My grandmother, Martina, just turned 102 on Sunday, November 27th.
I wanted to share this incredible event with you as she is an inspiration to us all.
She still lives alone in the same home she has lived in for the past 40 years plus in a small town in South Florida south of Lake Okeechobee.
She never learned how to drive so she has had to walk everywhere her entire life.
She insists on remaining independent and does her own cooking, laundry, dishes, house cleaning,sewing and enjoys reading.
I have learned and continue to learn so much from my Grandmother.
As a specialist in Longevity Medicine, I have made my own observations and wanted to share some of them with you.
My grandmothers favorite foods at 102:
her daily yogurt for breakfast, her daily chicken soup for dinner and her mini Milky Way bars, Hershey's kisses and ice cream sandwiches during the day for snacks.She loves ice cream.
My grandmother's favorite daily drink: a strong espresso or cafe con leche ( coffee with milk) in the morning. She used to make me a cafe con leche every morning for breakfast before I left for school. I would wake up extra early and go to her house just so that I could enjoy this treat every morning.
My grandmother's favorite nighttime drink: Chamomile Tea and a dose of Phillip's Milk of Magnesia ( she has taken this daily since age 30. Phillip's Milk of Magnesia was invented in 1873).
My grandmother's favorite supplements: Besides the Phillip's Milk of Magnesia, she only takes Omega 3 fish oil daily and Osteo Bi-Flex ( Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate) which she is sure has cured the Osteoarthritis she had for many years before.
My grandmother's favorite exercise: walking. She never learned how to drive so walking has always been her transportation and only form of exercise.
My grandmother's favorite pastime: going to church and the hair salon - each a few blocks from her home and reading magazines.
My grandmother's hobby: sewing and reading. She made all of my clothes when I was growing up. It was a treat to pick a pattern and watch her turn it into my next new favorite outfit that no one else had.
My grandmother's strength of spirit: her faith in God.
These Are Some Pearls I Have Learned From My Grandmother over the years:
1.How you say something is just as important - perhaps more important -as what you say.
I have found this to be particularly true in the practice of medicine where I deliver both good and bad news every day.
2. Learn to do things for yourself.
Never underestimate the value of having skills- especially survival skills. I have been focusing lately on acquiring more skills instead of more plastic.
3.Value yourself.
If you don't know how to love yourself, you can't expect anyone else to know how either.
4. Hope is the last thing you lose.
My grandmother has been through so many difficult experiences in her life- including surviving cancer- and yet never once lost hope.
5.Live a spiritual life and you will have less fear of death.
This goes without saying.
6.Live your own life.
If you are living someone else's life,
it is never to late to reinvent yourself.
Become a better version of yourself.
7.You are exactly where you are meant to be.
Stay in the present moment and appreciate it.
8.If you don't need it, don't buy it.
This is especially important at this time of year
when everyone is trying to convince you that
there will be a crisis if you don't buy what they are selling.
9.Give confidence to others.
9/10th of education is encouragement.
10.Strive to live a simpler life.
Fewer things and more experiences is better
since experiences don't take up much room in your brain.
11.Spend your energy more carefully than you spend your money.
Avoid people and experiences that zap your energy -
especially at this time of year.
12.Always act as if others were watching.
Having a moral compass is key.
13.Think before you speak.
So much hurt and confusion could be avoided
by simply following this one.
14.What is rightly yours will come to you.
Have an abundance mindset instead of a poverty mindset.
15.Ask for nothing and give everything.
The world is a mirror- attract what you expect, reflect what you desire,
become what you respect, and mirror what you admire.
16.How you do anything is how you do everything.
It is not an accident that successful people are usually successful
in more than one area.
17.Know that not everything needs to be said.
Silence is golden.
18.The best beauty product is to be happy.
You can see in the photo that at 102 my grandmother
does not usually wear makeup but always wears a smile.
19.Let go of unrealistic expectations.
Your expectations determine your reality.
Don't let unrealistic expectations hold you back.
20.Teach others how to treat you by the way you treat yourself.
Love Yourself.
21.Dedicate time to prayer and reflection daily.
A few moments of silence and gratitude daily are important.
22.Make your health a priority.
Health is your most important asset.
23.Let others do things their own way.
Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.
24.Show respect.
Seek respect and not attention- it lasts longer.
25. Experience the sacred in every moment.
Our time on Earth is sacred and we should celebrate every moment.
I try to incorporate these principles and many others that
I have learned from my grandmother into my daily life.
I hope these will serve to enlighten and enliven your life
and the lives of your loved ones.
And I leave you with this quote:
" We don't receive wisdom;
we must discover it for ourselves after a journey
that no one can take for us or spare us."
- Marcel Proust (French novelist born 1871)
Wishing you and yours all the best in health and happiness,
Ana Casas M.D.
