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World's oldest priest says strict routine basis of long life?

2

Replies

  • mommarnurse
    mommarnurse Posts: 515 Member
    BikeTourer wrote: »
    I have no desire to live to be that old. The odds of me feeling good and having a good quality of life are pretty low. (They are for anyone). I'll be making myself a DNR at age 70.

    I'll strive to have a healthy , strong years while they last. But even with all of my efforts and good choices , alas we all have to die someday and genetics will win.

    This guy has the trifecta of healthy choices, genetics and lowered stress.

    Only the extremely naive think Living Wills (which outline the conditions of DNR) are only for the old, bad things can and do happen to even the young. I had my kids have one since they were 18 so they could name who they wanted to represent them in health matters if they became incapacitated and to document their wishes. Obviously it will be something that they will change and maintain periodically throughout their life.

    I have no intention of giving up at 70. I know people in their 70s, 80s and 90s that are vibrant and active throughout their lives. I aspire to be one of them.

    Choosing to be a DNR has nothing to do with giving up. It simply means if my heart stops beating or I stop breathing, no not intervene with CPR / life support. The chance of these measures - after becoming of advancing age - being successful are slim, and when successful - the chances of ever regaining quality of life are quite minute. That's the point. a Living Will is entirely something different.
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
    I'm a cranky old *kitten* at 43. I'm going to be something awful at 70, let alone at 90 or so.
  • JaneSnowe
    JaneSnowe Posts: 1,283 Member
    I'm a cranky old *kitten* at 43. I'm going to be something awful at 70, let alone at 90 or so.

    You'll still have all the ladies in the nursing home fawning over you. ;)
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
    edited July 2016
    JaneSnowe wrote: »
    I'm a cranky old *kitten* at 43. I'm going to be something awful at 70, let alone at 90 or so.

    You'll still have all the ladies in the nursing home fawning over you. ;)

    Perhaps and thank you, but not after I open my mouth
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I do not have longevity goals. My goal is to just be the best me I can be and we'll see where that takes me. I mean really...I could be hit by a bus or something.

    This, and also to not leave my children motherless while they're small. I would hate to be taken and leave my husband a widower with toddlers. :'( I would at least want them old enough to remember me, and not depend on me so completely.
  • JaneSnowe
    JaneSnowe Posts: 1,283 Member
    JaneSnowe wrote: »
    I'm a cranky old *kitten* at 43. I'm going to be something awful at 70, let alone at 90 or so.

    You'll still have all the ladies in the nursing home fawning over you. ;)

    Perhaps and thank you, but not after I open my mouth

    Well, ok... maybe just the deaf ones. :D
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member

    I guess my only fear is dying before my husband, i think I'd die of a broken heart not long after.

    [/quote]

    I have a cousin who went into a profound depression after the sudden death of his wife. He died a year later.
    His son recently posted a memory on facebook. The cousin owned a business involved in welding. They played the radio on a country station all day long. Every time Vince Gill's "Look At Us" came on, his wife would come out of the office onto the shop floor. He'd take off his welding mask. They'd dance.
  • JaneSnowe
    JaneSnowe Posts: 1,283 Member
    edited July 2016

    I guess my only fear is dying before my husband, i think I'd die of a broken heart not long after.
    I have a cousin who went into a profound depression after the sudden death of his wife. He died a year later.
    His son recently posted a memory on facebook. The cousin owned a business involved in welding. They played the radio on a country station all day long. Every time Vince Gill's "Look At Us" came on, his wife would come out of the office onto the shop floor. He'd take off his welding mask. They'd dance.

    :brokenheart:
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,160 Member
    JaneSnowe wrote: »

    Clearly this guy is very talented but talking about living FOREVER shows a lack of understanding of human physiology. My view of living forever has nothing to do with human physiology.

    If my kids are as slow to have kids as I was I will be 92 before I see my first grandchild so I am trying to hang in there. :)

    Accidental death still happens where one is living on processed foods or only whole foods.

    Life has been very painful every day for the past 40 years due to the very aggressive Ankylosing Spondylitis impacting all bone joints in my body and the associated muscle pain.

    30 days after I got off of most forms of sugar and all forms of grain in Oct 2014 my pain level dropped down from 7-8 to 2-3 which is like no pain after 40 years of high pain and still remains low.

