We live in an age where there is a new health craze every other day. From quinoa to kale, some new superfood is constantly being touted around as the latest fad that promotes a healthy diet and lifestyle. So what foods and drinks should really be accredited for helping keep the oldest people on earth alive? Their answers may be shocking as they are not exactly what you may think.
Vegetarian Diet
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108-year-old Reg Dean said that his secret to longevity was his 30-year vegetarian diet as well as a mysterious elixir he drank while in India in the early 1900s.
Cigarettes
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Jeanne Calment passed away at the age of 122 years olds and claimed to have smoked two cigarettes a day. She quit at age 117 only because she became too blind to see well enough to light her own cigarettes.
Chocolate
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Jeanne Calment also stated that she ate two pounds of chocolate every week, so the next time someone tells you that chocolate is unhealthy, you can tell them you’re eating for longevity.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
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In addition to the cigarettes and chocolate, Calment consumed a diet rich in extra virgin olive oil. She claimed to put it on everything shy of milk, including religiously rubbing it on her skin.
Bacon
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Susannah Mushatt Jones is the oldest living resident of New York at age 115. Jones says that she enjoys four strips of bacon every morning with her scrambled eggs and grits. So the next time your doctor tells you to lay off the bacon, show them who’s the real health expert.
Alcohol
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Jeanne Calment also claimed to drink a glass of Port wine every day in addition to her chocolate, cigarettes and olive oil.
Emma Morano, the oldest living person in Europe, mentioned that she too consumes alcohol daily, drinking a glass of homemade brandy every night.
Additionally, 101-year-old Nancy Lamperti drinks wine, Southern Comfort, and Budweiser every single day.
Bottoms up!
Bee Pollen and Honey
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The 113-year-old retired beekeeper, Fred Hale Sr., said that he ate bee pollen and honey for a snack every day.
Ice Cream
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Yes, you read that right – ice cream. Paul Marcus, age 101 once said, “try not to eat anything that’s healthy. It’s true. I eat whatever I want. The secret to longevity is ice cream.”
Sushi
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117-year-old Misao Okawa attributes her longevity to her diet of sushi as well as the eight hours of sleep she gets every night.
So next time you’re trying to eat “healthy,” make sure to load up on carbs, cigarettes, chocolate, olive oil, bacon, booze, bee pollen, ice cream, and sushi. Now that’s one diet I can definitely keep!