35.8K ·GitHub
What is this?
This is a curated, evidence-based guide ('A programmer's guide to live longer') that collects scientific studies on diet, exercise, sleep and habits linked to lowering all-cause mortality (ACM), aimed at helping programmers live longer and healthier.
Is this a research paper, a checklist, or something else?
It's a structured Markdown document organized as goals, key results, analysis, concrete actions, and then a long list of cited studies as evidence for each claim.
How is the guide organized so I can navigate it?
It's split into inputs (solid food, liquids, gases, light, drugs), outputs (exercise, daily habits, sleep, sedentary time), and context (mood, wealth, weight, COVID), with each action backed by a corresponding evidence section citing the source study.
Are all the findings in here solid, agreed-upon science?
The author explicitly warns that variables can't simply be added together, some cited studies contradict each other (e.g. on carb intake or early bedtime), and most studies only show correlation, not causation.
Who is this really written for?
It's targeted at programmers, a group known for sedentary, high-stress lifestyles, who want a quick, researched reference for simple lifestyle changes to reduce mortality risk.
What are the top recommended actions according to the guide?
Key actions include eating more white meat, vegetables/fruit, spicy food and nuts; drinking coffee, milk and tea while avoiding sugary drinks and alcohol; not smoking; getting sunlight; playing racket sports 3x45min/week for a 47% ACM reduction; brushing teeth; sleeping 7 hours between 22-24h; and losing weight if overweight (-54% ACM).
How is the ACM reduction for each habit quantified?
Each recommended action lists an approximate percentage change in all-cause mortality (ACM) or life expectancy drawn from the cited study, e.g. quitting processed food (-18% to -62% ACM) or quitting smoking (+~50% ACM if continued).
Why does the author link this to MetaGPT?
The guide's stated goal includes spending less time working, referencing the author's other project MetaGPT as a way to achieve that by automating work with AI agents.
Is this guide still being updated with new research?
The project includes an auto-translate CI workflow, suggesting ongoing maintenance, but README does not explicitly state an update cadence for new studies.
What are similar projects?
HowToLiveBetter, 996.ICU, professional-programming, Best-websites-a-programmer-should-visit, HumanSystemOptimization, run, blog, iCSS
Which topics is it in?
programmer, fitness, health, guide, china, awesome-list, list, resources, education, chinese