    All my health markers are greatly improved, IBS of 40 years left totally after six months, blood pressure is down to 110/70 but huge is the brain fog has greatly cleared. Critical thinking has improved which is helping to get the company moving forward again.

    With recovering health from a very low point, less pain than in 40 years and 55 pounds lighter and business looking up at age 65 I truly have hope and am getting rid of two power chairs that now are just taking up space.

    It took me facing the reality that I was looking at a premature death from eating the wrong macros/foods in my case. Over the past two years I have well over 500 hours of reading health related research. Holding an OD degree has been helpful in undering medical research and wading through the great and awful medical info out there today from both AMA and alternative types of medical resources.

    Losing the fear of cancer, heart, alzheimer's,etc brings real freedom. That is not to say one is not about ready to take me under but because I eat in a way to give as much protection and damage reversal from disease as I can learn to eat. I now understand cancer causes and continue to mitigate as many of the causes as possible with food and supplements for example.

    While my goal to live to be 110 started out as humor because at 50 I referred to myself as being middle age and someone took me to task over it so I shifted my life span forward to 110 to make my statement factual. :)

    The funny thing was I began to understand I was not going to make it past 72 (the age both of my parents died) based on the rate of my decline at 63. The kids were watch me needing more and more assistance getting dressed and out of cars, movie theater seats, etc. I wanted them to have hope they would not follow in the same path some day. I did not want the kids to have to deal with my premature death (they were only 16 at the time).

    I think losing the will to live is a major cause of premature death.
  • Gamliela
    Gamliela Posts: 2,469 Member
    in.reuters.com/article/us-life-belgium-priest-idINKCN0ZQ0FU

    I expect it was more than just a strict routine that has help keep Father Clemens active for 107 years. In photo 9 of 10 clearly he is on the thin side compared to man on his left side so calorie restriction may have been a way off life. Serving as a priest for 80 years would indicate he side stepped job hunting, housing, financial concerns at a personal level most likely. Serving for 80 years indicates he was mentally alert and could hear and read aided.

    After I set a goal to live to be 110 walking and talking the entire way these cases grabs my attention. I find my goal helps me keep my way of eating in focus and that it keeps evolving.

    Do others of you have concrete stated longevity goals? Per the obituaries that I read most goals must be set in the 70's range.


    I agree Gale, the low stress of monastic life, ( I read a similar thing on monastic nuns a few months ago) and that of a priest has got a lot to do with it. I can see how regular meals, regular sleep and probably the comfort of a spiritual life would add years to anyone's life. Add to that the social contacts of a priest, the housekeeper and plenty of time to read and meditate and you pretty much have a perfectly healthy atmosphere in which any human would thrive. Ah to have made better decisions earlier!
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,160 Member
    @Gaml think we often forget the spiritual side of humans. I was reading the other day how yoga was better for health than running is but I do neither. For sure life is more than just eating right.
  • JaneSnowe
    JaneSnowe Posts: 1,283 Member
    @GaleHawkins I'm glad you looked into him though. I agree that humans can't extend their lives indefinitely, but he's a person with a strong will to live and a specific goal he wants to reach in the future, which is what drives him. I thought you might relate to his desire, if not all of his ideology. :)

    You often speak of your wake-up call and the improvement in your health. I don't think I've ever told you this before, but I am happy for you. :)
  • mommarnurse
    mommarnurse Posts: 515 Member
    JaneSnowe wrote: »
    I'm a cranky old *kitten* at 43. I'm going to be something awful at 70, let alone at 90 or so.

    You'll still have all the ladies in the nursing home fawning over you. ;)

    Perhaps and thank you, but not after I open my mouth

    But they can turn off their hearing aids
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    I have no desire to live to be that old. The odds of me feeling good and having a good quality of life are pretty low. (They are for anyone). I'll be making myself a DNR at age 70.

    I'll strive to have a healthy , strong years while they last. But even with all of my efforts and good choices , alas we all have to die someday and genetics will win.

    This guy has the trifecta of healthy choices, genetics and lowered stress.

    I tried to have a DNR put in at 19. Doctors suck though. "You're too young abloobloobloo".
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,089 Member
    JenSD6 wrote: »
    My grandfather just passed away in November at the age of 104. All I will say is the man loved his scotch and potato chips, and he was dating a young thing (she was only 80 lol). A bad head wound after he tripped and fell was what accelerated his decline.

