Woman, 101, shares key to living longer – and type of food she always eats

Daily Mirror

4 days ago

A British centenarian has shared her secret to living a long and healthy life, and it's all down to her diet.
The 101-year old woman discussed her lifestyle choices in an interview conducted by her grandson James Marsh, a fitness coach, who then posted the inspiring video on his TikTok account.
Opening up about her eating habits, she credited her longevity to a vegetable-rich diet, influenced by her mother's strong belief in their importance. "I always ate plenty of vegetables - I was brought up by my mother and she was a great believer in vegetables so we always had them," she divulged.
She continued: "My father grew them, especially during the war of course and I always ate them and I always loved them." The 1924-born woman also revealed she never ate anything "particularly sweet", but loved her fruit.
And when questioned about alcohol intake, she clearly stated: "No, not at all - I never liked it. I'm sure that it's bad for you, I'm just sure."
Discussing meat and fish, meanwhile, the elderly woman noted she enjoys a "reasonable amount" but recalled the rationing in her younger days. "We were rationed of course," she recounted. "So we never had that much when I was young. Today I like a bit of meat. I'm not keen on fish, but I eat a bit of it."
Wrapping up her dietary beliefs, the 101-year old, who looks incredibly young for her age, emphasised moderation and a focus on plant-based foods. "I'm very careful with what I eat. Not many sweet things - really just lots of veggies, lots of fruit, which I've always eaten," she said.
One TikTok user, struck by her youthful looks, expressed their admiration and well-wishes: "101, incredible. Wish her many more years ahead of her."
Others revealed their families' secrets to longevity, meanwhile, with one TikTok user stating: "My grandparents lived until 95 and 96 and they grew their own vegetables."
A third person detailed: "In my opinion the perfect diet is just wholefoods, small amount of meat/fish fibre, fruit for sweetness, no smoking no alcohol. My mum is 84 my dad is 90 and both still going strong, and their exercise: walking and gardening."
While a fourth fondly shared: "She reminds me of my granny. She lived to 101 and said many of the same things."
Meanwhile, another user offered encouragement: "My grandmother is two years younger than you, and she too has lead a very similar dietary lifestyle to you. I'm certain you're right in all you say. What you put in, really matters for long term health. Good luck to you and keep hydrated."
James later shared a follow-up video reflecting on his grandmother's lifestyle, noting her strong physical condition due to the nature of her abode. "She lives in a very tall, thin house and she's always going up and down the stairs," he explained.
He discussed age-related health risks: "When we get past a certain age, the risk of death and illness from a heart attack and cancer kind of reduces, and it's much more about the risk of falling over and breaking a hip or something."
The trainer continued: "Whereas if you can maintain good strength, that will also carry over to balance and mean that you are less likely to fall over - so I think part of the reason she has remained very healthy is that she's stayed in this tall house which is always training her legs indirectly."