet, and even quitting smoking.

Drawing from a massive meta-analysis of 300,000+ people, plus insights from Harvard’s 80-year longitudinal study, Shawn explains why the quality of your relationships is the #1 predictor of how long you’ll live — and why “warm social bonds” literally shape your biology, behaviors, and health outcomes.

Whether you're optimizing for longevity, brain health, or emotional well-being, this may be the most important health insight you're not paying attention to.

What you’ll learn:

How loneliness compares to smoking and obesity in terms of health risk

The neurological and hormonal effects of deep connection

What the longest-lived people on earth have in common socially

The difference between quantity and quality of relationships

Science-backed strategies to strengthen your social fitness

Referenced studies include:

Holt-Lunstad et al., 2010 meta-analysis on social isolation and mortality risk

The 85+ year Harvard Study on Adult Development

Research on oxytocin, inflammation, and the vagus nerve in connection to relationships

Follow Shawn: instagram.com/shawnmodel/

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I’m Louisa Nicola — clinical neurophysiologist — Alzheimer’s prevention specialist — founder of Neuro Athletics.

My mission is to translate cutting-edge neuroscience into actionable strategies for cognitive longevity, peak performance, and brain disease prevention.

If you're committed to optimizing your brain — reducing Alzheimer’s risk — and staying mentally sharp for life, you’re in the right place.

Stay sharp. Stay informed. Join thousands who subscribe to the Neuro Athletics Newsletter → https://bit.ly/3ewI5P0

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