Some people believe in reincarnation while others believe that we're going to heaven or hell, but I think the best way to experience life is to assume that this is all we have, and as a result, we should try our best to make it last as long as possible.

But that isn't always as easy as it sounds; although the average life expectancy is increasing generation upon generation, the existence of delicious fatty foods and beautiful booze mean it's harder and harder to maintain the discipline required for a long, fulfilling and healthy life.

Of course, your doctors will tell you that the key to living a long time is to diet effectively, drink in moderation, exercise regularly and get plenty of sleep, but those things all sound so... boring. If only there was another way to achieve longevity. One which didn't require so much planning and effort.

To be honest, I'm still looking for a quick-fix solution to this age-old problem, and if you're looking for one too, then it might be pertinent to follow the advice of Jessie Gallan. Although she died back in 2015, she did so as the official oldest woman in Scotland, and that's got to count for quite a lot.

Now, when you hear stories of men and women living a long time, their secret is usually drinking a can of Diet Coke a day or anything else to do with dieting. Meaning their assertions have got to be taken with a huge pinch of salt. But as you can probably tell, Jessie Gallan wasn't like those other women.

Speaking to news outlets at Crosby House care home in the Scottish city of Aberdeen, Jessie admitted that she did love a good bowl of porridge, but put her enduring longevity down to one thing, and one thing only. "My secret to a long life has been staying away from men," Jessie revealed. "They're just more trouble than they're worth."

Yes, you heard this very wise old lady right: stay away from the opposite sex, and you'll probably live a lot longer!

Born in a tiny cottage in 1906, Jessie travelled all around Scotland, starting out as a housemaid for a wealthy businessman before moving to Aberdeen to become a waitress, where in her time she served both the Queen of England and the Queen Mother.

Although there was never a husband or children in Jessie's life, that didn't mean she was lonely. Staff at Crosby House where Jessie lived out her final days say she was an independent lady, but Gillian Bennett, a senior support worker at the home, also revealed that she wasn't left wanting for company.

"Jessie is a lovely woman. She has got her best friend here, Sarah Jane, and they are always together. She likes her music and likes her exercise class and is a very independent person. She is always walking about."

Well, folks, there you have it. Continue crunching that kale or working those weights, but if Jessie Gallan is onto something, maybe the key to a long and healthy life is deleting the dating apps, ditching those dithering doofuses and living life completely on your own terms. I don't think a bowl of porridge would hurt, though.

It's not often that a 100-year-old can still claim to be a little sister.

But Frances Kompus was able to do just that on November 11, when she celebrated her 100th birthday alongside her two elder sisters (and fellow centenarians) Julia Korpiva and Lucy Pochop.

At just 100 years old, Frances is the baby of the family. Her big sister Lucy is 102, and her even bigger sister Julia is an incredible 104 years old, according to KSNW.

Eldest sibling Julia was born on November 5, 1917, with Lucy following close behind in June 1919. All three sisters - who are also mothers and grandmothers - grew up on a farm in the small town of Beardsley, Kansas.

And all three stayed in the area throughout their lives. After the trio were each widowed, they moved into adjoining apartments in Atwood, where they keep each other company playing cards and dominoes.

"We've been together all of our lives around Rawlins County and Atwood," middle sister Lucy told KSNW.

As for their secret to a long life, the sisters credit their health to eating well, being social, walking a lot, and keeping their faith.

When asked how they all managed to get past the century mark, Frances said: "We eat well, right? And pray and try to stay out of mischief."

Meanwhile, Frances' daughter Fran Allacher revealed that her mom had always had a very tight bond with her two sisters, adding that when they moved in together in 2000, "it was nothing for them to play cards every night of the week, and dominoes – that was their thing."

"They just got together and they've been their support for each other, forever," she added.

Eldest sister Julia agreed, saying that she was so happy to have her sisters around. "I'm glad we had company. We got to play together," she said.

When asked what advice they had for younger generations, the three centenarians said it was important to exercise, have faith - and have respect for your elders.

"Walk a lot," Frances advised, while Julia added: "I think faith comes first - and thank your parents and grandparents."

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A 101-year-old woman has revealed her secret to living a happy life.

Many people who reach the ripe old age of 101 take time to reflect on the things that they have enjoyed most in their long lives.

For a lot of centenarians, it's their family that has gotten them through the good times and the bad. For others, it might be keeping a positive outlook, or engaging in regular exercise.

But for Mary Flip of Chandler, Arizona, it's tequila that's kept her happy through the years.

At least, that's what the feisty 101-year-old told AZ Family reporter Sarah Robinson when she visited her on her 101st birthday.

Mary celebrated the milestone by partying with family, friends, and her favorite beer Guinness. She'd  made it very clear there'd be plenty of dancing at the shindig, telling the news anchor: "Oh, I'll get up on the table."

In amongst the revelry, Mary did find some time to reflect on her long and eventful life. Born in 1921, Mary spent her childhood in Illinois living through the Great Depression. She lost her sister and her mother early in life, and by the time she was 15 was the sole surviving member of her family.

Despite this, Mary didn't let life get her down. At 18, she moved to Mexico where she got married and lived a quiet life as a rancher.

But this was far from the end of Mary's adventures. When she fell pregnant with her first child, she moved again - this time to Chicago, where she became a respected artist recognized by the Chicago School of Art.

