Real Life “Longevity Tips” – Being Independent, Healthy and Going Strong at Age 96 (podcast 29:51)
Dorothy Rossi is a long-time family friend who is living INDEPENDENTLY at the AGE of 96 on her 24 acre ranch in the Napa Valley among vineyards, walnut, prune and pear trees in the same house she has lived in all her life. She was born three miles away in a house run by a midwife. She worked in the insurance industry when she got out of school but after getting married in 1946 she has been working on the ranch ever since.
Dorothy works close to 6 hours per day of vigorous physical labor on the ranch which includes a fresh egg business with her chickens. Her son helps her run the ranch.
Dorothy recently “aced” her written drivers license tests at the age of 96 and she drives her 1990 Mercedes to places as far away as an hour or hour and a half to shop. She definitely doesn’t drive too slow!
She feels she does what she wants to do and has no physical limitations.
Her health is good. She has hypertension, some reduction in vision, knee arthritis and she she doesn’t remember names very well at times.
All her same age friends have passed. All her friends now are younger than she is. She has visitors come by 2-3 times per week for maybe an hour each visit.
She prays. Goes to mass the majority of Sundays. She has tremendous gratitude for all she has.
She is sad her son, who helps her on the ranch has Parkinson’s disease. She said she mentally thinks through her stresses.
Dorothy’s Thoughts for a Happy, Long Life
- Don’t take medication (she doesn’t believe in vitamins either).
- Be happy in your living environment (she loves where she lives and has her family close, though they don’t live with her).
- Lots of physical exercise (not in a gym if you can help it, but outside working).
Dorothy’s Daily Schedule:
5:00 a.m. she awakens naturally and does chores, including taking care of her cats and her chickens. She has been doing the egg business 30 plus years. She has a cup of coffee and reads the paper for 30-40 minutes.
8:00 a.m. She has plain oatmeal, with 8 raisins and some whole milk.
8:30 am – 12:00 pm does physical work on the ranch.
12:00 p.m. – Lunch is her biggest meal. Always lots of fresh vegetables (steamed). Likes swiss chard and spinach. Every other she has her meats (chicken, fish, Italian sausage, etc.). The alternating days she has a pasta, polenta, dumpings or gnocchi. She has 4 oz of homemade red wine each day.
1-4:30 p.m. she works around the range. Physical work.
5:00 p.m. – Watches the news and has a lighter dinner with salad, vegetable cream soup. Uses water from steaming vegetables for soups. Has tuna fish or egg salad sandwiches. For dessert peanut butter and apple, cottage cheese with fruit.
She reads after dinner.
9:00 p.m. She is in bed and family and friends know not to call.
Listen and learn from someone who is living what we need to do more of in this country (and the world), to live independently and functionally until the end of our lives, not only to reduces suffering and improve quality of life, but save our health care systems and economies that are being overburden by an unhealthy, over-medicated, health-care consuming aging population.
Simple lessons learned by example and common sense are many times more valuable than all the “Ivory Tower” research in the world!
Watch these two “Awesome” YouTubes on the Okinawan Centenarians!
Secrets of a Long Life in Okinawa (3:00)
Western Diet: Killer in Okinawa (3:44)
Be and Stay Well,
Kirk
You may call Kirk Hamilton PA-C Monday thru Friday 8-9 a.m. PST at 916-489-4400 for brief medical questions at Health Associates Medical Group. (for information about Health Associates go to KwikerMedical.com)
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