Often as we get older, we begin to think about our future years, and at some point, we may reflect on the thought, “how much time do I have left here.” We’re aware of things that may lower our life expectancy, such as smoking, having a bad diet, not being active, or drinking. However, one lady has insisted that enjoying red wine is the very thing that helped her live to 110 years of age.
Eileen Ash is the world’s oldest global cricketer in the wake of having played for England all through the 1930s and 40s and was born in 1911 – meaning she would have turned 110 when she celebrated her birthday on Saturday.
Also, the right-arm bowler doesn’t credit her sporting career for keeping her healthy for a considerable time. Rather she chalks her long life up to red wine and yoga classes.
This comes as no surprise considering that several human studies have shown that moderate red wine consumption is better for you than not drinking any. This is because the antioxidants found in red wine can lower incidences of type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mortality. However, drinking more than you’re supposed to would have a negative effect which would overshadow and outweigh the benefits.
Fiona Mawby, the well-being administrator of St. John’s House in Norwich, Norfolk, where Eileen presently resides, said: “She’s just such a lovely lady – she wakes up with a smile. She always put her long life down to her yoga, which she used to do twice a week, and she loves a glass of red wine – she always says that’s prolonged her life.”
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Eileen’s accomplishments don’t end with her worldwide cricket profession either, as the lady likewise had a remarkable run as a government agent with MI6 during and after the Second World War. She used to be known by those close to her for driving a yellow Mini until she was a staggering 105, at which she finally gave up driving five years ago. However, she does still possess her dearest vehicle.
Eileen celebrated her 110th birthday weekend by sitting inside her vehicle with loved ones after they brought it to her house to surprise her. Her gifts on this momentous day included a copy of the original cricket bat she used to play with engraved with a message saying: ‘Eileen Ash: 110 not out’.
Furthermore, she also got a card from Queen Elizabeth herself to mark her milestone birthday, to which she gave an energetic kiss.
Finally, said of Eileen: “She must have got over 100 birthday cards. The number of people who rang up to make sure she was having a fantastic day was overwhelming.”
We wish you a Happy Birthday, Eileen, with many more to come – don’t stop the red wine routine and yoga since it’s worked wonders for you thus far!
If you plan to adopt red wine into your life to help extend it as Eileen did, keep in mind that not all red wines are the same. Some wines have a relatively higher level of ingredients that are good for you. For example, dry red wines are better for you than sweet wines. Red wines with lower alcohol (below 13% ABV) are better than high alcohol wines, and wines with more tannin are better than low tannin wines, which are a wine’s ‘pucker power’. Higher tannin can be likened to bitter and astringent, which circles back around to generally dry wines, which are better than sweet wines.