"I really like to draw. And I was able to figure out that things change even as you're drawing them. So, I was able to develop and make them look real. It took time but I had nothing else to do except raise a bunch of kids," Mary said.

Alongside her career in the arts, Mary went on to have six children. Reflecting on how she had raised such a large brood, the 101-year-old said: "I just stand back and see them fighting."

Now that she's into her second century of life, Mary has slowed down a little. However, she still has a wicked sense of humor. When asked by her daughter how she feels, the birthday girl replied sarcastically: "With my hand".

As for how she replied when asked what her secret to a happy life is, the centenarian gave it a moment's thought before replying confidently: "Tequila!"

Featured Image Credit: Anjelika Gretskaia / Alamy

A woman who loved to be 108 years old credited her amazing longevity to having dogs instead of children throughout her life.

Most of us hope to live long, happy, and healthy lives, though few make it to 100 years old and above.

Ada Daniel, who lived in the Codnor Park Care Home in Derbyshire, England, was one such centenarian and she opened up about what she did to reach such an incredible age.

She revealed to the BBC that she'd had "a lot of greyhounds" when she was younger, and joked that it was choosing dogs over having kids that was the secret to her long life.

Ada's other secret to living past 100 was to just "keep going", and she was also partial to board games, with dominoes being her favorite pastime.

However, the one downside to living to 108 without any children or grandchildren of her own was that Ada did not have "a lot of family left", so Kelly Goucher, the activity coordinator at Ashmere, who run the care home, put an appeal on a local Facebook page to ensure she got as many cards from well-wishers as possible ahead of her birthday in June.

The care home where she'd lived since 2015 "wanted to get her as many [birthday] cards as possible", with Kelly adding that Ada "quite liked the fact that people know about her because of her age".

She aimed to get Ada "108 cards for 108 years" sent from local people, but woke up the next morning to find she'd already received "135 messages the following morning of people wanting to send cards".

The numbers only kept growing as more and more people heard about Ada's upcoming birthday, and Ada ended up celebrating the incredible milestone with over 300 cards.

The care home also received "lots of donations" thanks to the birthday appeal, with some people even sending in "banners with her picture on and balloons with her name on" to make sure Ada's special day was just perfect.

Ada also received a card from King Charles III, which read: "My wife and I are so pleased to know that you are celebrating your one hundred and eighth birthday. This brings our warmest congratulations and heartfelt good wishes on such a special occasion."

In the UK, anyone turning 100 years old receives a card on their birthday from the reigning monarch and will receive another for every year past their 100th birthday that they are alive.

Ada revealed that the fuss made around her 108th birthday and all the cards and gifts she received made her very "happy".

She was asked: "To soldier on for 108 years, you’ve got to be smiling, haven’t you?", to which she responded: "Yes. Course you have!"

According to the website Oldest in Britain, there are currently 123 people over the age of 107 in the UK, with the oldest being Ethel May Caterham, who turned 114 in August.

Sadly, Ada's 108th birthday was her last as her care home was contacted to further comment to the story in November 2023 and revealed she had passed away, via the Express.

What a wonderful way to celebrate her last birthday at the end of an incredible life.

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A woman who lived to the incredible age of 117 has shared her secrets to having such a long life.

Living longer is something most people would love to do, but only a small percentage of humans make it to triple digits.

So it's no wonder people are curious to find out if there is a magic bullet to ensure you give yourself the best chance of making it, whether that be through your diet or lifestyle choices.

Emma Morano, who lived to be 117, revealed that she ate the same thing every day throughout her impressive life and credited her longevity on that.

Morano, who was born in 1899 and died in 2016, revealed that her secret was eating eggs every day from when she was young.

The Italian woman revealed that she ate three eggs daily - two of which she consumed raw - for over 90 years.

She began the habit after she was diagnosed with anemia following World War II.

And while the eggs are all well and good, she also paired it with a homemade grappa - a traditional Italian alcoholic beverage.

She previously explained: "I eat three eggs a day and to digest I drink the grappa that I prepare myself: I put it in a jar with seven sage leaves, a bunch of rue grass, and some grapes. Then I drink it with a spoon."

Alcohol and eggs might not be the foundations of the advice most people give to live a healthy life, it clearly worked for her.

Given the traditional recommendation would be to eat lots of fruit and vegetables amid a balanced diet, avoiding things like alcohol and other vices, as well as exercising, and getting enough sleep, it turns out Morano didn't follow many of these rules herself.

Carlo Brava, who was Morano's doctor for over three decades, told AFP that Morano rarely ate fruit or vegetables, adding: "When I met her, she ate three eggs per day, two raw in the morning and then an omelette at noon, and chicken at dinner."

Morano managed to live through three centuries, two World Wars, and almost 12 decades, and became one of only 12 people who have been verified to have lived to the grand old age of 117.

While she lived a full life, she also credited avoiding relationships with men for her longevity, having been married only once, getting divorced in 1938 around a year after her only child - a baby boy - died at just six months old.

She chose never to get married again, stating that she "didn't want to be dominated by anyone".

As she neared her death in 2016, Morano is said to have "cut down" on the amount of eggs she consumed, only having two a day, as well as a few biscuits.

And while eggs, biscuits, alcohol, and a man-free life might sound like a great formula for a long life, Morano probably got a hefty helping of blessings in the genetic department, as most of her family had lived well into old age before her, with her mom reaching 91, while some of her sisters also reached their 100th birthdays.

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