Here’s How to Be Healthy, for Normal People

Let’s be honest: health advice has gotten completely out of control.

Between strict exercise programs, exotic supplement stacks, elaborate meal prep, and influencers tracking 47 different biomarkers, getting healthy has become a full-time job. Meanwhile, the wellness industry has ballooned into a $250 billion market selling increasingly complicated solutions to what should be simple problems.

Here’s the truth: the most powerful health interventions are surprisingly simple. They’re backed by decades of research. They work for normal people with jobs, families, and lives. And most of them are either free or very inexpensive.

This isn’t another article telling you to meditate for 90 minutes, cold plunge at 4 AM, or eat 47 Brazil nuts for optimal selenium. This is about the fundamentals that actually move the needle, ranked by their actual impact on your health and longevity.

#1: Sleep – The Foundation Everything Else Depends On

Sleep isn’t just important—it’s the foundation upon which every other health intervention depends.

Here’s what happens when you don’t get enough sleep:

The Science of Sleep Deprivation

Sleep is fundamental to literally every system in your body: your immune system, cardiovascular system, blood pressure regulation, diabetes risk, mental health, depression, anxiety, and even pain perception. As one sleep scientist put it: sleep is fundamental to every system we rely on during our waking lives.

During sleep, your brain clears plaques associated with neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. Poor sleep quality doesn’t allow this clearance function to occur, letting those plaques accumulate. Sleep also mediates many of the positive effects of exercise on brain performance and long-term brain health—meaning if you’re not sleeping well, you’re undermining your workout benefits.

The Sweet Spot: 7-9 Hours

Research consistently shows a U-shaped curve for sleep and health outcomes. Both too little AND too much sleep are associated with higher risk of dementia, cardiovascular disease, and early death. The sweet spot? 7-9 hours per night for most people.

The ideal in population studies is actually 8 hours and 15 minutes, meaning you need to be in bed for about 9 hours to actually get that amount of sleep.

But here’s what matters most: individual variability. Some people feel terrible on 7 hours and need 8-9 hours to feel well-rested and function at a high level. You need to find what works for YOU.

The 15-Minute Rule

If you’re currently getting 6 hours, don’t try to jump to 8 immediately. Add 15-30 minutes more sleep every week. Studies show that even 15 minutes more sleep can be the difference between an A student and a B student—or 11 minutes more sleep is the difference between a B and C student. Over a week, 15 minutes per night equals almost two hours more sleep.

Sleep Basics That Work

According to multiple sleep experts and neuroscientists:

Prioritize consistency: Same bedtime and wake time, even on weekends
7-9 hours minimum (find your personal sweet spot)
Quality matters as much as quantity
Exercise improves sleep (but sleep also makes exercise more effective—they work together)
Avoid obsessing: Anxiety about perfect sleep actually prevents good sleep

Why Sleep Comes First

Simple: if you’re sleep deprived, you won’t have the energy or willpower to exercise, you’ll actually crave unhealthy foods, you’ll be too exhausted for social connection, and you’ll lose sight of your purpose. Fix sleep first, and everything else becomes easier.

This one surprises people, but the data is overwhelming: strong social connections are among the most powerful predictors of health and longevity.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

A landmark meta-analysis of 148 studies involving over 300,000 participants found that people with strong social relationships have a 50% increased likelihood of survival compared to those with weak social ties.

To put this in perspective:

Intervention	Impact on Mortality Risk
Strong social relationships	50% increased survival
Quitting smoking	50% increased survival (comparable)
Physical activity	30% increased survival
Social isolation	32% increased mortality
Obesity	20% increased mortality

In other words, having strong social connections provides survival benefits equal to quitting smoking and exceeds the longevity benefits of exercise.

The Harvard Study: 85 Years of Evidence

The Harvard Study of Adult Development—the longest-running study on happiness and health ever conducted—has tracked people for over 85 years. The single clearest finding?

Dr. Robert Waldinger, the study’s current director, puts it simply: “Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period.”

The study found that:

People with strong relationships at age 50 were healthiest and lived longest
Relationship satisfaction in midlife predicted physical health better than cholesterol levels
Loneliness proved as dangerous as smoking or obesity
Quality of relationships mattered more than quantity

The Loneliness Epidemic

Despite this evidence, loneliness has reached epidemic proportions:

57% of Americans reported feelings of isolation in 2025
1 in 4 men under 35 struggle with severe loneliness
Loneliness increases the likelihood of premature death by 26%

Dr. Jonathan Haidt’s research shows that when young people moved their social lives primarily onto social media platforms, “both sexes got really lonely.” Digital interaction simply cannot replicate the physiological and psychological benefits of face-to-face connection.

