100-year-olds spill the beans on how their eating habits have helped them live longer

The food we consume and the choices we make daily hugely impact us in the long run. That is evident from these 100-year-olds and their eating habits. The centenarians credit their diet choices for helping them live a long and healthy life, reports CNBC Make It. But it is not just food choices. They also emphasized that staying active is crucial for health.

Elizabeth Francis, who lived till the age of 116, is the oldest living person in the US. When she was 114, in an interview with TODAY, she said, "Try to do the best thing you can for everybody. Love everybody." Her granddaughter, Ethel Harrison, shared the healthy habits that her grandmom followed. She said that she would eat fresh, home-cooked meals. "She always grew her vegetables in the backyard. I never saw her go to a fast food restaurant like Chick-fil-A and all the places I liked to go. She never did that," Harrison told ABC13. She added that whenever anyone went to her house, she was always cooking. "So I just think that had a lot to do with it, too," she added. The granddaughter also spoke about how Francis never drank alcohol or smoked but always walked until her early 90s.

On the other hand, 102-year-old Deborah Szekely works at her fitness spa and resort three times a week, according to CNBC. Moreover, she has followed a plant-based diet since her childhood. "I'm a pescatarian. And I have been fortunate of never eating meat because of my parents," she said. Her diet is very close to the Mediterranean diet, which mainly focuses on whole grains, fruits, vegetables, fish, etc. For her breakfast, she usually prefers yogurt, banana and whole grains. When it comes to her lunch, she "always" has a salad and for dinner, she shares that she goes out a lot, so she opts to eat fish, salad, a baked potato or tries something new.

For 106-year-old Shirley Hodes, staying in touch with her sister is a must. So, she talks to her three times a week. But other than that, Hodes makes sure to walk 10,000 steps a day to stay active. "When I lived at home, I would walk with friends at the reservoir. It was just wonderful. A five-mile walk and I did it every morning. Uphill and downhill, so it really gave you a workout," she said. She told CNBC last year that she still takes laps inside and outside whenever she can. When it comes to food, she said she has a "pretty good diet" and according to her, she has lived a long life because she never smoked or consumed alcohol. 

Daisy McFadden, who turned 100 in 2010, told Forbes that she was able to live this long because of her eating habits. She said that for years, she had oatmeal for breakfast, cranberry juice and a banana. For lunch, she chose to have a salad with vegetables like beets, cucumbers and tomatoes, along with chicken or fish. When it came to dinner, she had lean meat and steamed vegetables, and for dessert, only vegetables. She also mentioned that she doesn't drink soda and always opts for milk, water, juice or iced tea.