    I'm not comfortable with the idea of living that long, to be honest, even though he was healthy, fully independent, and still had his driver's license until he was 100. But it's in my genetics to do so.

    Same here. My great grandfather lived until 102. He drank whiskey and beer daily and smoked.

    This thread really doesn't even seem like it should be a debate at all, it's really just a bunch of opinions but I figured I'd bite anyway
  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
    I don't have a set age as a longevity goal, no.

    I do have a goal of lifelong fitness at whatever level I can maintain, though.

    Like some previous answers, I'd like a DNR order as I'd rather not live in a very damaged body if it's avoidable, and @amusedmonk... I don't think falling off a cliff at 109 is a bad way to go, given all the ways people can die.

    Would not be eligible for immortality even if offered, way too many offspring to make that a viable option, as nature dictates you can either live forever or procreate but not both.

    I do have a few inspirations, not in the media but people I've encountered in my life - the guy who ran past me at the gym one day as I was waiting for my daughter to get out of gymnastics - he was on his way to aerobics class and showed me his new driver's license. The birthday was shown in 2 digit format and I thought it was the expiration date of the license. He was 95. Running to aerobics class after getting his license renewed at the DMV. If I can be like that at 95 I would be very happy to live that long.
  • BikeTourer
    BikeTourer Posts: 191 Member
    BikeTourer wrote: »
    I have no desire to live to be that old. The odds of me feeling good and having a good quality of life are pretty low. (They are for anyone). I'll be making myself a DNR at age 70.

    I'll strive to have a healthy , strong years while they last. But even with all of my efforts and good choices , alas we all have to die someday and genetics will win.

    This guy has the trifecta of healthy choices, genetics and lowered stress.

    Only the extremely naive think Living Wills (which outline the conditions of DNR) are only for the old, bad things can and do happen to even the young. I had my kids have one since they were 18 so they could name who they wanted to represent them in health matters if they became incapacitated and to document their wishes. Obviously it will be something that they will change and maintain periodically throughout their life.

    I have no intention of giving up at 70. I know people in their 70s, 80s and 90s that are vibrant and active throughout their lives. I aspire to be one of them.

    Choosing to be a DNR has nothing to do with giving up. It simply means if my heart stops beating or I stop breathing, no not intervene with CPR / life support. The chance of these measures - after becoming of advancing age - being successful are slim, and when successful - the chances of ever regaining quality of life are quite minute. That's the point. a Living Will is entirely something different.

    An advance healthcare directive, also known as living will, personal directive, advance directive, medical directive or advance decision, is a legal document in which a person specifies what actions should be taken for their health if they are no longer able to make decisions for themselves because of illness or incapacity. In the U.S. it has a legal status in itself, whereas in some countries it is legally persuasive without being a legal document.

    Yes it is far covers more than a DNR and it legally protects you from having medical decisions imposed on you if you cannot speak for yourself. Exactly what should be in place for everyone who reaches the age of adulthood if they have strong feelings about what they do or do not want done medically in the event they can't speak for themselves.
  • Zipp237
    Zipp237 Posts: 255 Member
    I have no desire to live to be that old. The odds of me feeling good and having a good quality of life are pretty low. (They are for anyone). I'll be making myself a DNR at age 70.

    I'll strive to have a healthy , strong years while they last. But even with all of my efforts and good choices , alas we all have to die someday and genetics will win.

    This guy has the trifecta of healthy choices, genetics and lowered stress.

    Because nothing bad could happen before you're 70? Because you think life isn't worth living after 70?

    Why pick 70?
  • 7bull
    7bull Posts: 11 Member
    My family's longevity is mostly attributed to our culture and lifestyle. We're hillfolk, generally speaking, we grow our own food, hunt, fish and forage, and prefer home cooked to take out or store bought snacks. My favorite snacks are turnips and onions, I eat them like apples.

    So having said that, I believe your activity level has as much to do with lifespan as anything else you might consider. Due to a debilitating injury and nerve pain disorder, I am not able to be as active as my elders, so I'm not counting on an overly abundant lifespan, but I'll take as much as the good Lord gives me, and be glad for every minute.