Every family has a way of talking about its health, and over time certain diagnoses become woven into its identity almost as firmly as the stories, traditions and personality traits passed from one generation to the next. High blood pressure runs on my mother’s side; the men in our family all develop heart disease; everyone eventually gets diabetes; my grandmother had dementia, then my mother did, so I assume I will too. These statements are usually made without drama because they have been...

There has probably never been a period in history when human beings have devoted so much attention, money, and energy to improving their health. We measure our sleep, count our steps, monitor our heart rate, estimate our biological age, analyze our gut microbiome, follow physicians and researchers on social media, listen to podcasts about longevity while driving to work, and fill our kitchen cupboards with products promising everything from healthier aging to improved cognition and metabolic...

There comes a point in life when conversations about the future begin to change. For decades, the focus has been on building careers, raising families, paying mortgages, meeting obligations, and setting enough money aside to one day enjoy a well-earned retirement. We plan meticulously for our financial future because we understand that freedom later in life depends upon the decisions we make today. Surprisingly little attention, however, is given to preparing the body and mind that will...