How to boost your longevity

The ancient Greeks said there were five ages of man: the Golden Age, the Silver Age, the Bronze Age, the Age of Heroes and Iron Age. I want to add to that: The Younger Age — because now we have discovered so many ways that you can live younger longer.

A study out of Columbia University’s School of Public Health put 220 healthy men and women on a 25% calorierestriction or a normal diet for two years. If you’re eating 2,400 calories daily, eliminating 600 calories is difficult! But the restricted diet did slow down participants’ pace of aging by 2% to 3%.

Much easier — and more powerful — are the 33 brainenhancing moves that also slow your aging that I’ve presented in “The Great Age Reboot.” Three of my favorites are:

— The health benefits of social networks. Having a posse and a purpose extends your youthful energy significantly. In fact, long-standing public health research suggests from 40% to more than 80% of your quality of life and longevity can be directly or indirectly attributed to social factors.

— Using telehealth to stay up to date on all screenings. No more excuses for dodging doctor appointments or failing to share potential health concerns. Being digitally connected can lead to early diagnosis of cancers, heart disease symptoms and more.

— Adding speed of processing games to your routine. In randomized studies, doing speed of processing games “Double Decision” and “Freeze Frame” for just 18 hours over a 10-year period decreased dementia risk by more than 45%.

Health pioneer Michael Roizen, M.D., is chief wellness officer emeritus at the Cleveland Clinic and author of four No. 1 New York Times bestsellers. His next book is “The Great Age Reboot: Cracking the Longevity Code for a Younger Tomorrow.” Do you have a topic Dr. Mike should cover in a future column? If so, please email questions@ GreatAgeReboot.com.