A Texas woman who just turned 105 attributes her long life to “the good Lord.”
While Blynda Vidock’s faith may have played an important role in her longevity, the Baytown resident has also followed many of the habits that experts say can contribute to a longer, healthier life.
“The good Lord put me here for so many years, and it’s His life through me,” she told FOX 26 Houston at her recent birthday celebration. “But I’ve always been very athletic, played tennis, swam all my life and ate good food.”
Vidock joked that she preaches to her children, grandchildren and “great-grands” to eat healthier, but said, “They still eat junk food!”
“We live faster nowadays,” she said. “We used to have time to sit down and have a meal together.”
Vidock was born in 1921 and grew up in West Palm Beach, Fla. While working for $15 a week at a bank in West Palm Beach, she crossed paths with big-name movie stars Clark Gable and Fred Astaire, and also recalled encountering a young John F. Kennedy.
She met Coast Guardsman Charles “Chuck” Vidock while volunteering with the USO during World War II. The two married and moved to Texas in 1946 and spent decades traveling the world together.
Vidock is “completely sharp, independent and full of stories from a century of living,” according to the report.
A video from her birthday party shows the centenarian walking around and chatting animatedly with the many friends and family members who gathered to honor her.
“It’s wonderful to have you people here, and I don’t know if I’m supposed to dance or sing or get up on the table,” she said. “I think I’ve been made queen for a day, and I’ve got my 15 minutes of fame, so you better enjoy it because it won’t come again.”
Every morning when she wakes up, Vidock said she wonders, “‘This is another day, Lord, why am I here?’” adding, “Every day is a blessing!”
She said “the saddest part about getting old” is watching people lose their mental sharpness and credits “the good Lord” with allowing her to keep hers.
Vidock said a few simple habits have helped her live so long.
“Living like you know you’re supposed to live, being kind to people, and everything in moderation helped, and I got blessed with good genes, but then I took care of my body,” she said.
Expert tips to improve healthspan
Dr. Annu Navani, chief medical officer at Le Reve Wellness in San Jose, California, recently told Fox News Digital that longevity medicine is more about adding life to years than adding years to life.
Rather than splurging on costly biohacks, procedures or supplements, Navani recommends focusing on simple daily practices that can enhance quality of life.
Getting high-quality sleep — about seven hours a night for the average person — is necessary for people to perform optimally and has been linked to a healthier lifespan, the expert said.
Managing stress is another key factor in healthy aging, according to Navani. Regular physical activity and social interaction — two other factors linked to longevity — can also help people keep stress in check, as can regular meditation.
Eating a nutritious diet that includes a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, protein and dairy, while limiting added sugars and ultraprocessed foods, is another important component of healthy aging.
Longevity experts David Cravit and Larry Wolf, authors of “The SuperAging Workbook,” previously told Fox News Digital that maintaining a positive attitude is the No. 1 factor linked to living a longer life.
“People with a positive attitude outlive people with a negative attitude because it reduces stress, which, in turn, reduces inflammation, and inflammation is the cause of most age-related diseases,” Cravit said.
The authors also recommended setting and working toward new goals, building strong relationships and maintaining a sense of independence as people age.
Melissa Rudy and Angelica Stabile of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.
