Sadly, the world’s oldest man, Walter Breuning, died yesterday.
When Walter Breuning of Great Falls, Montana died on
April 14 this year, he was 114. Far from inactive, Breuning remained vibrant
and outgoing until the end of his life. He maintained extraordinary balance in
his day-to-day activities, valuing both time socializing with fellow residents
at the Rainbow Senior Living retirement home and solitary afternoons spent
reflecting on the past century.
Part of Breuning’s philosophy on life
included embracing change. For a man who saw the invention of everything from
the automobile to the computer, these words hold special pertinence. “Every
change is good,” Breuning said.
On his 110th birthday, Breuning claimed to
have outlived five or six of his doctors, whom he visited only twice a year. He
took only a single baby aspirin a day, and he walked without assistance until
he broke his hip at 113.
Breuning also accepted death—a lesson he learned from
his grandfather long ago. Upon getting ill, he was quoted as saying, “If I’m
not going to get better, I’m supposed to go now.” Accept death (“Never be afraid to die because you’re born to die.“).
Breuning’s life, which spanned three
centuries, offers a porthole into the past, and perhaps a glimpse into the
future; a future where we may expect to live years longer than our forebears.
For anyone looking to live a long, healthy life, Breuning left behind a short
list of his secrets for longevity—habits he insisted allowed him to live to be
114 years, 205 days old.
Breuning attributed his health and longevity, in part,
to his diet. “[People] just eat too much!” he said. Beginning in 1978, Breuning
cut out his evening meals, eating only a big breakfast and lunch. He attributed
his old age largely to these eating habits, emphasizing the importance of
moderation. “I think you should push back from the table when you’re still
hungry,” he said.
While Breuning’s two-meal-a-day plan contradicts the
nutritional guidelines most of us follow, scientific studies confirm that
calorie restriction increases life expectancy. When the body receives only the
nutrients it needs to survive, it’s spared the effort of processing excess
calories. For example, mice that are fed calorie-restricted diets show
increased life spans and delayed onset of age-related chronic diseases such as
cancer, heart disease and stroke. Scientists believe that low-calorie diets
slow aging by limiting “oxidative damage,” the long-term effect of
processing food on the body’s proteins, fats, and DNA.
For generations, people from the Japanese island of
Okinawa have believed in the dietary practice of eating until they’re 80
percent full. This habit, known as “Hara Hachi Bu,” probably contribute to the
islanders’ remarkable longevity, one of the highest in the world: on average,
women in Okinawa live to be 86 years old, and men average 75 years. Okinawans
have the longest life expectancy for people over the age of 65.
In addition to eating only two meals a day, Breuning’s
dietary habits included drinking a lot of water and eating a couple of pieces
of fruit with his meals. He also drank a little coffee every day. “I drink half
a cup of coffee with breakfast and a cup with lunch,” he said.
In his list of tips to living a long life, Breuning
emphasized the importance of helping other people. During his 31 years in a
retirement home, he spent his mornings visiting and encouraging other residents,
as well as talking to curious visitors stopping in to see the world’s oldest
man. Help others (“The more you do for others, the better shape you’re in. There are few rewards in life as great and sweet as helping others and expecting nothing in return".
A report released by the Corporation for National and
Community Service, The Health Benefits of Volunteering: A Review of Recent
Research, backs up Breuning’s hypothesis that selflessness pays off.
It found that people who volunteer live longer and have lower rates of
depression and heart disease than those who don’t. “The more you do for others,
the better shape you’re in,” Breuning said.
The dream of retirement is common across the United States.
After 40 years of hard work, it’s a well-deserved reprieve from the demands of
the workday. But according to Breuning, working long past retirement age could
hold one of the keys to longevity. “If you keep that mind and that body busy,
you’ll find it’s in darn good shape,” he said. After having worked for 50 years
as a clerk for the Great Northern Railway, Breuning retired at 67, and took up
a clerical position at the local chapter of the Shiners
Club, which he held until he was 99 years old. He insisted that
working into old age contributed to his long life.
“Don’t retire until you’re darn sure that you can’t
work anymore,” Breuning said. “Keep on working as long as you can work and you’ll
find that it’s good for you.” This belief is supported by the authors of The Longevity Project, a psychological study launched in
1921 that examined the lives of 1,500 people from childhood to death. Many of
the study’s participants who lived into old age continued to work, at least
part-time, long after they hit retirement age. According to the study: “The
continually productive men and women lived much longer than their laid-back
comrades.”
By following Breuning’s advice, and having a little
luck, who knows, perhaps you’ll be a centenarian too.
No comments:
Post a Comment