Eat Dark Chocolate, Go Outside

• Jack Van Nordheim is a 100-year-old influencer who posts under the username Ask Uncle Jack.
• He told Insider six things he believes helped him live a long and happy life of love.
• This includes spending time in nature with your family and eating dark chocolate and honey.

Over the past decade, Jack Van Nordheim has taken care of pet monkeys, fought in World War II, and become an influencer. Now he has written a book and shares some of the best advice he has collected throughout his long life.

Van Nordheim, who lives in Southern California, celebrated his 100th birthday on July 31st at the Los Angeles Zoo. The setting was fitting as the centenarian is an animal lover, ornithologist and naturalist, and believes his passions contributed to his longevity.

Insider spoke to Uncle Jack with the help of his great-nephew, Damon Vonn. When Uncle Jack asks how he managed to live to be 100 years old, he says he doesn’t know, “Just like you and me, I just woke up and I’m still here,” but he knows that staying “tough” is He said he thinks it helped.

Perhaps genetics also gave him a head start, but we know that lifestyle and attitude can also have a big impact on longevity.

Being 100 years old may be tough, but with Vonn’s help, he caught the attention of 1.7 million people. tick tock She grows her following through jokes, wholesome life advice, and sweet and emotional memories with her mother.

Here are six things he thinks helped him live such a long and happy life.

eat lots of dark chocolate and honey

Uncle Jack passionately emphasizes the importance of dark chocolate and his passion for dark chocolate in every interview.

He eats Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate twice a day, or as often as possible. Although eating too much sugar is bad for your health, his sweet habit could be beneficial because eating dark chocolate in moderation has the following benefits: Improved cardiovascular healthInsider previously reported.

He also said he uses honey instead of sugar to add natural sweeteners to his waffles and coffee.

Insider previously reported that honey is a staple snack for the very elderly living in the Blue Zones, where people live the longest in the world. On the Greek island of Ikaria, where one in three people live into their 90s, they eat a lot of raw, unprocessed honey, which is thought to have a cholesterol-lowering effect.

All of these can be incorporated into the Mediterranean diet, which is considered the gold standard for healthy eating and focuses on unprocessed foods and moderate snacks.

Spend time outdoors away from the “magic mirror”

Bong said Uncle Jack calls the smartphone a “magic mirror.” According to research, spend time outdoorsBong said Uncle Jack always advises people to “leave a magic mirror in the house and go outside” because it helps improve mental health and well-being, not over the phone.

To stay active and enjoy the great outdoors, Uncle Jack recommends “walking, climbing trees, getting outside, enjoying nature, swimming, running, and jumping. Be active. The more the better,” Bon said.

have a passion for nature

Bonn said Uncle Jack loved nature since he was a child, recalling stories about him going to the circus in the 1930s. Uncle Jack even had her own backyard zoo with possums, coyotes, owls, hawks, skunks, foxes, and monkeys.

These days, he takes care of pigeons in his garden and reads books about birds from his extensive collection.

Vonn said Uncle Jack’s most important advice was to find something that makes you passionate about the outdoors.

Having a passion is a great way to keep your mind active, and Insider previously reported that this can help maintain cognitive function as you get older.

eat well

Uncle Jack grew up in the 1920s and 1930s, before fast food was popular, so he never tasted fast food, Bong said. Instead, he always ate very simple home-cooked meals.

Uncle Jack’s family owned a chicken farm, so he ate a lot of fried and boiled chicken and noodles.

Research shows that certain processed foods can have negative health effects. fatigue and brain fog To increase cancer riskand premature death.

drink only a little alcohol

“We just had some beer and wine. We don’t have any water to put out the fire,” Uncle Jack said. (“Firewater” is what he calls hard alcohol.)

Insider previously reported that he is believed to have some kind of health condition. Benefits of drinking alcohol Moderately, but according to the World Health Organization, There is no safe amount of alcohol It will not affect your health.

spending time with family

Uncle Jack never married or had children, but he was close to his parents. His home was always “filled with love,” he said.

He also had a close relationship with his nephew Bon’s late father, who cared for him during his lifetime, and Bon himself, who took on the care of Uncle Jack.

Having strong relationships, whether with family or friends, Improved lifespan.

For Uncle Jack, family is “the most important thing,” Bonn said.