Off The Record
102-year-old Nutritionist Reveals 7 Life Rules That Kept Him Thriving — “It’s Not Just Genetics”
A lively 102-year-old nutrition expert has identified seven lifestyle choices that anyone may do to live a long and healthy life.
In a recent series of interviews and speeches, Dr. John Scharffenberg, an adjunct professor at Loma Linda University in California, shared his tips for extending life and fostering health in a number of YouTube videos.
The doctor, who was born in December 1923, continues to lead an independent life, travel the world, drive alone, and maintain mental acuity.
The centenarian nutritionist is therefore a living, breathing illustration of the possible health advantages that can arise from adhering to his seven lifestyle choices.
Dr. Scharffenberg further denied that his longevity was due to genetics, pointing out that his father died of a heart attack at age 76 and his mother died of Alzheimer’s in her 60s. Both of his less active brothers have also passed away before him.
According to the doctor, adherence to his seven basic lifestyle guidelines might help delay the onset of age-related cardiovascular conditions, such as diabetes, heart attacks, and strokes, which are the main causes of illness and mortality in industrialized nations.
According to the nutrition expert, following his lifestyle guidelines may help people live longer in addition to preventing heart disease.
A summary of Dr. Scharffenberg’s seven lifestyle guidelines may be found here.
Rule #1 – Never smoke
When it comes to smoking, the doctor’s advice is straightforward: abstain.
The 102-year-old, who has never smoked, says that since the Surgeon General report in 1964, the risks associated with tobacco use have been widely recognized and documented.
Smoking is one of the leading causes of avoidable disease and death in many nations, including Australia, and has been shown to damage practically every organ in the body.
Nearly 20,500 Australians lost their lives to smoking-related illnesses in 2018, which is equivalent to nearly 50 avoidable deaths every day.
Rule #2 – Reassess beliefs around low-level drinking
Dr. Scharffenberg does not smoke and does not drink alcohol.
Dr. Scharffenberg cited studies that demonstrate any protective benefits provided by modest levels of alcohol intake are outweighed by an increased risk of cancer, even though evidence suggests that light drinking or certain alcoholic drinks can give some health benefits.
His opinion aligns with the recommendation from the World Health Organization that no alcohol is the safest option.
Rule #3 – Keeping your body active is important – especially over 40
“Even though I’m a nutritionist, I think exercise is even more important than nutrition,” Dr Scharffenberg said in a video shared on Viva Longevity!
The doctor goes on to say that he thinks midlife, which spans from 40 to 70 years old, is the most crucial time in life to exercise.
“That’s when you need it, because that’s the time when people usually relax, have more money, buy more food, sit around more, eat more… and that’s the wrong way to go.”
The professor’s favorite forms of exercise include strenuous walking and gardening. He also mentioned a study that showed the mortality rate was only half as high for individuals who walked more than two miles (3.22 km) each day as for those who were less active.
In an interview with TODAY, Dr. Scharffenberg even stated that he thinks he “outlived” his two brothers by decades because of his extremely active lifestyle.
“The main difference was I got a tremendous amount of exercise,” he theorised.
Rule #4 – No snacking and eat by the clock
The fundamental tenet of Dr. Scharffenberg’s guidelines is that diet matters, which includes maintaining a healthy weight.
To make sure you don’t put on extra weight, the nutrition professor advises following basic dietary standards.
“Eat at the proper time. That means no snacking,” Dr Scharffenberg said in an interview.
“Eat a variety of natural, non-processed foods in quantities for ideal weight… that’s all you need to know.”
Additionally, Dr. Scharffenberg discussed the health benefits of intermittent fasting in a different video. According to the expert, he eats his last meal of the day in the early afternoon and doesn’t eat anything more until 6.30am.
Rule #5 – Consider ditching this food for good
Dr. Scharffenberg, who is a Seventh-Day Adventist, has followed a vegetarian diet since he was a little child.
The centenarian claimed that he hasn’t eaten meat since he was twenty years old, despite having tried it subsequently. Rather, he consumes milk and eggs as part of a completely plant-based diet.
Mangoes, persimmons, potatoes, macadamias, and other nuts and seeds are among Dr. Scharffenberg’s favorite foods.
He claims that since eating too much meat can raise the risk of cardiovascular disease, a vegetarian diet is “optimal.”
Rule #6 – Get saturated fat intake down by cutting meat
Because meat like beef, pork, and poultry contain a lot of saturated fats, this rule relates back to Dr. Scharffenberg’s decree regarding the advantages of switching to a vegetarian diet.
According to Dr. Scharffenberg, the easiest method to prevent the dangers of consuming a lot of saturated fat, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, is to follow a vegetarian diet and cut out animal fat.
Rule #7 – Say ‘no’ to your sweet tooth
Sugar consumption is clearly linked to an increased risk of heart disease and other health problems associated with weight gain, according to Dr. Scharffenberg.
He suggests altering recipes to cut back on sugar. For example, he recommends using cashew cream and fruits instead of the syrupy syrups used on pancakes and waffles.
The World Health Organization advises consuming no more than 12 teaspoons of sugar per day, or 10% of our daily dietary energy consumption (measured in kilojoules).
Additional health benefits can be obtained by lowering your intake to less than 5% of your daily energy intake (6 teaspoons or 25g).
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