The Secret to Long Life: Three Centenarian Women Share Their Wisdom

Breaking the Mold: Centenarians Reveal Their Secrets

Scientists have long searched for the key to a long life, focusing on diet, exercise, and overall health. However, three female centenarians have a different take on what contributes to a long, fulfilling life.

Interview with Yair Brachiyahu

Content creator Yair Brachiyahu recently interviewed three women about their longevity. Two are 100 and 101 years old, while the third is 90. According to them, the secret to a long life is not rooted in diet and exercise, but rather a stress-free life.

Do Everything Wrong

• Enjoy Life’s Pleasures

One of the women, aged 100, shared her secret to reaching 100: “Do everything wrong, don’t have diet coke, have regular coke, don’t exercise, and most importantly, don’t worry.” She added that she enjoys coffee, eats ice cream ‘all the time’, and still drinks alcohol.

Have a Good Social Life

• Stay Active and Social

The oldest woman, aged 101, said, “I read a lot, at least two books a day. I enjoy life, we used to go out a lot to theatres. I love to dance, and we lead a nice social life.” When asked about food, she said she eats anything and everything.

Taking Care of Yourself

• Practice Self-Care

The youngest woman, aged 90, shared that she is a ‘vain’ person who would never leave her house without makeup. She also said that even if she is alone at home, she would like to do makeup because it makes her feel good about herself.

Internet Reactions

While some netizens agreed with the women, others disagreed. One person wrote, “The key I hear from all of them is 1. Love yourself, 2. Love your life, 3. Don’t stress in your life, just live it, and 4. Be yourself.” Another added, “The key is financial independence.” A third said, “I really enjoy your interviews! Thank you for sharing and thank you to all of the elders that share their stories with you!” A fourth wrote, “Don’t exercise??? Bad advice there! Smh.”

Our Take

While it is important to live a stress-free life, it is equally important to take care of your body and nutrition. These women were born at a time when life was slow, relatively stress-free, the air was cleaner, and the food was fresher. Hence, one must not use their age as a benchmark for longevity. Instead, it is important to take care of these things, especially as you grow older.

Nutrition

• Eat Healthy

While an occasional treat is okay, stick to your regular ‘ghar ka khana’ most of the days. Have lots of fruits and vegetables, and go easy on the oils, spices, sugar, and red meats.

Exercise

• Stay Active

Just 30 minutes a day is enough to keep your heart in top shape. Unless you are trying to lose weight or build muscle, 30-45 minutes of brisk exercise of your choice is an excellent way to get those muscles moving.

Sleep

• Get Enough Rest

Prioritize sleep. It might be difficult every day, given the stressful nature of our existence, but do not slack on that. Aim for at least 7 hours of undisturbed sleep per night.

Live Stress-Free

• Reduce Stress

This one is the most important, yet most difficult to follow. Do not take everything to heart. Think less, and do more. Remember, each problem has a solution when thought of in a calm, composed way.