99-Year-Old Dick Van Dyke’s Secrets to Thriving Longevity

Key Points:

• Dick Van Dyke avoids red meat, salty foods, and alcohol to maintain his physical vigor.
• He also consumes turmeric, leafy greens, and blueberries regularly for longevity purposes.
• Van Dyke hits the gym three times a week, does water aerobics, and goes for long walks to maintain an active lifestyle that serves as a crucial element in preserving his physical function.

Born in December 1925 in West Plains, Missouri, Dick Van Dyke rose to fame with his star role in the “Dick Van Dyke Show,” which began airing in 1961. His entrance into the limelight with the “Dick Van Dyke Show” helped redefine TV comedy.

With over seven decades of entertaining the world with his singing and dancing abilities, Dick Van Dyke is now 99 years old. Despite battling alcoholism in the past, he serves as a key example of maintaining physical vigor into the later years of life.

As presented in a YouTube segment, Dick Van Dyke maintains his longevity with a handful of simple practices. Delving into Dick Van Dyke’s eating and exercise habits can help anyone who wants to become a superager, like Dick Van Dyke, age as gracefully as possible.

Dick Van Dyke Maintains a Positive Outlook, a Form of Medicine for Longevity’s Sake

Dick Van Dyke maintains a positive attitude, embracing movement, laughter, and curiosity as his daily medicine for longevity. Along those lines, some research suggests that maintaining these kinds of positive emotions is tied to lower systemic inflammation. Chronic, low-grade inflammation (known as inflammaging) serves as a hallmark of aging, so maintaining positive emotions could be a way to lower this kind of inflammation for longevity’s sake.

“I feel so sorry for people who hate their jobs,” said Dick Van Dyke. “I look forward to going to work every morning.”

Dick Van Dyke Avoids Three Foods Associated with Adverse Effects On Physiological Function

What keeps Dick Van Dyke full of vigor into his golden years does not only entail what he does, it also what he does not do. In that sense, there are three types of foods that Dick Van Dyke avoids:

• Red meat: Dick Van Dyke avoids red meat, especially ultra-processed meats like bacon, sausages, and deli meats. Eating excessive amounts of red meat has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease and cancer, among other health problems. Furthermore, red meat has been shown to contain high amounts of saturated fats, which can raise harmful cholesterol and clog arteries. Instead of eating red meat, Dick Van Dyke eats fish and plant-based proteins.

• Salty foods: Too much salt can sneak into the diet via snacks, sauces, canned foods, and meals at restaurants. In contrast, Dick Van Dyke chooses fresh, whole foods, low in salt content, to keep his vigorous physiological function for longevity. This practice may help him avoid high blood pressure, a major risk for stroke and heart disease. Furthermore, a high-salt diet has been associated with bloating and kidney stress, so Dick Van Dyke’s avoidance of excessive salt may serve as a key element to his long life.

• Alcohol: Although Dick Van Dyke used to be a drinker, he manages to abstain from alcohol consumption nowadays. Alcohol can damage the liver, adversely affect learning and memory, and even increase the risk of some cancers. Dick Van Dyke’s abstinence from alcohol serves as, perhaps, one crucial strategy that has helped his remarkable longevity.

Three Foods Dick Van Dyke Frequently Consumes

Dick frequently consumes three things as part of his longevity protocol. These foods include the following:

• Turmeric: Turmeric is a bright yellow-colored spice known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. He frequently adds turmeric to things like tea, smoothies, and vegetables. Research suggests that turmeric reduces systemic inflammation—which contributes to aging—and may lower the risk of heart problems and Alzheimer’s disease, and may even alleviate arthritis. Some research even suggests that turmeric supports learning and memory. Thus, consuming turmeric frequently could serve as a key strategy to Van Dyke’s timeless longevity.

• Leafy greens: Dick Van Dyke consumes at least one serving of leafy greens daily, in the form of spinach and kale. Leafy greens are loaded with vitamins A, C, and K and have folate. Research suggests that these vitamins are important for strong bones and a strong immune system. Moreover, leafy greens are high in fiber, which supports digestive function. Accordingly, Dick Van Dyke’s habit of eating leafy greens daily may contribute to his astonishing physical vigor into his later years of life.

• Blueberries: Dick frequently consumes blueberries in smoothies or as a snack. Blueberries contain high levels of antioxidants, which can help alleviate inflammation associated with aging. Furthermore, research suggests that eating blueberries supports memory, focus, and mental clarity, especially important factors related to well-being as people age. Research also suggests that blueberries help with muscle recovery and heart health, which may contribute to Dick Van Dyke staying energetic and active.

Dick Van Dyke’s Exercise and Activity Routine

At age 99, Dick Van Dyke has still kept his physical capacity to stay active. This may have something to do with his exercise and activity routine

“Keep moving,” says Dick Van Dyke regarding his workout routine.

He goes to the gym three days a week, getting in solid movement with water aerobics, weight training, and walking. Moreover, he plays tennis whenever he has a chance.

Van Dyke has been dancing for most of his life and still does it regularly. Dancing helps him stay flexible and mentally sharp. Not only does dancing help people remain limber as they age, but research suggests that it challenges the brain by requiring the recall of dance moves and staying coordinated, both of which demand cognitive effort.

Staying physically active with regular exercise, along with eating a well-rounded diet, may be one of the best-known ways to counteract the ravages of aging. As such, Dick Van Dyke’s integration of water aerobics, weight training, walking, and dancing could be, perhaps, his best means of maintaining his astounding physical characteristics for remarkable longevity.

Virtually Anyone Can Implement Dick Van Dyke’s Secrets to Astonishing Longevity

Collectively, Dick Van Dyke avoids foods that contain ingredients contributing to adverse effects on physiological function and frequently consumes certain foods, which research suggests confer health benefits. Furthermore, he keeps moving, whether in the gym, pool, or sidewalk, and dances, all the while maintaining an optimistic attitude. Importantly, almost anyone can adopt these practices. As a beacon of vitality and thriving longevity, incorporating Dick Van Dykes’ habits into anyone’s routine could serve to extend the number of years lived without a chronic age-related disease and, potentially, lifespan.