Vegetarian for 60 years and never taken pills
Jane GraHaM, 83, a retired counsellor and therapist, lives in Manchester with her husband, david, 86, a retired charity researcher. They have five children and eight grandchildren. she is 5ft 1in and weighs 10st (BMI 26, just ‘overweight’). I BECAME a vegetarian when I married David 60 years ago — he didn’t eat meat and I didn’t want to have to cook two different meals every night. Then I started to learn about veganism and realised that it would be even healthier and more environmentally friendly, so I have been vegan for 15 years.
I do feel I am proof of the pudding. I’ve never taken any prescription medication (or supplements) and I can’t remember the last time I saw a doctor.
David and I set up the Vegan Organic Network charity to promote how vegan food is grown. I believe this keeps my brain strong, as it’s always being challenged. I do a crossword every day, too, and love Sudoku — I do it in the middle of the night if I can’t sleep.
I’ve never been a smoker and only drink when we have friends over.
I walk every day (between half a mile and two miles), but I could do with losing about a stone. EXPERT COMMENT: Clearly, Jane is doing something right, since she’s never taken any pills. However, as a vegan, it’s especially important she gets enough iron and vitamin B12, which is generally not present in plant products — perhaps from fortified cereals. When it comes to calories, with all diets, balance is key — be it for meat-eaters or vegans. Jane says that she’d like to lose a little weight, which would be good for her overall health.
She could also do with getting a little more exercise — she should aim for half an hour a day of moderate aerobic activity, perhaps by finding a gym class. The biggest problem at this stage of life is deconditioning, where a loss of fitness, strength and muscle bulk can lead to falls and loss of independence.