Chinese Centenarian
Chen Li-fu
New England Centenarian Study
There is approximately one centenarian for every 10,000 people in the United States. One projection from the Census Bureau said there could be as many as 840,000 centenarians by 2050, when the oldest baby boomers have turned one hundred.
The New England Centenarian Study shows that:
Few centenarians are obese and a substantial smoking history is rare.
Many centenarian women have a history of having children after 35 or 40, suggesting slower aging[1].
Men tend to be better off than women, both in terms of physical and cognitive function, but fewer become centenarians.
Anyway, this article focuses only on one single centenarian who has lived up to 100 and wrote about his longevity secrets. From the article he wrote, we can tell that he still had an excellent memory at age of 100.
Why I Live Up to 100
Mr. Chen was not very healthy as others might have expected. He was diagnosed with Type II diabetes at age of 58 and he had multiple surgeries to remove gallstones and bladder stones. In his article[3], he had attributed the following factors (as translated below) to his longevity:
Genetic predisposition
He enjoyed good nighttime sleep all his life.
He was good-tempered and not easily irritated.
He had an excellent memory (or healthy brain).
He was persistent in any effort he made.
Lifestyle
Took care of his body by moving (i.e., exercise) while took care of his mind by not craving.
Kept regular dining time, wake-up time, and bed time.
Ate more vegetables and fruits, less meats.
Ate cooked foods and drank boiled water only.
Kept his feet warm while kept his head cool in daily life.
Took life easy and always satisfied with whatever his life had led him to.
Crisis Management (or his ability to respond to crisis quickly and intelligently)
Escaped dangers 4 times while worked as a mining engineer.
Escaped dangers in the air 5 times[2].
Escaped dangers on the land 2 times.
Time Management
Restricted his social activities after age of 80 even for his VIP status.
References
Mr. Chen lived through China's Civil War and WWII.