How To Live To Be a Centenarian

Basically a Centenarian is anyone who is 100 or more years old. I know most people don’t necessarily want to live to be that old for fear of the downsides of old age, but many centenarians live pretty robust lives right up till the day they die.

So here is just another way to think about health and longevity. I am just going to throw out some stories of the oldest people on Earth and what they attribute their long life to…

Jeanne Louise Calment is the oldest verified human ever to live and she died at the ripe old age of 122. She rode a bicycle up until she was 100 years old and even smoked till she was 117 years old. She attributes her long life to olive oil which she poured on all her food and even rubbed into her skin. She also loved port wine and ate about a kilogram (2.2 pounds) of chocolate a week.

Sarah Knauss lived to be 115 years old. Her daughter who lived to be 101 years old said that she was a very tranquil person and nothing ever fazed her. She also loved chocolate, cashews, and potato chips.

George Harris lived to be 112 years old. Besides living over 100 years he was known for his short stature and weighed only 100 pounds. He credits his long life to nature, and a diet rich in pork, eggs, milk, and lard.

Christian Mortensen lived to be 115 years old. He is quoted as saying, “Friends, a good cigar, drinking lots of good water, avoiding alcohol, staying positive and lots of singing will keep you alive for a long time.”

Louisa Shepard lived to be 111 years old and credits her long life to drinking hot milk with a dash of whiskey each evening.

Emiliano Mercado del Toro lived to be 115 years old and credits his long life to his sense of humor.

Flossie Elizabeth Page lived to be 112 years old and credits her long life to living morally, and taking no medication whatsoever.

Walter Breuning lived to be 114 years old and credits his long life to keeping his mind and body busy.

Bessie Cooper who was born in 1896 and currently still living attributes her long life to minding her own business and avoiding junk foods.

Gertrude Baines who lived to be 115 years old loved the simple pleasures in life like bacon and eggs for breakfast.

Hendrikje van Andel-Schipper lived to be 115 years old and said that her longevity was due to eating a herring a day and drinking orange juice. And being active.

Joan Riudavets Moll lived to be 115 years old and lived on a Mediterranean diet of olive oil, tomatoes, fish, and bread. Some of his hobbies were playing the guitar, singing, and playing football. And he walked and rode a bike every day till his death.

Moses Hardy lived to be 113 years old and his longevity was credited to a daily meal that consisted of cabbage, corn bread, butter milk, potatoes and Dr Pepper, and the fact that he never drank alcohol or smoked in his life.

John Evans lived to be 113 years old and attributed his longevity to abstinence of smoking, drinking, swearing, and gambling.

Henry Allingham also lived to be 113 years old and credited “cigarettes, whisky and wild, wild women – and a good sense of humour” for his longevity.

I hope you are laughing a bit now as you hear all these stories of people that lived to very ripe old ages. There is not much coherence among any of their stories. Some smoked and drank, others abstained and each still lived to be a centenarian.

I think the common theme seems to be that they all enjoyed life as much as they could. So maybe the key to living longer isn’t trying to live a healthier life, but to simply enjoy life as much as possible.

This is our 18th challenge in The Personal Health Challenge Series…