Wisdom of Ages
The 100 Rules of Longevity
A guide to preserving vitality, health, and spirit through every decade of life.
1. Eat Slowly, Walk Fast
- • Eat little but well. Consume things that are light in weight but high in value.
- • As you age, reduce your bites and increase your steps.
- • Eat slowly, walk quickly.
- • Prioritize olive oil and butter.
- • Don't give up on yogurt, eggs, and fish.
- • Favor tea over coffee, but consume both in moderation.
- • Don't neglect legumes, vegetables, and fruit.
- • Take greens and spices seriously.
- • Never let greens like parsley, oregano, mint, basil, cress, and arugula be missing from your table.
- • Keep cinnamon, turmeric, fennel, and red pepper on your table.
2. Don't Drink Water During Meals
- • Stay away from sugar, flour, salt, and fried oils.
- • Drink water that is safe and mineral-rich.
- • Do not drink water during meals.
- • Drink water while sitting and keep it lukewarm.
- • Add orange or lemon slices or grated citrus zest to your water.
- • Don't skip breakfast.
- • In the evenings, eat lightly and at an early hour.
- • Try eating only two meals a day.
- • Leave the table feeling slightly hungry.
- • Don't rupture your veins while trying to delight your palate.
3. Monitor Your Waistline
- • Stick to traditional foods and the traditional kitchen.
- • Prefer home-cooked meals.
- • Keep your table crowded; expand your table with family and friends.
- • After the age of 40, eat a plant-based diet rather than meat-heavy; be a lamb, not a lion.
- • After the age of 40, shrink your plate by 5% every ten years.
- • Don't satisfy emotional hunger with food.
- • Monitor your weight and waistline closely.
- • Choose natural, whole, and local foods.
- • Don't neglect morning exercises.
- • Make sure to walk every single day.
4. Stay On Your Feet
- • Every day, strive to take: 5,000 steps to avoid "rusting," 7,500 to avoid weight gain, and 10,000 for healthy aging.
- • Don't sit for more than 30 minutes at a time.
- • Never forget the motto: "Stay on your feet, stay alive."
- • Sunbathe for 15–20 minutes every day if possible.
- • Don't compromise on your sleep.
- • Go to bed early, wake up early.
- • Don't go to bed without a prayer, a wish, and gratitude.
- • Strive to start the day cheerfully.
- • Stay away from stress.
- • Don't take work home, and don't take your home life to work.
5. Love Your Life
- • Don't lose touch with pleasure or give up on joy, but don't become obsessively attached to either.
- • Know how to poke fun at yourself and at life.
- • Never lack a smile on your face or laughter in your voice.
- • Don't be gloomy or sorrowful; repeat the motto "Be cheerful to stay young" every morning.
- • Love yourself, your job, your spouse, and your family dearly.
- • Keep your family and relationships strong and expansive.
- • Embrace your spouse, your job, and nature with passion.
- • Be a fun person; never stop having fun.
- • Don't be without friends, companions, or neighbors.
- • Get married; have children if possible.
6. Avoid Medications
- • Don't let your guard down; wear your seatbelt and use a helmet.
- • Don't neglect your health checkups.
- • Avoid unnecessary medication.
- • Make time for spiritual healing.
- • Be friends with people you can share your troubles with.
- • Touch nature; feel the wind on your face and the sun on your skin.
- • Don't fear aging; don't fight with old age.
- • Accept the ultimate end.
- • Learn about your genetic heritage and take precautions accordingly.
- • Share not only in joy but also in sorrow.
7. Do Not Hurt
- • Don't lose your connection to music.
- • Don't separate your soul and body; if the body is flour and the soul is water, the resulting dough is you.
- • Try to be self-sufficient.
- • Be a fair, tolerant, and generous person.
- • Do not hurt others, and do not let yourself be hurt.
- • Don't be overly ambitious or greedy.
- • Talk less, listen more; be the listener, not the teller.
- • Try to balance your "No"s with your "Yes"es.
- • Know how to forget and how to make peace.
- • Don't hesitate to share your worries, but don't become a whiner.
8. Don't Stop
- • Don't carry the burden of anger, grudge, or resentment.
- • Adopt "less is more" and lighten up in every sense.
- • Respect everything and everyone in the universe; know their value.
- • Look to the past to see the future.
- • If you are over fifty, never forget the trio: "Don't stop," "Don't fall," and "Don't catch a cold."
- • Keep in mind that peace of mind is the most effective medicine.
- • Don't shine too much light on your soul, but don't forget to converse with it.
- • Don't get attached to material things; don't fear having less.
- • Accept aging as peeling away the shell to reach the soul.
- • Lead a decent life, far from extremes.
9. Be Generous With Praise
- • Don't argue; even if you do, don't drag it out or exaggerate it.
- • Live for today, for this moment, for the now.
- • Don't approach yesterday with regret or tomorrow with anxiety.
- • Leave the past in the past and look toward the future with hope.
- • Be stingy with criticism and generous with praise.
- • Maintain your humility, but learn to accept praise.
- • Be a person of pleasant conversation.
- • Remain ordinary and simple.
- • Don't be envious!
- • Increase your spiritual wealth.
10. This Too Shall Pass
- • Let things take their course when necessary. Say, "This too shall pass."
- • Don't lose touch with your home, your village, your city, or your country.
- • Don't be bashful, timid, or indecisive.
- • Read, write, travel, wander, watch; never stop learning new things.
- • Turn toward simplicity and the ordinary.
- • Expect little loyalty, but show great loyalty.
- • Listen to your body well and take its signals seriously.
- • Stay away from everything toxic.
- • Believe in modern medicine, but don't overlook traditional medicine.
- • Never forget that time and patience are the best medicines.
by Osman Müftüoğlu