The secret to longevity of 4 brothers who are all nearly 100 years old

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Quynh, 100 years old, currently lives with his children and grandchildren in Hoang Trach village, Me So commune, Van Giang district, Hung Yen province. Despite his old age, he is still very alert, can do many things by himself, has clear hearing and sharp eyesight.

Mr. Quynh has three younger brothers: Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Giao - 98 years old, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Hoan - 95 years old and Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Can - 91 years old. The three of them currently live with their children and grandchildren in Hoang Trach village. As for Mr. Can, after being discharged from the army, he became a lecturer at the Vietnam Academy of Agriculture and now lives in Trau Quy town, Gia Lam district, Hanoi.

From left to right: Nguyen Ngoc Can - 91 years old; Nguyen Ngoc Hoan - 95 years old; Nguyen Ngoc Giao - 98 years old and Nguyen Ngoc Quynh - 100 years old. (Photo: NVCC)

Quynh shared that the secret to longevity for all four brothers is to always maintain a positive attitude, eat clean food, exercise regularly and not smoke. They always read books every day to accumulate more knowledge as well as train their memory.

At 100 years old, Mr. Quynh reads books without glasses every day, translates Chinese characters, and composes poems. He often meets his siblings to ask about their health and together they comment on newly written poems. According to him, this is a way to train his memory and keep his mind sharp.

Maintaining the same habit as his brother, Nguyen Ngoc Giao tries to read a few pages of books every day because he considers it a valuable source of life. In addition, he is passionate about researching history, folklore and Buddhism.

As a 1/4th class disabled soldier during the war against the French, with four wounds on his body, Mr. Giao is very interested in physical training such as maintaining the habit of walking 1,000 steps around the yard every morning and afternoon. He eats three meals at fixed times such as morning before 8am, noon before 11am and evening before 7pm.

Over the past 20 years, he has started eating less, only one bowl of vegetables per meal, then rice. According to him, this way of eating helps him absorb fiber better, controls weight, maintains physical strength and increases longevity.

Whenever he is sick, the old man rarely uses Western medicine without a doctor's prescription, but often goes to the garden to pick medicinal plants he grows himself such as hairy dream leaves, guava, lemongrass, and ginger.

In addition, Mr. Giao always maintains a positive and cheerful attitude, does not resent anyone, does not get angry with anyone "a relaxed mind is the most natural medicine".

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Quynh at the 100th birthday celebration, February 15, 2024. (Photo: NVCC)

As for Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Hoan, Mr. Quynh's third younger brother, the secret to his longevity is to always stay optimistic, not be greedy, and not be jealous. Every day, he eats and drinks in moderation, does not skip meals, does not sleep past the hour, and always exercises twice a day, even if it is just walking around the house. Before going to bed and after waking up, he rubs his face and massages his limbs for 15 minutes.

At the age of 91, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Can still participates in many activities of local organizations. In his free time, he also digs the land, grows vegetables, and provides clean food for his family.

Sharing the secret to longevity, Mr. Can say that at any age, one must work both physically and mentally, think and participate in social activities to reduce the risk of dementia and improve physical health.

Although he and his three brothers are old, thanks to a healthy lifestyle and memory training, all four of them do not forget anyone's name, which family they belong to, or which generation they belong to.

The modern family of four elderly men has more than 300 children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, living and working in many provinces and cities. Every year, on the occasion of Tet, the extended family gathers at the family temple in Hoang Trach village to worship their ancestors, helping family members bond and love each other more.

Minh Tung

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