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Even though, as we saw on Tuesday, in a disturbing chart that shows our chances of dying doing popular activities, some people do actually manage to beat the odds and live long, healthy lives. Some of them even reach it to the ripe old age of 100!
In fact, according to the last census conducted in the United States, there were 53,364 centenarians in America in 2010. And, in 2012, the United Nations estimated that there were 316,600 centenarians total in the entire world.
So how the heck do these people do it?
To find out, assisted living referral service A Place For Mom analyzed 100 interviews with people aged 100 or above to find out their long life secrets.
Turns out, their advice is AWESOME.
Not a one of them suggested a low-carb diet, avoiding gluten, exercising your ass off, or even drinking human blood.
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Instead, folks such as 127-year-old Leandra Becerra Lumbreras suggested things like eating chocolate, avoiding marriage, and sleeping for days on end. Yes!
Some of the other secrets of the 100-year-old-plus set include…
• 112-year-old Ellen Gibb: Good genes, no drinking or smoking, plenty of exercise and butter.
• 112-year-old Masazo Nonaka: Soaking in hot springs, eating sweets.
• 112-year-old Isabel Castaño Restrepo: Going with the flow.
• 111-year-old Richard Overton: 12 cigars a day, 4 glasses of whiskey in the morning, butter pecan ice cream every night.
• 110-year-old Agnes Fenton: Three bottles of Miller High Life and a glass of whiskey daily.
• 109-year-old Ruth Benjamin: Four strips of bacon every morning.
• 105-year-old Pearl Cantrell: Bacon with every meal.
• 104-year-old Mildred Bowers: Beer.
• 105-year-old Jack Reynolds: Whiskey with tea in the morning, whiskey with lemonade at night.
• 103-year-old Imogen Young: Peanut butter M&Ms, bacon, eggs, ice cream.
• 103-year-old Vincenzo Baratta: Eating once a day, lots of women.
• 100-year-old Ephraim Engleman: Falling in love, getting married, having sex.
• 100-year-old Doris Olive Netting: Daily pint of Guinness.
I am now going to do ALL of these things.
Top 10 things centenarians say helped them live to 100
1. Ignore traditional dietary advice 29%
2. Eat a healthy diet 25%
3. Stay active 22%
4. Keep a positive attitude 18%
5. Drink alcohol regularly 16%
6. Abstain from alcohol/smoking 12%
7. Maintain meaningful relationships 10%
8. Get a good night’s sleep 9%
9. Be nice to others 9%
10. Have faith 9%
View all the life longevity tips from all 100 of the centenarians here.