Board Certified, Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine
I wanted to share this incredible event with you as she is an inspiration to us all.
She still lives alone in the same home she has lived in for the past 40 years plus in a small town in South Florida south of Lake Okeechobee.
She never learned how to drive so she has had to walk everywhere her entire life.
She insists on remaining independent and does her own cooking, laundry, dishes, house cleaning,sewing and enjoys reading.
I have learned and continue to learn so much from my Grandmother.
As a specialist in Longevity Medicine, I have made my own observations and wanted to share some of them with you.
My grandmothers favorite foods at 102:
her daily yogurt for breakfast, her daily chicken soup for dinner and her mini Milky Way bars, Hershey's kisses and ice cream sandwiches during the day for snacks.She loves ice cream.
My grandmother's favorite daily drink: a strong espresso or cafe con leche ( coffee with milk) in the morning. She used to make me a cafe con leche every morning for breakfast before I left for school. I would wake up extra early and go to her house just so that I could enjoy this treat every morning.
My grandmother's favorite nighttime drink: Chamomile Tea and a dose of Phillip's Milk of Magnesia ( she has taken this daily since age 30. Phillip's Milk of Magnesia was invented in 1873).
My grandmother's favorite supplements: Besides the Phillip's Milk of Magnesia, she only takes Omega 3 fish oil daily and Osteo Bi-Flex ( Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate) which she is sure has cured the Osteoarthritis she had for many years before.
My grandmother's favorite exercise: walking. She never learned how to drive so walking has always been her transportation and only form of exercise.
My grandmother's favorite pastime: going to church and the hair salon - each a few blocks from her home and reading magazines.
My grandmother's hobby: sewing and reading. She made all of my clothes when I was growing up. It was a treat to pick a pattern and watch her turn it into my next new favorite outfit that no one else had.
My grandmother's strength of spirit: her faith in God.
These Are Some Pearls I Have Learned From My Grandmother over the years:
1.How you say something is just as important - perhaps more important -as what you say.
I have found this to be particularly true in the practice of medicine where I deliver both good and bad news every day.
2. Learn to do things for yourself.
Never underestimate the value of having skills- especially survival skills. I have been focusing lately on acquiring more skills instead of more plastic.
3.Value yourself.
If you don't know how to love yourself, you can't expect anyone else to know how either.
4. Hope is the last thing you lose.
My grandmother has been through so many difficult experiences in her life- including surviving cancer- and yet never once lost hope.
5.Live a spiritual life and you will have less fear of death.
This goes without saying.
6.Live your own life.
If you are living someone else's life,
it is never to late to reinvent yourself.
Become a better version of yourself.
7.You are exactly where you are meant to be.
Stay in the present moment and appreciate it.
8.If you don't need it, don't buy it.
This is especially important at this time of year
when everyone is trying to convince you that
there will be a crisis if you don't buy what they are selling.
9.Give confidence to others.
9/10th of education is encouragement.
10.Strive to live a simpler life.
Fewer things and more experiences is better
since experiences don't take up much room in your brain.
11.Spend your energy more carefully than you spend your money.
Avoid people and experiences that zap your energy -
especially at this time of year.
12.Always act as if others were watching.
Having a moral compass is key.
13.Think before you speak.
So much hurt and confusion could be avoided
by simply following this one.
14.What is rightly yours will come to you.
Have an abundance mindset instead of a poverty mindset.
15.Ask for nothing and give everything.
The world is a mirror- attract what you expect, reflect what you desire,
become what you respect, and mirror what you admire.
16.How you do anything is how you do everything.
It is not an accident that successful people are usually successful
in more than one area.
17.Know that not everything needs to be said.
Silence is golden.
18.The best beauty product is to be happy.
You can see in the photo that at 102 my grandmother
does not usually wear makeup but always wears a smile.
19.Let go of unrealistic expectations.
Your expectations determine your reality.
Don't let unrealistic expectations hold you back.
20.Teach others how to treat you by the way you treat yourself.
Love Yourself.
21.Dedicate time to prayer and reflection daily.
A few moments of silence and gratitude daily are important.
22.Make your health a priority.
Health is your most important asset.
23.Let others do things their own way.
Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.
24.Show respect.
Seek respect and not attention- it lasts longer.
25. Experience the sacred in every moment.
Our time on Earth is sacred and we should celebrate every moment.
I try to incorporate these principles and many others that
I have learned from my grandmother into my daily life.
I hope these will serve to enlighten and enliven your life
and the lives of your loved ones.
And I leave you with this quote:
" We don't receive wisdom;
we must discover it for ourselves after a journey
that no one can take for us or spare us."
- Marcel Proust (French novelist born 1871)
Wishing you and yours all the best in health and happiness,
Ana Casas M.D.
Board Certified, Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine
RSS Feed