How to live to be 100
Botox, bubbly every day, even pole-dancing! Our team of (ageing) experts share their tips on...
BRITONS are l i ving longer than ever. A girl born in the UK today can expect to see her 83rd birthday and a boy will live to be on average 79. Compared to 25 years ago, women now live on average four years longer and men five-and-a-half.
There are now record numbers of people aged 100 or over – more than 14,500, a figure that has risen by 65 per cent in the past decade alone, and quadrupled in the past 20 years.
But while we may live to see 100, will we do it well?
The most recent Office f or National Statistics report said that although life expectancy keeps rising, so do the years spent ‘ in bad health’: now at 19 years for women and 16.1 for men.
To tackle this, a new campaign called WE100, fronted by Loose Women’s Janet Street-Porter, aims to herald ‘ a new era of humans living 100 healthy years’ by educating the nation on the how to extend the years living in good health.
We gathered some of the UK’s foremost experts in the fields of neuroscience, dementia, cosmetic surgery and national health to share the tips and tricks they hope will see them live happy and healthy beyond 100…
A GLASS OF CHAMPAGNE . . . EVERY DAY
PROFESSOR June Andrews OBE is a worldwide authority on dementia and Emeritus Professor at Stirling University. She is author of Helpful Hints For Carers Of People With Dementia. SHE SAYS: At a lecture I gave recently, I asked the audience about this very subject. People weren’t that enthusiastic about living to be 100. They believed old people are marginalised, they thought they wouldn’t be healthy and would have financial struggles. Most of them were also not thinking about how to minimise these problems.
Personally, I would love to live to be 100. There is a 50 per cent statistical chance by then that I’ll be a bit frail and have dementia.
So I am keeping fit – that’s the most important thing for brain and body. Nothing major: swimming, enthusiastic housework and walking between meetings. ‘Brain-training’ puzzles simply make you better at puzzles; if you want a good brain in later life, education seems to equip you with extra capacity.
Since I was 60 I’ve written a book, started a company and taken on international consultancy.
Social contact is also important. I make sure I have fun with friends and family when I can.
I am not convinced vitamin supplements make a difference if you eat a normal diet.
Avoiding constipation is probably more important. It sounds strange but constipation in older people can trigger delirium and you can go downhill very quickly.
I avoid red and processed meat, as research has shown they are harmful to brain health due to the chemicals in t hem, and I follow a Mediterranean diet with plenty of oily fish. This diet also advocates a glass of wine a day – and I tend to have a glass of champagne, or something fizzy, every day. Research has suggested it may boost memory, and that’s good enough for me!
STAND ON ONE LEG WHEN BRUSHING YOUR TEETH
SIR MUIR GRAY, 72, is former chief of knowledge for the NHS and honorary professor at the University of Oxford. He is author of several books including the bestselling series Sod 70. HE SAYS: Every morning I spend ten minutes doing a series of exercises to keep my strength and fitness up. These include two batches of 40 push-ups and a plank for 72 seconds. I believe you need to exercise MORE as you age to compensate, as the older you get, the harder it is to stay supple. Physical activity is such a simple yet crucial thing to do.
So when I turn 73 next birthday, I’ll aim for the same number of seconds’ planking.
I also stand on one leg while brushing my teeth to keep my balance up, and go for my ‘vital’ – as I call it: a 30-minute brisk walk every day. I can’t run any more as I had a heart attack three years ago.
I get my five-a-day, if not more – especially from purple foods such as beetroot, as they’re high in polyphenols. These are naturally occurring compounds that reduce inflammation and the risk of disease. I also choose white meat, not red, and olive oil over butter.
I believe by the time we hit our 60s we should be having three to four alcohol-free days a week, as our bodies are less resilient by this age. I probably drink four glasses of white wine a week.
I don’t bother with brain-training exercises – my work is mental stimulation enough. If you’re looking for stimulation, volunteer. The challenge will keep you sharp.
EAT RYVITA AND TAKE SUPPLEMENTS
BARONESS Susan Greenfield CBE, 66, is a British neuroscientist whose research has focused on the treatment of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. SHE SAYS: In the past year, I have cut out a lot of starchy foods such as bread, swapping it for healthier options such as oats and the odd Ryvita. As a result, I have lost a
stone and feel far less bloated and perhaps a bit sharper, too. I’m also not a great fan of meat. Instead, I opt for fish and veg and no processed food – even though I’m a terrible cook.
