Long Life

From the BBC: France's oldest WW1 veteran dies

One of the last two surviving French veterans of World War I (Louis de Cazenave) has died at the age of 110.

I like his quote on the value of war -

"War is something absurd, useless, that nothing can justify. Nothing," he told Le Monde newspaper in a 2005 interview.

In that interview, he described walking through fields of wounded soldiers calling for their mothers, begging to be finished off.

I think his conviction that peace is of the greatest value is a source of his long life.

More stories on people that lived to be over 100, along with some long life explanations -

100-year-old: Try cold showers for long life

"When my brother in 1918 came home from the army, he said, 'Ed, whenever you take a hot shower, end it with an ice cold one and count to 100.' When your older brother tells you to do something, you do it," Rondthaler said.

Ever since, Rondthaler has finished his morning shower with a long blast of cold water, which he thinks plays at least a small role in keeping him going.

Definitely something invigorating about a cold shower. Interesting notion, I can't recall ever hearing that a cold shower will extend your life. I thought it was supposed to cool you off if you got a little too hot in an unwarranted way i.e. frisky.

Record 20,000-plus Japanese over 100 years old

...Experts say the traditional Japanese diet _ which is low in fatty foods _ helps explain the longevity of people in this country.

But senior citizens interviewed by the nation's media each had their own secret.
Miyuki Iida, 100, credited fresh-squeezed lemon juice. Hongo's 79-year-old daughter was quoted as saying the world's oldest woman ``grew up in a warm household surrounded by her parents and siblings.''

Fatty food are the culprit, but fresh lemon juice and a loving household are supportive.

I suspect that many factors lead to long life, all well integrated and present in those over 100. Its interesting that the World War 1 French soldier, Louis de Cazenave, saw the atrocity of war up close and then chose to find pacifism. Internal peace worked for him.