A Longevity MD's Top 3 Nonnegotiables For Optimal Health Span

We were curious: What does a healthy aging expert wish she had started doing earlier to set herself up for success down the line? Here are the three things Comite thinks everybody in their 20s and beyond should prioritize—because you're never too young (or too old) to set yourself up for a vibrant health span:

If you don't get enough sleep—particularly deep sleep—your hormone levels can also go haywire. "It increases the risk significantly for age-related conditions like obesity, heart disease, hypertension2, anxiety, and depression3," says Comite.

Unfortunately, we gradually lose all-important muscle starting around age 30, coinciding with the decrease of certain hormones like testosterone. "That's why diabetes starts emerging in the 30s, 40s, and 50s—because we're all losing muscle as our hormones are shifting," Comite explains.

You can quickly gauge your muscle health by doing a chair-rise test: Ideally, you'll be able to lift yourself out of a chair without using your hands.

As a data nerd, Comite appreciates that CGMs give her real-time insights into not just her blood sugar levels but also her sleep quality and stress levels. Wearing one daily helps her identify the foods that are best for her metabolic health—typically a combination of fiber, healthy fats, and protein to slow the absorption of sugar8 and keep her feeling full for longer.

As a precision medicine doctor with over four decades of experience, Florence Comite, M.D., knows what it takes to set the stage for longevity—and prioritizing sleep, doing resistance training, and monitoring blood sugar levels are her first lines of defense against diseases of aging. While living to be a super-ager requires some solid genetics and a dash of good luck, these are powerful things you can do to stack the cards in your favor.