When it comes to living a long life, Emma Morano has a few trade secrets. After all, the 115 year-old Italian woman is the oldest person alive in Europe, and the fifth oldest in the world. She's survived numerous changes, including two World Wars.
To what does Ms. Morano owe her longevity? A lifestyle choice and a pretty disgusting daily ritual, that's what. Ever since she was an anemic teen, Morano has been scoffing three raw eggs every day. For those with rusty math skills, she's consumed some 100,000 slimy yolks. Clearly the cholesterol hasn't done her much harm.
The other factor she credits with her long life? Being single. So much for dying of heartbreak and loneliness. Despite being divorced at a time when divorce was unheard of (1938), Morano never tied the knot again, though she had plenty of opportunities.
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In her words: “I didn’t want to be dominated by anyone.”
But before you go cracking any eggs, consider that much of what causes a person to live long depends largely on heredity, which is out of our control.
Morano's own sisters both lived to around the 100-year mark. For some reason, women tend to outlive men.
What's incredible is the fact that Morano still manages to live alone in a little two-room apartment surrounded by knickknacks and tributes. Her niece comes by every day and makes her two daily meals (including said eggs).
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These days Morano gets lots of visitors, researchers-cum-pilgrims from all corners of the earth fascinated by her longevity and determined to get to the bottom of her personal fountain of youth.
“She’s aware of the privilege of living,” said Dr. Bava, Morano's physician, who checks in on her once a month. “If all my patients were like this, I could have spent my days reading newspapers."
My stepfather's grandmother is still remarkably alert at 102. It's her body that betrays her. Her mind is nimble, but her hands and fingers are twisted to the point where she can no longer cook or dress independently and she eats small, bird-like meals.
Like Morano, she's become a minor celebrity at the nursing home where she now lives. At her bedside is a framed letter from the Queen congratulating her on her centennial.
Would you ditch the partner and down the eggs for 100+ years?
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