YOLOSMIALO: You only live once, so make it a long one. Here's how...
1. Get friendly with Dr. Pepper:
Elizabeth Sullivan of Forth Worth, Texas attributes her 104 years of life to having had no fewer than 3 cans of Dr. Pepper a day for the better part of the last century. When asked about the health risk, Sullivan said, "Every doctor that sees me says they’ll kill you, but they die and I don’t, so there must be a mistake somewhere.”
2. Fry yourself up some bacon:
Pearl Cantrell (105) credits her longevity to eating bacon. Every. Single. Day.
3. Porridge, and a staunch avoidance of the opposite sex:
Scottish woman Jessie Gallan turned 109 earlier this year, and revealed to the world her two big secrets to living for nearly 11 decades: a daily bowl of porridge, and cutting the stress of men out of her life completely.
4. "Cigarettes, whiskey, and wild, wild women":
Though he passed away recently, Henry Allingham attributed his 113 spectacular years on this planet to a steady diet of "cigarettes, whiskey, and women"... though his happy, carefree attitude may also had some part in his longevity.
5. Bingo, and lots of puzzles:
For Milly Smith, the last 3-decade-push across the centenarian finish line has been all about two things: playing bingo, and doing jigsaw puzzles.
6. Olive oil, port wine, cigarettes, and chocolate:
Before she passed at the age of 122, Jeanne Calment was a staunch proponent of slathering her food (and herself) in olive oil, a steady intake of port wine, and consuming 2 lbs of chocolate a week to keep herself alive. That, and she smoked a cigarette or two every day until she was 117.
7. Raw eggs, and no husbands:
At 115 years of age, Italian Emma Morano is the oldest living person in Europe. Her secret? She drinks 3 raw eggs every day (and has for a century), and hasn't had any interest in the opposite sex since she and her husband split in the '30's.
8. Sushi and sleep:
Recently crowned the oldest living person in the world at the age of 117, Misao Okawa's secret to everlasting life is simple: sleep a bunch, and enjoy sushi.
9. Laughter:
Author Bel Kaufman (who passed away last year at the age of 103) credits her long life to one of the simplest human pleasures: "Laughter keeps you healthy. You can survive by seeing the humor in everything. Thumb your nose at sadness; turn the tables on tragedy. You can't laugh and be angry, you can't laugh and feel sad, you can't laugh and feel envious."
10. Scotchy, Scotch, Scotch:
Samuel Henry "Errie" Ball, one of the competitors in the first Masters Golf Tournament, attributed his living through 103 rock-solid years to drinking two scotches a day, being easy-going, and having a wonderful wife.