Roy Cohen lives in the United States and attributes his longevity to a balanced diet, daily exercise and mental activity. Roy Cohen, a 101-year-old man living in the United States, was recently in the news when he revealed, in an interview with Business Insider magazine, the factors that, in his opinion, were decisive in enabling him to enjoy a long life and good physical and mental health.
The man was the executive director of a pharmaceutical company and only retired at the age of 81. Over the last two decades, he has remained active with a daily exercise programme and professional supervision.
The secret to his healthy age? According to him, he has been following a Mediterranean diet for years, which is characterised by the regular consumption of fresh fish, vegetables and olive oil. “When I want to snack, I eat a piece of cauliflower, a carrot or a red pepper. I eat a lot of cabbage and salad,‘ he explained to the newspaper. ’I keep myself mentally and physically fit,” he added.
Eating according to the Mediterranean diet
As he said in the interview, Cohen strictly avoids processed foods and beef. This diet, rich in iron, zinc and vitamin B12, is essential for maintaining his physical well-being. Although he no longer engages in activities as demanding as in his active days, he says he follows a training plan that includes walking and 20 minutes of leg exercises.
A father of three and grandfather of six, Cohen believes that physical activity has played an important role throughout his professional life and also after retirement, and he has no doubt that it has contributed decisively to his current health.
An active mind and a positive attitude
Another aspect that Cohen highlighted in relation to the factors for his longevity is the “activation” of the brain: “I control all my finances. I take care of all the details before they come up. That keeps my mind active.” In this context, he described how he enjoys doing manual work at home and cannot sit still. ‘Being busy makes me happy,’ he explained.
At the same time, he pointed out that it also helps him a lot to maintain a positive attitude in the face of life’s adversities: ‘People get depressed over unimportant things, but you can’t afford to be constantly angry or jealous.’
Cohen was born in 1922 on a farm without electricity or running water and faced adverse living conditions from an early age. However, his determination led him to obtain a scholarship to study microbiology at an agricultural university. He later completed a master’s degree in biochemistry and nutrition, which allowed him to enter the pharmaceutical industry, where he rose to the position of CEO.
