Good health does not require a complicated protocol. The fundamentals are unglamorous, well-established, and -- this is the tricky part -- actually have to be done consistently.
Sleep First
If you only optimize one thing, make it sleep. The evidence for its importance is overwhelming: chronic sleep deprivation impairs cognition, raises cortisol, disrupts appetite regulation, and accelerates aging at the cellular level.
Aim for 7-9 hours for most adults. The practical levers:
- Keep a consistent sleep and wake time, even on weekends
- Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet
- Avoid screens in the hour before bed (or use night mode and dim the brightness)
- Limit caffeine after noon
Move Every Day
You do not need to train like an athlete. Research consistently shows that moderate, regular movement -- a 30-minute walk, cycling to work, a swim -- provides most of the health benefits associated with exercise.
Strength training a couple of times a week matters too, especially as you age. Muscle mass preserves metabolic health, protects joints, and reduces the risk of injury from falls.
The enemy of exercise is complexity. Find something you actually enjoy and do it often.
Eat Mostly Whole Foods
Nutrition science is famously contentious, but there is one point of near-universal agreement: diets built around whole, minimally-processed foods are healthier than those built around ultra-processed ones.
In practice, that means:
- Vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains
- Lean proteins (fish, chicken, tofu, eggs)
- Healthy fats (olive oil, nuts, avocado)
- Limiting added sugar, refined flour, and processed snacks
You do not need to be perfect. The 80/20 rule works well here.
Manage Stress
Chronic stress is a slow-moving health hazard. It elevates cortisol, disrupts sleep, suppresses immunity, and contributes to cardiovascular disease.
Effective stress management looks different for everyone, but evidence-backed approaches include:
- Regular physical activity (doubles as exercise)
- Mindfulness meditation -- even 10 minutes a day has measurable effects
- Social connection -- loneliness is as harmful as smoking
- Time in nature
The Meta-Skill: Consistency
The research on habit formation suggests that consistency matters more than intensity. A 20-minute walk every day beats a two-hour workout twice a month. Six hours of sleep every night beats eight hours three nights a week.
Small, sustainable actions compound. Start with one thing, make it automatic, then add the next.