Longevity has been the goal pursued by human beings since ancient times, and only with longevity and health can we grasp the happiness of the moment and realize the dream of life.
On April 7, CCTV news client reported that the Guinness World Records agency recognized the 111-year-old British elderly "John Alfred Tyniswood" as the world's longest-lived man on April 5.
In the interview, the old man generously revealed the secret of longevity in two words, in fact, many people have not done it.
So, what is the secret of longevity for the elderly, and why can't most people do it?
The legendary life of John Alfred Tyniswood
Born on August 26, 1912, Tyniswood has been alive for 111 years and 227 days as of today.
His hometown was in a city in the north-west of England, and he served as a soldier in his youth and fought in the Second World War, but fortunately, his unit was not on the front line, relatively less dangerous, and Tinnywood was rarely even wounded.
He also held the Guinness World Record for "World's Oldest Male Soldier Retired from World War II", and after the end of World War II, Tyniswood began to focus on physical fitness, and as a young man, he had a strong physique and a muscular belly.
The old man's love and career were smooth sailing, his wife was a little younger, the two liked to read books and newspapers, and later with the gradual development of the semiconductor industry, electronic products entered thousands of households, and Tinneswood became obsessed with the radio again.
According to Tyniswood himself, the news program on the radio was almost a daily must-listen, and he liked to learn about major events at home and abroad, and he was very concerned about them.
It is worth mentioning that Tyniswood never smoked, but he did drink alcohol, which was a habit he had acquired during his time in the army, when it was cold and there was nothing to keep warm, and he often carried a small bottle of high-count liquor with him.
After retiring, the habit of drinking was retained, except that he preferred to drink wine and beer made from German grain, which he found healthier and less prone to getting drunk.
In fact, Tyniswood's habit of drinking alcohol goes against most people's common sense, after all, the World Health Organization has issued a document saying that alcohol is a safe substance with zero intake, and drinking a drop will cause harm to human health.
The old man revealed to reporters that what he usually eats is home-grown, and there is a large courtyard outside the door, with a large area of fertile land, in addition to planting some fruits and vegetables, Tyniswood also likes to grow flowers, and he is happy to take care of these plants.
On Fridays, Tyniswood eats fish and chips from a nearby ditch, and for a while he was a real fan of fishing, often giving his neighbors endless fish.
The Guinness Book of World Records website has a detailed report on this, and Tyniswood talked to the staff about his childhood, when his family was poor, there were signs of chaos everywhere, and when he was 6 years old, he also caught the big flu in Europe.
Luckily, Tinnywood only lasted two years before it dissipated, during which time he did not get sick, and at the age of 27, he participated in military activities before leaving the army to work for a British oil company.
Interestingly, Tiniswood was a man of stability, and he never went anywhere else until 1972, when he retired.
In 1942, Tiniswood met his sweetheart, married and raised only one daughter, but sadly, his wife fell ill as early as 1986 and eventually died in the hospital.
Today, Tyniswood has four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, and he receives a good pension every month.
Usually he would go outdoors to do some simple exercises, and if it weren't for Tynniswood himself, the neighbors would hardly have noticed that the old man was over a hundred years old, and he was very good at talking and walking.
The reporter asked him what was the secret of longevity, which was what everyone was most concerned about. The old man thought for a while and said that he could live so long, just because of good luck, he never got sick much in his life, and his life was simple and happy.
Then the old man added: "I think the real secret of longevity is two words, moderation." ”
The word moderation seems simple, but it encompasses a wide range of fields, such as smoking and drinking in moderation, and not smoking or drinking is of course the best, but most people can't do this, so you should pay attention to this degree.
In addition to this, exercise in moderation is a key factor that scientifically helps maintain the health of the body and reduces potential health risks, but many people ignore this and therefore most people can't do it.
Moderate exercise can maintain the health of the cardiovascular system, especially aerobic exercise, brisk walking, running and swimming, which can train the function of the heart and blood vessels.
Modern science has ample factual evidence that exercise can boost the body's metabolism and maintain healthy weight and fat levels, and Tyniswood often did some fitness exercises when he was young.
Exercise can promote the increase of bone density, which is very important for the elderly, can prevent osteoporosis or lumbar fractures and other conditions, here is a reminder that after exercise, you must supplement the appropriate amount of nutrition, which is beneficial to health.
So, eat in moderation, as we mentioned earlier, Tyniswood always eats fish and chips on Fridays, which is high-calorie and even unhealthy in the eyes of the average person.
Admittedly, fried foods are more delicious, and even Tyniswood can't resist the temptation of these foods, but he knows how to control his eating, so he only eats one meal a week, and he never eats full, at most eight minutes full.
In February 2023, a study published by experts from Columbia University in the journal Nature Aging found that if you reduce calorie intake by 25%, you can slow down the aging rate of healthy adults by 2%-3%, which also means that the risk of death is reduced by 10%-15%.
I hope that this old man can continue to live a long life and create new miracles for mankind.
Text: Uncle Luo Ying
Edited by Uncle Luo Ying
Resources:
Xinhua News Agency - "(Outer Generation) 111-year-old man in the UK has become the longest-lived man in the world today"
CCTV - "The British 111-year-old man has become the longest-lived man in the world today: he likes to read newspapers and listen to the radio, he doesn't smoke and rarely drinks"