Unless you’re a Highlander, you can’t live forever. But, in 2017, you can live for a pretty long time. A hundred years ago the average life expectancy was around fifty. Today, it’s over eighty and people are living longer and fuller lives than ever before. The stats say you’re likely to live to your eighth decade, but what if you want to reach triple digits? How do you get those extra twenty-plus years? Well, that’s easier said than done. The obvious answer is that you need to eat healthy (put down that Big Mac), get regular exercise, sleep, and keep your mind sharp by reading, writing, and socializing with others. But, if you’re like us and don’t want to stop enjoying fast food, drinking, and not getting enough sleep, you can do what one of these centenarians did and maybe you’ll be lucky enough to join their ever-so-exclusive club.
Drink tons of wine.
Recently, a woman in Maine named Florence Bearse turned 100. She claims that the reached that milestone due to her affinity for drinking wine early and often. “I like my wine. Don’t take it away from me,” she told WLBZ-TV in Bangor. She celebrated her 100th birthday last week at the Westgate Center for Rehabilitation in Bangor. On top of drinking as much wine as she wants (because if you make it too 100 you should be able to do whatever you want), Bearse also says the secret to her longevity is that she doesn’t take “any baloney.”
Eat three raw eggs every day.
Emma Morano (who died in April) was one of the the oldest people in the world at 117 years old. Morano told the New York Times that there was one major reason she made it into the 100+ club. Every single day, she made like Rocky Balboa and ate three raw eggs. She started doing this when she was a teenager and a doctor proposed eating eggs to fight anemia. The Times guessed that she ingested over 100,000 eggs in her life. She also never got married. Saving herself from that stress alone might be the actual reason she survived as long as she did.
Guzzle gin & tonics.
The gin & tonic is one of the greatest summer cocktails ever invented. It’s so good, it almost seems magical. So, it’s no surprise that the iconic drink would be linked to a centenarian’s longevity. Briton Mabel Jackson recently turned 100 and claims that the secret to her long life is six gin & tonics every day (just like the queen!). Yes, you read that right. She drinks six per day. “I have two at lunchtime, one at tea time with a biscuit and then three more during the evening while I do my knitting. I swear the gin keeps me young!” she told The Suffolk Gazette. She goes through around a bottle of gin per week and she must be doing something right. That or she’s long since pickled her organs.
Learn how to ski.
George Jedenoff celebrated his 100th birthday this week. But, instead of enjoying the day relaxing with friends and family, Jedenoff was skiing at Snowbird Ski Resort in Utah.
“I couldn’t find a better present on my 100th birthday,” he told TODAY. He’s been hitting the slopes for almost 60 years. He first found the winter sport when he moved to Utah for a new job. “I took it up at age 43 and it was one of the smartest decisions that I’ve ever made.” So far, this is one of the healthiest and most likely ways to reach 100. That is, as long you don’t make a wrong move and end up in a full-body cast.
Marry someone much younger than you.
How did Daisy Dunnett hit 100? She believes it has something to do with the fact that she married a man much younger than herself. And no, her husband isn’t in his 90s or 80s. Heck, he isn’t even in his 70s. Dunnett’s husband is 68 years old. “I really think I would be dead if it was not for him,” she told SWNS. “If you’re elderly and on your own it is easy to give up.” She said the relationship (they just had their 18th wedding anniversary) gave her a “reason to enjoy life to the full.”
Eat Italian food.
Grace Rose De Simone is 100 years old. The New Jersey-native attributes her ability to reach triple digits to eating a lot of Italian food over the years. “I eat good Italian food, like ravioli and spaghetti, and lots of fruit, and I do a lot of word search books to keep my mind going,” she told NJ.com. De Simone’s family hails from Abruzzo, Italy and not only does she have a healthy appetite, but she also enjoys cooking for others. “I especially enjoy cooking lamb and eggs for Easter, pork chops, homemade pasta and meatballs and sweet potatoes.” So, don’t stop eating those starchy, saucy dishes. They may be the secret to a long life.
Drink Miller High Life.
Not only did Agnes Fenton of Englewood, New Jersey live to be 100, she’s still alive at 111. The secret to her long life? Miller High Life. That’s right, the Champagne of Beers. Fenton drinks three bottles of High Life every day. But, that’s not all. She chases it all with a shot of whiskey. For most people, that much alcohol over that many decades will potentially be more harmful than helpful. But, it worked for Fenton so it’s worth a try.
