> [!tldr] 6 fairly obvious ideas about how to live well From [[Eat Your Ice Cream]]. These first broad concepts were addressed throughout the book: - Do the right thing be default, most of the time, and don't sweat the occasional indulgence or divergence - Wellness is not itself an ends. It is an means acting as an enabler for the ends of loving a full and meaningful life. 1. **Don't be a schmuck** 1. don't take stupid and unnecessary risks 2. Don't smoke 3. Drinking moderate amounts with friends on occasion is probably fine, but otherwise don't drink 4. If you drink, don't drive 5. Get vaccinated 6. Know when (and when not) to get screened for prostate cancer (men), Pap smears (women), etc 2. **Maintain social connections** 1. The best predictor of all-cause mortality in the famous Harvard quality of life study was not sleep, diet, or exercise, but the quality and quantity of strong social connections. 2. See friends consistently. Do things wiht people! Talk with them! Ask them about themselves. 3. Causal light-hearted chats with strangers help both *you* and *the stranger* have a better day. 3. **Keep learning & growing** 1. While the deterioration of the bind is inevitable, we are not powerless against it. 2. Stay curious! Challenge yourself to do and learn new and interesting [[Growth Requires Discomfort|things out of your comfort zone]]. 3. Doing the same thing over and over, even things we think of as "brainy" things like crosswords, won't protect your brain as much as continually seeking new experiences to try and skills to develop. 4. Build a strong [[Congintive Reserve]] by not only getting educated, but continuing to intentionally learn. 4. **Eat Better** *(& eat your ice cream)* 1. Avoid *('avoid' doesn't mean **never**)* 1. Sugary drinks 2. [[Processed Foods]] 3. Snacking 4. Once/week is probably fine for pretty much anything. Don't be obsessive. Enjoy food. Enjoy your life. Get the basics right, then don't sweat the occasional splurge. 2. Don't avoid 1. [[Fermented Food]]s 2. Dairy! 3. [[Protein]] 4. [[Fiber]] 5. Unprocessed carbs 3. Cut back on salt 4. Organic is (probably) better 5. Desserts are okay on occasion 6. Learn to cook 7. Eat with people 8. Eat your breakfast, but [[Intermittent Fasting]] is also *probably* a good idea 5. **Move It** 1. Surprisingly the book recommends splitting types of workouts the *exact* way that I settled on [[Facets of Fitness]] 2. Avoid high contact sports 3. He essentially followed the same governmental recommendations for fitness (which isn't surprising or bad) 4. 6. **Sleep like a baby** 1. See [[Sleep Hygiene]] for tips **** # More ## Source - [[Eat Your Ice Cream]]