When it comes to sugar, mine comes from alcohol – I can resist cakes. But I have three rules: I never drink on my own and never during the day unless I’m on holiday or it’s Christmas. It ruins you for the day otherwise. I also try to have one or two alcohol-free days each week.
In terms of supplements, there are a number I swear by. Each day, I take one capsule of soya lecithin [said to help prevent fat accumulation], antioxidants, omega fish oil, gingko biloba [for brain health], conjugated linoleic acid [fatty acids found mainly in meat and dairy products that can help weight loss], fizzy calcium [ for bone health], Imedeen [skin health], IOMA [a collagen capsule] and liquid collagen. I’m also a total believer in Berocca – sometimes several a day if needs be for energy.
Because of the work I do, my mind is always active and questioning things, so I don’t bother with crosswords or brain-training.
I believe passionately in physical exercise – ideally squash four times a week – and I always, always feel better afterwards.
POLE-DANCING AND A TOUCH OF BOTOX
DR JACQUELINE Lewis, 55, is one of the leading cosmetic and post-breastcancer reconstructive surgeons in the UK – named Best For Breast in Tatler’s Beauty & Cosmetic Surgery Guide 2016. SHE SAYS: Living to 100 is one thing, but feeling alive at 100 is another. I’m 55, and when I reached the menopause my whole body changed. My husband said ‘Why do you look so grumpy and tired and unhappy?’ and I said: ‘I don’t feel like it, but my face looks like it.’
My skin had changed, so did my skull. As we age, particularly postmenopause, bones thin, causing hollowing of t he t emples and enlargement of the eye socket.
And as your fat pads and soft tissue change and travel south, cheeks recess and bones become less defined.
My colleagues suggested a facelift and even though I know how safe they are – I used to specialise in them – I thought I’d want a more subtle change.
As part of my work, I have been looking into minimally invasive procedures and tried them out myself.
I have had ‘ vampire facelifts’ where your own blood is drawn and processed so only plateletrich plasma remains, which is then reinjected.
I have also had hyaluronic acid fillers, which dissolve after six to 18 months. And I’ve had Botox injections regularly for the past 14 years.
While it might seem superficial, it has affected my life in so many different ways. After a long life of stress, you feel it in your face. Now I smile more, I feel younger.
I have made changes to my diet and I eat a lot less meat.
After learning of the benefits of anthocyanins, found in ‘ purple’ foods such as blueberries, aubergine and red cabbage, I’ve dug up half my garden and planted lots of purple veg.
And I am an obsessive poledancer! I have been doing it for seven years. It’s cardio, dance, strength and co-ordination.
Yes, I’m a 55-year-old pole-dancer, I admit it. And as long as I can keep on going, I’ll be a 100-year-old pole-dancer!
TENNIS (BUT DON’T TRY TO BE ANDY MURRAY)
JANET Street-Porter, 70, journalist and broadcaster, is the face of WE100, a initiative by Merck Consumer Health that aims to tackle negative perceptions of ageing and promote ‘living 100 healthy years’. SHE SAYS: I’m not very different now at 70 to how I was at 16, so I’m hardly going to change in the next 29 years!
I t doesn’t matter what happens to your body as long as your mind is still the same. So you’ve got to keep your brain active. I’ve always been curious and wanting to do new things.
Older people get stuck in their ways so easily. For example, everybody cooks the same food all the time. I try to cook something I haven’t cooked before once a week.
You might not always think it’s a great dish, but at l east you are trying something new.
I’ve always hated dieting. I once went on one at a swanky spa and ate grapefruit and broth and thought I was going to die.
But I do think that when you’re younger you can get away with eating a lot more. I mean, I love stodgy food, but I’m not going to eat it every day now.
The key thing with this campaign is to tell people to keep their options open and try new t hi ngs, which works f or me, because I have always had a short attention span and I get bored easily.
I’ve done yoga and boxing and I used to have a gym in my old house, but it all bored me after a while.
I think walking every day for 30 minutes is probably the best exercise. And that I stick to.
And I also play tennis regularly. I’m on a hiatus at the moment because of an injury I picked up pretending I was Andy Murray, but as soon as that has healed I’ll be back on the court.