There are no secrets, really. It’s true that living a long life is something many people aspire to. Although it’s not something people say out loud, taking care of their diet, exercising, and staying healthy is the path chosen by those who want to live the best possible life for many years. And they choose that path precisely because it’s the right one. This has been demonstrated by these four women who have surpassed 100 years of age and who have in common the fact that they maintain a balanced diet that emphasizes simple foods and eliminates ultra-processed foods.
Diets based on fresh, natural foods, avoid excess sugar and fat, and remain active
“I don’t drink soda at all, and never have,” Daisy McFadden told Forbes in an interview over a decade ago, when talking about a balanced diet was already a relevant topic. The examples we have of the diets of long-lived people seem almost identical, always with the key being simplicity. In the end, the body only needs to be nourished; it’s our mind that needs to quell its cravings.
Thus, interviews have revealed the eating habits of several centenarians who attribute their longevity to a healthy diet. They prefer diets based on fresh, natural foods, avoid excess sugar and fat, and remain active both physically and mentally. This is the case for Elizabeth Francis, Deborah Szekely, Shirley Hodes, and Daisy McFadden.
Starting at the end, Daisy McFadden, a longtime resident of the Bronx, New York, said that she credited her healthy eating habits to her long life. Her meals usually included: Oatmeal, cranberry juice and a banana, for breakfast; Salad with beets, cucumbers, tomatoes and chicken or fish, for lunch; lean meat and steamed vegetables, for dinner and fresh fruit as a dessert.
“I did like to eat a simple, balanced diet without too many sweets”
In the case of Shirley Hodes, who was 106 years old when interviewed by various media outlets, she attributed her longevity to a balanced and simple diet. “I did like to eat a simple, balanced diet without too many sweets,” Hodes said. She limits her consumption of animal fat and prefers skim milk. Her diet is based on fresh, natural foods. She also said that she was adhering to the guidelines she was taught in the Red Cross nutrition course she took during World War II.
Deborah Szekely, on the other hand, has followed a pescetarian diet, that is, a vegetarian diet dominated by plant-based foods, excluding meat and including fish and seafood. In her case, it was yogurt, a banana, and whole grains for breakfast; salad at home, she said, or lunch at restaurants for lunch; and a meal of fish, salad, and a baked potato, or she tries something new for dinner.
The answers to certain problems are simple; the complicated part is implementing them
And finally, Elizabeth Francis opted, as she says, to “eat everything.” According to those closest to the woman, she never smoked or drank alcohol. “She always grew her vegetables in the backyard. I never saw her go to a fast food restaurant,” her granddaughter, Ethel Harrison, said. Therefore, the conclusion we can reach is that these cases show us how a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle can help us reach old age in better condition. Always keeping in mind that genetics and certain lifestyles, such as economic and family stability, are very important in this balance.
Finally, it’s important to note that the lifestyle the women describe largely resembles that of the community in Okinawa, Japan. A place known for having the highest concentration of healthy centenarians in the world: 50 per 100,000 inhabitants. The Okinawan diet is rich in grains, vegetables, and fish, and low in eggs, dairy, and meat. Okinawans also drink plenty of water, which, according to Claudia Fine, a senior care specialist at SeniorBridge, is especially crucial as we age. So, the answers to certain problems are simple; the complicated part is implementing them into our hypnotic routine.
