The Queen has never lifted a dumbbell or taken part in intense physical exercise says Sajjad Choudhury in Medium. Yet she lives on and on, almost as active as ever. When she visited George Bush Sr at the White House in the 1990s, he was astonished by her ability to walk so briskly that it “left even the Secret Service panting”. At 95 she still rides her horse without aid.
Her secret? Long walks every day at about 2.30pm. And a simple, nutritious diet, with the occasional treat. There’s nothing wrong with eating some of the bad stuff here and there, says Choudhury. Or even a little every day, as the Queen does. Everything in moderation.
Breakfast
Earl grey and a small plate of biscuits.
Special K with yoghurt and maple syrup or toast and marmalade.
Sometimes kippers or smoked haddock.
Lunch
Dover sole with spinach and a glass of white wine.
A roast on Sunday.
Tea.
Teatime
This is treat time. Former royal chef Darren McGrady describes the Queen as a “total chocoholic”
Chocolate biscuit cakes, éclairs and scones.
Raspberry jam sandwiches cut into circles the size of a penny.
Nowadays she tries to have salmon, cucumber and egg mayonnaise sandwiches instead.
Dinner
Usually pheasant, venison or fish from Balmoral, her estate in Scotland. If it’s steak, it must be well done. Rare steak carries a higher risk of contaminants.
For pudding, white peaches grown in the greenhouses at Windsor Castle or strawberries grown at Balmoral. All organic.
And finally, a dry martini or a glass of champagne. “Though she won’t drink it every day, it is one of the little pleasures that the Queen lives by”.
Brush your teeth to beat heart disease
“There’s quite good evidence accumulating that brushing your teeth can stave off heart disease and maybe even dementia,” says scientist Andrew Steele in his latest book, Ageless: The New Science of Getting Older Without Getting Old. Poor oral hygiene leads to gum disease, which causes chronic low-level inflammation in your mouth. This distracts your immune system, leaving it less effective at dealing with actual threats such as age-related disease. To stay young, floss daily and brush twice a day for two minutes, using a toothpaste that contains fluoride.