1. Schedule social time like you schedule workouts

Block calendar time for friends and family (non-negotiable)
Aim for at least 2-3 meaningful in-person interactions per week

2. Prioritize quality over quantity

Even one high-quality relationship provides substantial health benefits
Focus on your 3-5 most important relationships
Have deep conversations, not just surface check-ins

3. Join communities, not just gyms

Team sports or running clubs
Book clubs, hobby groups, volunteer activities
Regular community events

4. Reduce digital, increase in-person

Text to coordinate, then meet face-to-face
Use video calls for distant relationships (better than texting)
Practice phone-free socializing

5. Build “weak ties”

Chat with your barista, neighbors, regular acquaintances
Research shows even brief interactions contribute to feelings of belonging

The bottom line: Your social network is more important than your genetic network in determining your health. If longevity is your goal, optimizing your relationships should be a top priority.

#3: Nutrition – Simpler Than You Think

Forget complicated macros, exotic superfoods, and Instagram-worthy meals. Good nutrition is actually very simple.

What Everyone Agrees On

Despite endless debates about keto vs. vegan vs. paleo vs. carnivore, here’s what literally every nutrition expert agrees on:

✅ Eat mostly whole, minimally processed foods

✅ Avoid ultra-processed foods

✅ Reduce refined carbohydrates, starches, and sugar

As Michael Pollan famously said: “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.”

What to Actually Eat

The foundation:

Fruits and vegetables (emphasize low-sugar fruits like berries)
Quality proteins: eggs, fish, chicken, meat (if you eat it), legumes
Healthy fats: extra virgin olive oil, nuts (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts), seeds, avocados
Oily fish
Whole grains if they work for you (rice, oats)

Minimize:

Ultra-processed foods
Refined starches and sugars
Foods with ingredients you don’t recognize

How to Eat

Veggies first, then protein, then carbs (this sequence significantly reduces insulin spikes and increases absorption)
Eat when you’re hungry, stop when you’re full
Not 7-8 small meals, not constant snacking
Time restricted eating (fasting) helps you get the most out of what you do eat

The 80/20 Rule

Get 80% of your nutrition from whole, minimally processed foods. The remaining 20%? Live your life. Have the pizza. Enjoy the croissant. Just don’t make it your diet’s foundation.

#4: Movement – Just Be Active

You don’t need a complicated workout program. You don’t need to optimize your zone 2 cardio while tracking HRV and lactate thresholds. You just need to move regularly.

The Minimum Effective Dose

According to multiple longevity experts:

Cardio:

At least 30 minutes of good cardio, 4-5 times per week
This can be walking briskly, jogging, cycling, swimming—whatever you’ll actually do

Strength Training:

3 times per week
Doesn’t need to be heavy powerlifting—bodyweight exercises, resistance bands, or gym weights all work

Flexibility:

1-2 days per week of stretching, yoga, or mobility work

The Best Exercise Is the One You’ll Do

Research from Blue Zones (regions where people live longest) shows that the healthiest oldest people don’t do CrossFit or marathon training. They:

Walk regularly (often up hills)
Garden and do physical labor
Stay active throughout the day, not just during dedicated “workout time”

The 10-Day Rule

After about 10 days without exercise, your brain health starts to suffer. So consistency matters more than intensity.

Remember, social connection is more important than exercise. So why not combine them?

Join group fitness classes instead of solo workouts
Play team sports or join running clubs
Exercise with friends

This compounds the benefits—you’re stacking two of the most powerful longevity interventions simultaneously.

The Truth About “Not Enough Time”

Most of us sit for way more time than we realize. Even replacing one hour of sitting with walking makes a massive difference. You have 24 hours in a day—if you sleep for 8, work for 8, that still leaves 8 hours. Finding 3-4 hours per week for movement isn’t impossible, it’s a priority decision.

#5: Purpose – The Seven-Year Longevity Factor

Having a sense of meaning and purpose isn’t just “woo-woo” self-help advice. It’s a measurable longevity factor with hard data behind it.

The Research

A paper in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that people with meaning and purpose lived seven years longer.

Seven years. For free.

What “Purpose” Actually Means

It doesn’t have to be grand. Purpose can be:

Being there for your grandchildren
Making a scientific discovery
Writing your next novel
Ending needless suffering through your work
Building something meaningful
Mastering a craft or skill
Contributing to your community

As Dr. Mark Hyman puts it: “What do you care about? What matters to you? What makes you come alive? What gives you energy?”

Why Purpose Extends Life

Look at what happens when people lose their sense of purpose:

People who retire at 65 often die shortly after
When someone loses a spouse after decades together, they often die soon after—sometimes literally from a broken heart (a real medical phenomenon)

Without purpose, people become depressed. They stop moving. They lose their social connections. They lose their reason to take care of themselves.

How to Find (or Keep) Your Purpose

Ask yourself:

What gets you excited to wake up?
What would you do even if you weren’t paid?
What problems do you want to solve?
Who do you want to serve or support?
What legacy do you want to leave?

Design your life around your values:

What gives you energy vs. what drains you?
What matters most to you?
Are you spending time on what you actually care about?

