Healthy Aging - Super Centenarians and...

Research about and interviews with people who have lived very long and healthy lives tells us, without a doubt, that family and friends, spiritual connection and prayer, as well as having a postive outlook are at least as important as diet, nutrition and exercise for maintaining longevity and health.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were about 3,000 Americans over 100 years of age in 1950, about 37,306 in 1960, 73,674 in 2004, and there will be an estimated 1.1 million by 2050. Steven Austad, author of the book Why We Age, suggests that longevity is only ¼ about the genes and ¾ about healthy lifestyle. Here are some of the recently deceased super centenarians and currently living centenarians and super centenarians (people who have lived past age 110).

•· Age 128 - Elizabeth "Ma Pampo" Israel of the Caribbean Island Dominica died 10/14/03. Authorities attribute her longevity to the tranquility of Dominica, the world's "centenarian capital," with more than 20 men and women over age 100 among its 70,000 inhabitants. She had worked in the sugarcane fields and prayed every morning at 5 A.M.

•· Age 122, 5 months and 14 days - Jeanne Calment of Arles, France,was a wealthy woman who never had to work. She died in 8/4/97, the oldest documented person at that time. Her advice? "Always keep your smile."

•· Age 119 - Sarah Knauss died in 1999, the oldest American in history.

•· Age 112 - George Johnson "Sausage Man," who died recently, had lived on a high fat diet of sausage and waffles, yet he had the organs of someone in their 50's or 60's. (4)

Currently Living Super Centenarians (110+)

"There are 75 people alive - 64 women and 11 men - who are 110 or older, according to the Gerontology Research Group, an Inglewood, Calif.-based group that verifies reports of extreme ages." Scientists have found certain genetic mutations in centenarians that may help to delay aging or boost resistance to age-related disease. The general consensus is that it is a combination of genetics and environmental factors such as health habits and a positive attitude, not dwelling on stress. (5)

•· Age 120 - Mariam Amash, in applying for a new Israeli identity card in February 2008, claimed to have been born 120 years ago, which, if verified, would make her the oldest living person in the world. A relative says she drinks a glass of olive oil every day.

•· Age 115 - Edna Parker turned 115 on 4/20/08, recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world's oldest living person. Her 59 year old grandson, Don Parker, says "...she's never been a worrier and she's always been a thin person...." Her DNA is now preserved, along with about 100 others, for research about centenarians living past 110.

•· Age 112 - Tomoji Tanabe of Japan, holds the record for the world's oldest man.

Currently Living Centenarians

In a 2005 National Geographic article, "The Secrets of Long Life," author Dan Buettner identified three "Blue Zones," regions of the world with the greatest longevity of its inhabitants. At that time he had identified three such areas, Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; and Loma Linda, California. Recently he added a fourth Blue Zone, the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica, where he met and interviewed Panchita Castillo and her 80 year old son, Tommy.

•· Panchita Castillo, who recently turned 100, lives in Hojancha, Costa Rica, a place with "one of the healthiest, longest-lived populations on the planet...." Researchers attribute this longevity to the fact that the villagers here:

•- have a strong sense of purpose

•- drink hard water with high calcium content

•- focus on their family

•- eat a light dinner

•- have social networks

•- keep working hard

•- have regular "smart" sun exposure

•- strong spiritual connections keep them stress-free

Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone - and - check out how many of the items above pertain to you and your lifestyle. But as far as the "light dinner" goes, why not start AFTER Thanksgiving - or maybe even AFTER Christmas and New Years.

Remember, family and friends, spiritual connection and prayer, as well as having a postive outlook are at least as important as diet, nutrition and exercise for maintaining longevity and health.