How To Live Forever: Tips From a 117-Year-Old
Updated: Nov. 29, 2016
The world’s oldest person, Emma Morano, shares the secrets to living a long and healthy life.
The world’s oldest person, Emma Morano, is celebrating her 117th birthday today. Born on November 29, 1899, Morano is officially the last person on earth who has lived in the 19th century. “I am happy to turn 117,” she told well wishers at her home in Piedmont, Italy.
Morano told reporters that she’s feeling great, except that her legs are now feeling weak.
In a previous interview with The New York Times, Morano insisted that remaining single for most of her life is one of the reasons for her longevity. She ended an unhappy marriage in 1938 and decided not to date again. “I didn’t want to be dominated by anyone,” she said.
Morano also holds the title as the oldest Italian person ever recorded, which is especially noteworthy in a country known for its high life expectancy rate. In fact, one in 10 people living in Italy’s Southern coastal village of Acciaroli reaches 100. Scientists suspect that the villagers’ Mediterranean diet and their tradition of cooking with rosemary, an herb known to improve health in old age, is the reason why Acciaroli residents age so well.
Are Raw Eggs The Secret To A Long Life?
However, many may find that Morano’s diet is more peculiar than most. The 117-year-old told reporters that she ate two raw eggs in the morning every day for 90 years, and another cooked egg later in the day. Her raw egg dietary regime was a prescribed by her doctor when she was diagnosed with anemia at age 20. To this day, she continues to eat two cooked eggs with biscuits every day.
Carlo Bava, Morano’s doctor for the past 27 years, told the AP that Morano has never been a big fan of fruits and vegetables. “She has always eaten very few vegetables, very little fruit,” he said. Bava says that Morano also refuses to go into hospitals, and insists that treatments be done at home. He says Morano’s genes are the reason why she’s reached this age.
In Canada, the average life expectancy is 83 years for women and 79 years for men. In 2011, there were 870 Canadian women and 955 Canadian men who were 100 or older, according to Stats Canada.
Looking to live a long, healthy life? We’ve got 15 ways you too, can live to be 100.
