What was Queen Elizabeth’s secret of longevity?

Elizabeth II, the Queen of the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth realms, died at age 96. She lived a long time and stayed active till her last days. We’ve tried to discover Queen’s secret of longevity.

Queen Elizabeth’s secret of longevity

The sad news has come from the UK. Queen Elizabeth died at age 96. She stayed active till the very last days. The new prime minister, Liz Truss, got an audience with the Queen just 2 days before her death.

The average life expectancy in England for women is 82.7 years. So it looks like Queen Elizabeth knew something about healthy living and biohacking.

Queen Elizabeth’s Diet

We don’t know for sure what her diet was, but we have some insides from her royal servant, Charles Oliver.

It looks like the Queen ate a lot of fish, baked and smoked: sole, mackerel, salmon, haddock. She could have had fish for breakfast and dinner. One of her favorite dishes was Gleneagles pâté, which is smoked salmon, trout, and mackerel. It’s a source of good-quality, easily digestible protein and Omega-3 fatty acids.

The Queen ate by season – fresh local vegetables. She would prefer berries to fruits and avoid starchy veggies.

The Queen enjoyed chocolate for dessert. It’s a source of antioxidants.

Corgis Is a Biohacking Tool

Elizabeth got her first corgi, Susan, as a present for her 18th birthday in 1944. And the very first corgi in her family appeared in 1933. Her father, King George VI, brought home a puppy named Dookie. Since then, she had more than 30 corgis.

We could make a huge list of benefits of having a dog, but let’s name just a few. 

  • The Queen was known to walk her dogs twice a day. It’s a decent level of daily activity.
  • Pet parents have a more diverse microbiome, which helps to be healthy.
  • Having a dog helps to reduce stress levels by stimulating oxytocin. 

Smart Physical Activity

The Queen moved a lot, but it was never a boring work-out. She enjoyed long walks with her dogs and horseback riding. And the word “enjoyed” is very important here. Furthermore, interaction with horses, as with dogs, helps to reduce stress and maintain heart health. One more piece of the puzzle is that horseback riding is a mental exercise, important for wellbeing and long life.

Green Fingers Practice

In 2018, Queen Elizabeth discovered a passion for gardening. For the human brain, gardening is a way to feel safe. Even if you are taking care of a cactus, you send your brain a signal that you have a store of food and healing plants. Furthermore, gardening is time spent in nature, in the sun, and moving. It’s a bundle of benefits.

Sense of Purpose

According to studies, having a sense of purpose and a life goal can help you live a longer life. The Crown and the wellbeing of her country were always the Queen’s priority.

Novelties for Brain Health

BDNF is a trophic factor associated with cognitive improvement. To stimulate BDNF and make new neuron connections, we need to exercise, to learn, and to see new things (traveling and even a walk along a new road can help). To avoid mental decline, it’s important to constantly learn new things. And as we age, we need to run, to stay in place.

The Queen’s duty was always to be up-to-date. And she tried to do even more, to stay on one page with her grandchildren.

To Be a Part of the Community

People who are integrated into society and meet regularly with friends and family live longer and are less prone to depression and mental decline. Having strong social relationships predicts a 50% increased chance of longevity. We can say for sure that the Queen had a rich social life.

To Love and to Be Loved

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were married for 73 years before Prince Philip’s death. They had 4 kids – Charles, Anna, Andrew, and Edward. The Queen breastfed all 4 of her children herself.

According to A Social Dependency Hypothesis, oxytocin is involved in the defense against many of the most well-established properties of aging. Giving and receiving love is one of the best ways to stimulate oxytocin. And a mother-child bond adds points to the longevity cart. It looks like it really works.

Studies:

The Role of Oxytocin in the Dog–Owner Relationship

Love and Longevity: A Social Dependency Hypothesis

Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-analytic Review

Cerebellar BDNF Promotes Exploration and Seeking for Novelty

1 thought on “What was Queen Elizabeth’s secret of longevity?”

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The Rebels Diet Olena

A complimentary 30 minutes call with Olena, The Rebels Diet founder, a Primal Health and Keto Coach to find out if keto and Primal Living is right for you