Purpose

Rich Roll said“Roll says switching to a whole-food plant-based diet transformed how he felt within a week or two and fueled his endurance career.”

The science saysReasonable: plant-predominant diets are consistently associated with lower cardiovascular and overall mortality in large cohorts, though the dramatic '7 to 10 days' transformation is personal anecdote, not measured outcome.

Verdict: The diet pattern earns its reputation; the one-week miracle is a story, not a study.

Goldie Hawn said“Hawn says a daily meditation practice physically thickens the brain's cortex and keeps her mind strong with age.”

The science saysBrain-imaging studies link long-term meditation to differences in cortical structure, but the data are largely correlational and the effect is modest.

Verdict: The cortex claim has real studies behind it, but it is association, not a proven cause-and-effect.

Cameron Diaz said“Diaz says there is no secret to aging well beyond living well, resting on five pillars: nutrition, movement, sleep, stress release, and loving relationships.”

The science saysDecades of large cohort studies confirm that regular physical activity and strong social ties are among the most reliable predictors of a longer, healthier life.

Verdict: Unglamorous but true: the boring basics remain the best-supported longevity tools we have.

LL Cool J said“LL Cool J says regular resistance training is an investment that builds physical strength and also sharpens the mind and decision-making.”

The science saysLarge cohort studies find that regular muscle-strengthening activity is associated with meaningfully lower all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality.

Verdict: Lifting really is equity in your body: the mortality data backs the metaphor.

Jamie Lee Curtis said“Curtis says getting and staying sober from opioids and alcohol is the reason she is still alive.”

The science saysStrong and consistent: alcohol and opioid use are major drivers of early death, and abstaining substantially lowers that risk.

Verdict: Staying sober is one of the few life choices with mortality data this lopsided behind it.

Anthony Hopkins said“Hopkins credits stopping drinking 50 years ago, after a blackout behind the wheel, for the long life he is still living.”

The science saysHeavy alcohol use is a well-established driver of premature death, and large analyses find mortality risk climbs with the amount consumed, so quitting heavy drinking plausibly adds healthy years.

Verdict: The mortality data backs the instinct: for a former heavy drinker, quitting is about as close to a longevity move as a single habit gets.

Dick Van Dyke said“Van Dyke credits staying physically active, doing a full circuit at the gym several days a week into his late 90s, for keeping him mobile and feeling well as he ages.”

The science saysWell supported: regular physical activity in older adults is reliably linked to lower mortality and less mobility decline.

Verdict: One of the better-evidenced habits in the series, and one of the few where the studied population is people his own age rather than gym-going twenty-somethings.

Michael J. Fox said“Fox says optimism, which he roots in gratitude, is what lets him keep going while living with Parkinson's.”

The science saysLarge prospective cohorts and a meta-analysis link higher optimism to lower all-cause mortality and fewer cardiovascular events, though the data are observational.

Verdict: The mindset he describes tracks with better survival odds in the data, even if no study can prove it bought him years.

Rob Lowe said“Lowe credits stopping drinking and staying inside a recovery community for sustaining his health and life over three decades.”

The science saysCutting alcohol use lowers mortality risk, and strong social ties independently track with longer survival, so both halves of what he describes have real support.

Verdict: Two habits, both backed: less alcohol and more people.

Simone Biles said“Biles says ongoing talk therapy has been meaningfully relieving for her mental health, including while travelling and competing.”

The science saysStructured psychotherapy has strong randomized-trial evidence for treating depression and anxiety, though almost none of that research was done in elite athletes.

Verdict: Well-supported treatment, studied in patients rather than podium finishers.

Chris Pratt said“Pratt publicly took on the Daniel Fast, a 21-day Bible-inspired plan of prayer and largely plant-based eating.”

The science saysA short Daniel Fast can nudge cholesterol and blood pressure down over three weeks, but the evidence is one small trial with no long-term or longevity outcomes.

Verdict: A three-week faith fast can move a few numbers, but it is a reset, not a longevity plan.

Deepak Chopra said“Chopra points to research suggesting intensive meditation raises telomerase activity, an enzyme tied to cellular aging.”

The science saysA meta-analysis does find a small association between mindfulness meditation and higher telomerase activity, but the studies are few and small, and no evidence shows this translates into slower aging or longer life.

Verdict: A real signal on a surrogate marker, stretched further than the data reaches.