A sprightly 101-year-old is traveling the world sharing his secrets of living a very long and healthy life. Dr John Scharffenberg, who was born in December 1923, still drives himself around and even runs a YouTube channel with 135,000 subscribers.
The nutritionist has said he has ruled out his genes giving him a head-start in his longevity, as his mother died from Alzheimer's disease in her 60s, and his father suffered a fatal heart attack aged 76. He has also outlived his two brothers.
Living in North Fork in the Sierra Nevada foothills with his son, in the past year alone the adjunct professor at the school of public health at California's Loma Linda University he has given talks in Madagascar and Europe, and he will appear in Las Vegas later this year. He also shares some of his secrets on YouTube channel, Viva Longevity!
Here are his top seven tips to living a long and healthy life.
Exercise
Getting a good amount of exercise is Dr Scharffenberg's number one tip for living as long as he has. He says the reason he outlived his two brothers is because he is far more active than they were.
“The time of life you get it is what’s important - middle age, from 40 to 70," he said. "That’s when you need it, because that’s the time when people usually relax, have more money, buy more food, sit around more, eat more [...] and that’s the wrong way to go.”
Dr Scharffenberg says he kept himself moving in his middle age by working on a large property he bought in California's San Joaquin Valley. This involved clearing land for a road and a house and cultivating a two-acre garden, including 3,000 strawberry plants, 80 fruit trees, and grape vines.
“I did it all by myself, so I exercised a lot,” he said. “I worked hard.” Dr Scharffenberg added: "Even though I’m a nutritionist, exercise is even more important than nutrition."
He says gardening and walking are ideal forms of physical activity, particularly for older people. Dr Scharffenberg pointed to a study showing the death rate for people who walk more than two miles per day is half that of those who don't.
Don't smoke
Dr Scharffenberg says he has never smoked. According to the NHS, smoking damages almost every organ in the body, and increases the risk of cancer and conditions such as dementia.
Don't drink alcohol
Dr Scharffenberg, who says he has never drunk alcohol, disputes the idea that a small drink can be good for health. Although it has long been said that a small glass of wine can be good for you, the 101-year-old pointed to a recent study showing drinking any amount of alcohol increases the risk of cancer.
Maintain a healthy weight
Dr Scharffenberg practices intermittent fasting, eating breakfast and lunch every day, but not having an evening meal. He doesn't eat until 6.30am the following morning. Being overweight can cause a plethora of health problems, including Type 2 diabetes, heart problems, cancer, and other conditions. Studies have shown intermittent fasting is an effective way to lose weight.
Eat less meat
As part of his membership of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Dr Scharffenberg follows a plant-based diet, including milk and eggs. He says he hasn't eaten meat since he was 20 years old. He says his favourite foods are mangos and persimmons, macadamias and other nuts and seeds, as well as potatoes.
Cut sugar
Modifying recipes to cut out sugar is a good way to cut calories, Dr Scharffenberg says. He says one of his favourites is waffles made by oats - a recipe created by his wife. He also eats them with berries, or cashew cream and bananas, rather than sugary syrup.Fruit is a good way of consuming a safe amount of sugar, as they also contain many essential nutrients.
Eat less saturated fat
"The optimum diet is the vegetarian diet," Dr Scharffenberg tells audiences during his lectures. "I pray that all of you will live the right lifestyle."
