Living to 100 is an incredible feat, but some people, known as super centenarians, live beyond age 110.
Elizabeth Francis has joined that remarkable group of people. And after celebrating her 114th birthday last week in Houston with five generations of her family, Francis earned the title of the oldest living person in Texas, according to local ABC station KTRK-TV.
“I just thank the good Lord for keeping me,” Francis told the news station.
The biggest contribution to her long life may be her genes. “Her sister lived to be 106, her daughter is 94, and her granddaughter and caregiver is 68,” wrote ABC 13.
But several of Francis’ lifestyle choices likely contributed to her longevity as well. For starters, Francis never smoked and doesn’t drink.
When asked what she eats, she jokingly said, “Everything.” Still, her granddaughter, Ethel Harrison, told ABC 13 that she thinks lifestyle has a lot to do with Francis’ longevity.
“She always grew her vegetables in the backyard. I never saw her go to a fast food restaurant as much like Chick-fil-A and all the places I liked to go. She never did that,” Harrison told ABC 13.
“Whenever you went to her house, I don’t care what day of the week, she was cooking. So, I just think that had a lot to do with it, too,” Harrison added. “Just how she took care of her body and things like that.”
There are five practices that may up your chances of living to age 90 and beyond, according to Dr. Thomas Perls, a researcher who’s studied thousands of centenarians:
- Managing stress levels
- Getting good quality sleep
- Eating healthy
- Exercising often
- Not smoking
Francis’ daily choices aligned with several of the practices. And Dr. Holly Holmes, a geriatric physician, said Francis “has done everything right” for longevity, according to ABC 13.
“Things that we know we need to do like moving more, eating better, having a more plant-based diet, having social connections, avoiding loneliness and isolation,” Holmes told the publication.
Yet Francis credits her long life to only one source: “This is a blessing, the Lord’s blessing.”
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