LifestyleCentennial Sisters Reveal Their Secrets To Staying Mental Sharp As They Get Older

Centennial Sisters Reveal Their Secrets To Staying Mental Sharp As They Get Older

Western society is obsessed with eternal youth, or with extending life and rejuvenating organs with the help of promising (if disturbing) startups. However, the centuries-old inhabitants of the blue zones, the long-lived women of Okinawa or the inhabitants of the Greek island of Icaria have simple formulas: an active life, good company and healthy eating.

There is much to learn from those people under whose gaze more than a century has passed. “Luck, good genetics and running away from toxic relationships” is the cocktail that helped the Spanish María Branyas Morera to become the oldest person in the world.

Now, 2 centennial sisters share the secrets of their longevity with the CNBC. This is Ruth Sweedler and Shirley Hodes. The first is 103 years old and the second has blown out 106 candles on her last birthday cake. Sweedler has a prodigious memory and lives in a nursing home in Connecticut. “I don’t feel old,” she explains.

Hodes, whose center for independent living is about a 500-mile drive away in North Carolina, also keeps his faculties intact. He feels young at heart and is excited to learn new things, especially from books. “I’ve never done crossword puzzles, but I’ve always read a lot. It’s the best for the mind,” he points out.

Apply its teachings to your own aging process to keep a young and agile mind (almost) forever.

1. Work on something you like

Maintain an active life it has always been considered an important factor for good cognitive function. For example, Sweedler she was an amateur actress in local theater productions and was “very active” both in her synagogue and in various Jewish organizations. “I loved working,” she recounts.

“It’s not that I’m very religious, but I am aware that I am Jewish and I like to participate.” Once, as part of a lunch-and-learn study group at the synagogue, she read the entire Hebrew Bible in 6 months.

For his part, Hodes landed a full-time job as a paraprofessional and teacher’s aide. He kept it for almost 20 years and didn’t retire until he was 70. “I loved working at the institute.” She would have loved to be a teacher or a journalist, qualities that she continues to use in the nursing home to talk with her classmates.

“If you are lucky enough to have a job that you like, take advantage of it and make full use of your talents,” is the advice of this centenarian. “Makes life so much more enjoyable.”

2. Connect with your loved ones

The hundred-year-old sisters provide enormous importance to the family and to having a good marriage or happy couple relationship, also to friends. In his interview for the CNBC they explain that “there is nothing better than to love and be loved”.

“I’ve been very lucky. My husband was easy to get along with,” Hodes says. Until he died, they had “a wonderful relationship.” She believes that loved ones are what you will remember most in life. “The people you surround yourself with, friends, relatives and family have a huge effect on you.”

“I like having friends. I love people,” notes Sweedler for his part. Even the rabbi and the former president of her congregation continue to visit her.

It is important to cultivate curiosity and commitment towards loved ones. “Some people are not interested in anyone but themselves. I was always very interested in hearing people’s stories, their origins. They are full of surprises,” says Hodes, who He recommends giving others the opportunity to open up and tell you about their lives.

3. Never stop learning

The mind is the best vehicle to travel and be transported to other worlds, discover new ideas and expand horizons. For example, Sweedler loved going to the theater with his friends, and currently doesn’t watch television, except for the news on CBS. His true passion is reading.

“Older people can become self-absorbed when they have ailments and things like that. That can make it hard to be open-minded,” says Hodes. Her hunger to learn from her drove her to college after she retired. Art and literature are also the food of his spirit: he relates that lately he has become fond of audiobooks nonfiction.

He has learned such diverse subjects from them as elephants, Thessaloniki Jews and the American opera singer Jessye Norman. “They are quite different from my backgrounds, which makes the content exciting. There is always a lot to learn!”

4. Value what is important

Both were the smallest of a large family of 8 siblings, and they could not attend the youth university. Even if they couldn’t have it all, They always valued the important things in life.

“My secret? I am a lucky person. Although I have had illnesses and problems, I have overcome them,” says Sweedler, who underlines the value of cultivate a feeling of gratitude. “I’m in decent health, I’m enjoying health, I’m grateful for a wonderful life. It sustains me and keeps me going.”

Although her mobility is limited and she can no longer travel or walk several kilometers a day, remain grateful for all you can do, as “read wonderful things”.

“I am satisfied. I have been blessed,” Hodes also believes. A sign that giving thanks and adapting to physical limitations keep the mind young for decades.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Latest Posts

Read More
More