Beginner's Longevity Plan

1-MONTH STARTER PLAN FOR HEALTH & LONGEVITY
(Do-able without special gear, drastic diets, or big time blocks)

Keep the same 3 focus areas for the whole month so you can build a habit loop.
Goal: finish the month feeling “I can keep this up” instead of “I’m exhausted.”

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1. DIET – “Add 2, Cut 1” Rule Principle: crowd-out, not cut-out.
   Week 1
   • Add 1 extra cup of vegetables at lunch and dinner (frozen veg counts).
   • Cut 1 sugar-sweetened drink per day and replace with water or unsweet tea.

Week 2
• Add a palm-of-hand sized portion of lean protein (eggs, beans, chicken, tofu) at breakfast.
• Cut ultra-processed snacks after 8 p.m.; if hungry, have fruit or a handful of nuts.

Week 3
• Add 2 different colors of produce to every grocery trip (easy rule of thumb).
• Cut eating in front of screens for one meal per day (phone in another room).

Week 4
• Add one home-cooked meal per week (5 ingredients max; sheet-pan or slow-cooker).
• Cut nothing new—just keep the three previous “cuts” going.

Quick tools
• 80/20 shopping: 80 % of cart on outer aisles (produce, dairy, meat, frozen veg).
• Use a 10-inch plate; fill ½ with veg, ¼ with protein, ¼ with whole-grain or starch.
• Water rule: drink 500 mL (17 oz) upon waking and before each meal.

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2. MOVEMENT – “10-Minute Daily Minimum” Principle: consistency > intensity.

Week 1
• Pick a 10-minute walk after one meal every day. Time it—phone on airplane mode.

Week 2
• Turn the walk into “walk-jog-walk” intervals (30 sec jog, 90 sec walk) OR
Do 3 x 10 bodyweight squats + 3 x 10 wall push-ups spread through the day.

Week 3
• Extend to 15 minutes every other day.
• Add “movement snacks”: stand up and stretch for 60 sec every 60 min at work.

Week 4
• Two longer sessions: 20-25 min brisk walk, bike ride, or beginner YouTube workout.
• Add 1 balance drill (stand on one foot while brushing teeth) and 1 core move (plank 20-30 sec) daily.

Tools
• Free apps: “Just 6 Weeks” (body-weight) or “Couch to 5K” (walking/jogging).
• Use a $10 pedometer or phone step counter; aim for +500 steps above yesterday, reset each morning.

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3. SLEEP & STRESS – “90-Minute Wind-Down Window” Principle: protect the first and last hours of your day.

Week 1
• Choose a non-negotiable bedtime (e.g., 10:30 p.m.) and set a nightly phone alarm 30 min prior.
• Write tomorrow’s top 3 tasks on paper to park your worries.

Week 2
• Cool & dark room: lower thermostat to 66–68 °F (19–20 °C), add blackout curtains or eye mask.
• Replace doom-scrolling with 5 min of box-breathing (inhale 4 s, hold 4 s, exhale 4 s, hold 4 s).

Week 3
• Add 5 min of gentle stretching or legs-up-the-wall pose before bed.
• Morning sunlight: within 30 min of waking, go outside or open the blinds for 5 min to anchor circadian rhythm.

Week 4
• If you wake at night, try 4-7-8 breathing or get up and read under dim light until sleepy.
• Schedule one “joy block” (30 min walk with music, coffee with a friend, or hobby) per week to proactively manage stress.

Tools
• Free apps: Insight Timer (guided breathing), “Twilight” or iPhone Night Shift to dim screen color after 9 p.m.
• $1 earplugs if noise is an issue.

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WEEKLY CHECK-IN (5 min every Sunday)

1. Score 1–10 how easy each area felt.
2. Pick one micro-tweak for next week (e.g., “vegetables taste bland—add spice mix”).
3. Celebrate one win aloud (“I walked 3 days in a row!”).

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SUCCESS METRICS AFTER 30 DAYS
• Diet: ≥ 5 cups of produce on at least 20 days.
• Movement: ≥ 10 min intentional activity on 25+ days.
• Sleep: ≥ 7 h time-in-bed for 20+ nights.

If you hit two out of three, you’ve built a sustainable foundation.