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now doing—mining the minds of centenarians for nuggets of wisdom. Regardless of which interviews you read, this is where pa erns really DO emerge. In interviews and surveys with centenarians, the following themes come up me and me again when asked to explain why they've lived so long: Some jokingly said they a ribute their longevity to "avoiding dying." Others give hints to their life philosophy, such as "Find your passion and live it," "Make me to cry," and "Prac ce forgiveness." Centenarians overwhelmingly cite stress as the most important thing to avoid. Their lives are marked by as many stressful events as the rest of us, but they differ in how well they manage their stress. Rather than dwelling on it, they let it go. And they are very happy people! Happiness Happy people live longer—by 35 percent, according to one study. Another study found that happiness and contentment increases health and longevity. Other studies show op mists live longer than pessimists. So it's no surprise that centenarians are a happy and op mis c lot. Posi ve thoughts and a tudes seem to somehow do things in your body that strengthen your immune system, boost posi ve emo ons, decrease pain, and provide stress relief. In fact, it's been scien fically shown that happiness can alter your genes! A team of researchers at UCLA showed that people with a deep sense of happiness and well-being had lower levels of inflammatory gene expression and stronger an viral and an body responses. This falls into the realm of epigene cs—changing the way your genes func on by turning them off and on. Part of your longevity may depend on the DNA you were born with, but an even larger part depends on epigene cs—over which you have more control. Your thoughts, feeling, emo ons, diet, and other lifestyle factors exert epigene c influences every minute of the day, playing a central role in aging and disease. Perhaps it's not as important to avoid that bowl of ice cream as it is to feel sheer bliss when ea ng it... at least, on occasion! Four Nutrients That Will Help You Reach the Century Mark The fact that you can manipulate your genes with happiness doesn't mean you can completely disregard lifestyle choices, as that would be foolhardy. The basics are s ll important— diet, exercise, sleep, etc. Research suggests the modern American diet is increasingly low in four important nutrients that have a direct bearing on aging, and our brains are suffering for it. If you hope to one day become a healthy, happy centenarian, you must address the following: • Vitamin D • DHA • Folate • Magnesium Abby's Magazine - Volume 4 Issue 4| Page 25