Stay engaged:

Don’t fully “retire” from meaningful activity
Keep learning, creating, contributing
Find new challenges and goals
Stay connected to community

Purpose doesn’t have to be your job, but it does have to be something that makes life worth living.

#6: Supplements

The number of available supplements nowadays in pretty overwhelming and their benefits are, for the most part, largely unproven.

The Supplements Actually Worth Considering

That said, a few supplements do have decent evidence:

For deficiencies:

Vitamin D (if you’re deficient, which most people are)
Omega-3 (especially if you don’t eat fish regularly)
Magnesium (multiple forms; threonate for sleep, glycinate for general use)

For sleep:

Magnesium threonate (clinically supported)
Theanine (calming, from tea)
Glycine (amino acid that improves sleep quality)
Apigenin (from chamomile)

For anxiety/stress:

Saffron (30mg): 12 studies show significant anxiety reduction on standard scales
Inositol (18g daily): Can reduce anxiety symptoms comparably to some prescription antidepressants

If nothing else, just go with brand name multivitamin. There’s good research that they do support brain health.

The foundational truth: Quality nutrition, quality sleep, and ample sleep on a regular basis matter far more than any supplement stack.

The Bottom Line: Simple Beats Complex

The wellness industry profits from complexity. But science tells a different story.

Being healthy for normal people comes down to six things, in order:

Sleep 7-9 hours consistently
Build and maintain strong relationships
Eat mostly whole, minimally processed foods
Move your body 30+ minutes most days
Have something you care about and work toward
Supplement strategically only for actual deficiencies

Just the fundamentals, done consistently, over time.

The most powerful health intervention isn’t found in a bottle or sold by an influencer. It’s found in how you live each day: how you sleep, who you spend time with, what you eat, how you move, and what gives your life meaning. These aren’t ‘extra’ things that you have to ‘do’, it’s just being mindful of ‘what’ you do.

That’s it. That’s the secret.

Now go call a friend, eat some vegetables, take a walk, get to bed on time, and work on something that matters to you.

Your body—and your future self—will thank you.

References

Sleep

Leschziner, G. (Dr.). Featured on The Diary of a CEO: “Sleep Patterns Can Predict Future Diseases”
Raichlen, D. Featured on The Diary of a CEO: “The Brain Professor”
Walker, M. (Dr.). Featured on Huberman Lab: Six Episode Series on Sleep
Huberman, A. (Dr.). Huberman Lab: “How to Use Exercise to Improve Your Brain’s Health, Longevity & Performance”
American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Sleep duration recommendations.

Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T. B., & Layton, J. B. (2010). Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-analytic Review. PLOS Medicine, 7(7).
Harvard Study of Adult Development (85+ years of research). Harvard Gazette.
Waldinger, R. (Dr.). Harvard Study Director on relationships and longevity
Vaillant, G. (Dr.). Former Director, Harvard Study of Adult Development
Haidt, J. (Dr.). Featured on Huberman Lab: “How Smartphones & Social Media Impact Mental Health”
Santos, L. (Dr.). Featured on Huberman Lab: “How to Achieve True Happiness Using Science-Based Protocols”
Liberty Reports (2025). Loneliness Crisis Shakes America.

Nutrition

Hyman, M. (Dr.). Featured on Huberman Lab: “How to Improve Your Vitality & Heal From Disease”
Pollan, M. “Food Rules” and whole food nutrition principles
Multiple research on anti-inflammatory diets and Mediterranean-style eating

Movement/Exercise

Hyman, M. (Dr.). Exercise recommendations from longevity research
Buettner, D. Blue Zones research on natural movement in longest-lived populations
Huberman, A. (Dr.). Huberman Lab on exercise and brain health

Purpose

Hyman, M. (Dr.). Featured on The Diary of a CEO: “The Longevity Expert”
Journal of the American Medical Association. Study on meaning, purpose and longevity (seven years longer life)
Buettner, D. Blue Zones research on purpose (ikigai)

Supplements

Huberman, A. (Dr.). Huberman Lab: Evidence-based supplement recommendations
Huberman Lab: Saffron for anxiety – 12 studies showing 30mg reduces anxiety (Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale)
Huberman Lab: Sleep supplements – Magnesium threonate, theanine, glycine, apigenin (clinically supported)
Hyman, M. (Dr.). On the limited evidence for most longevity supplements
eLearn College (2024). Longevity Beyond the Biohacking Buzz.

Author’s Note: This article prioritizes interventions by their actual impact on health and longevity, based on decades of research—not by what’s most profitable to sell or most exciting to market. The goal is to cut through wellness industry noise and give normal people a realistic, evidence-based roadmap to better health.

Tags: #Health #Longevity #Sleep #SocialConnections #Nutrition #Exercise #Purpose #Supplements #EvidenceBasedHealth #Wellness #SimpleHealth #NormalPeople