Working for a Successful Aging Company, Employees Adopt Healthier Lifestyles to Live Longer, Better

When it comes to increasing the odds of living a long and healthy life, Assured Allies has one of the most well-informed staffs around. It’s our mission to broaden access to Successful Aging, and with in-house operations, research, and actuarial teams examining every longevity trend and indicator out there, it’s almost impossible to work here without applying some of what we learn about healthy aging to ourselves. So we thought it would be fun to share with you the lifestyle changes some of us adopted in 2023. Enjoy!

Alexandra Pitkin-Morin, NeverStop Service Delivery Leader:  I started meditating daily for five minutes before bed to help lower stress. If I’m still ruminating about something during the day, the meditation helps me to let it go. It’s easier now to fall asleep and my stress level is lower too.

Erik Wenzel, Senior Actuary: In the last year I built a workout routine around becoming a better basketball player, much of which involves strength training to avoid injuries. I used to suffer a lot from back, knee and ankle problems, but now I can play basketball twice a week with no problems at all. It feels great to see how I’m steadily improving.

I also used to wake up in the middle of the night with insomnia, and found that practicing intentional gratitude is a reliable way to fall back to sleep. 

Daniella Segal, Deputy General Counsel: My husband and I cut way down on sugar to set a good example for my son once he started eating solids. To minimize his sugar consumption for as long as possible, we started cutting back on it in all our cooking and baking.

What did we learn? Using half the amount of sugar called for is more than enough! I also started reading nutrition labels while shopping and discovered that there are always good alternatives with less or no added sugar. My husband and I feel healthier and better on the lower sugar diet, a bonus.

Larry Nisenson, Chief Growth Officer: I started intermittent fasting (the 16/8 plan) last January and found it to be really easy after the first few days. I also restrict my carbs (which is MUCH harder for me) but all in all, it’s been a net positive. I feel less bloated and healthier. My goal is longevity for sure but my more immediate goal is weight management, which helps keep my activity level up (since i have a bum knee).

Marissa Badler, Senior Manager, New Ally Success: I started using Noom this year. It has been hard to maintain a healthy lifestyle with a toddler and I was getting frustrated and wanted to make a change. For the first couple of weeks, I was excited and really into it, but since it is time intensive and my life is crazy, I haven’t been able to keep up with it as much as I’d like. I saw a little progress in the beginning, but not as much as I wanted and I got discouraged.

I’d like to try again, but the holidays are a challenging time, so I think I’ll wait until January even though I’m not a big one for New Years Resolutions. I’ve learned to be gentle with myself. If this isn’t the right time in my life for weight loss to be a top priority, I know I will come back to it later. 

Anna Annecca, Clinical Ops Team Lead: I use sunscreen daily now! That was a win.

Katharine de Baun, Senior Marketing Manager: I started regularly eating fermented foods, typically adding a few tablespoons of kimchi or fermented beets to my luncheon salad and indulging in a small container of coffee-flavored (but no caffeine!) whole kefir yogurt for dessert at night. My goal was to improve my microbiome for better digestive health, and I’ve definitely noticed an improvement. I plan to continue this habit for the rest of my life, which has many health benefits including improved metabolism, a stronger immune system, and a better anti-inflammatory response. I might even start fermenting my own vegetables one day. 

Morgan Pichel, Senior Ally Specialist: In the last year I decided to put myself first and focus on my overall health and wellness. I started being more mindful about the foods I was putting into my body, and made sure to fuel myself with a healthy, well balanced diet. I also made it a priority to get up every morning before work and get some sort of movement in, whether it was a quick walk with the dogs or 30 minutes in the gym. The walking pad I invested in helped me stay accountable and get my steps in during the workday, too!

Ryan Bailey, Clinical Researcher: When I discovered last May that my cholesterol was on the border of needing to be medically managed, I began intermittent fasting from 6 pm to 10 am to reduce my  LDL levels. 

I won’t know whether my LDL has changed until my annual check up, but I’ve noticed other changes. I don’t feel as hungry as I thought I would in the mornings. I’m more mindful of what I eat, choosing more nutritious foods. And I’ve drastically decreased mindless snacking, which I’m especially prone to when bored or stressed. Maybe to compensate, I’ve increased my coffee consumption in the mornings. Some studies show increased coffee consumption has heart healthy benefits and others show decreased memory consolidation.