my name is ellworth wham I'm a cardiothoracic surgeon and practice that as my specialty all my professional life DrEllsworth weam regarded as the world's oldest practicing heart surgeon was an extraordinary figure in the medical world not only did he achieve Global recognition as a pioneering heart surgeon but he also became a symbol of healthy aging and Longevity living to the remarkable age of 104 he is one of the first surgeons to perform open heart surgery and continued his remarkable surgical career into 74 years of age DrWham continued mentoring and assisting the residents at the Medical University until age 95 Beyond 100 he continued his active life in sharing his knowledge on longevity in this video DrWham shares seven tips for living a healthy life beyond 100 including his daily diet and the one vitamin he never goes without I practiced cardiothoracic surgery until I was 95 here are seven longevity tips directly from Drwaram one Follow Your Passion DrEllsworth Wham was a Pioneer in open heart surgery one of the first to practice it in the United States and the very first at Loma Linda University when asked about his decision to become a doctor he shared you know how people say they had their call to something I felt that I was actually called to be a doctor there was never any question in my mind about it his passion for medicine kept him actively engaged in his career well beyond the typical retirement age he continued performing surgeries until he was 74 and remained involved in the operating room mentoring medical students and assisting in heart procedures until the remarkable age of 95 he ultimately chose to retire not out of necessity but simply to spend more time with his family but I picked 95 as an arbitrary time when I would quit research suggests that people who find meaning in their work and enjoy what they do tend to live longer Studies have linked a strong sense of purpose in one's career to increase longevity often due to lower stress levels better mental health and a greater motivation to maintain a healthy lifestyle psychologists Howard S fredman and lesli R Martin explored these findings in the longevity project their extensive research revealed that individuals who remained productive throughout their lives were generally healthier and lived longer than their less driven peers Drwaram stands as living proof of these findings a testament to the power of passion purpose and lifelong engagement two a purpose-driven life the second tip for longevity from DrWham is that living a life with purpose positively influences longevity DrWham served in World War II as a US Navy doctor and one day on a destroyer near the Philippines his captain came injured after falling off the boat despite Drwham's insistance to immediately operate on the men who had a ruptured discus and a rigid abdomen surgeons delayed the procedure which eventually led to his Captain's death from an abdominal infection Drwaram said his Captain's death compelled him to want to make a difference he remembers I decided then that I would become a well-qualified surgeon with such determination he rigorously studied and trained the newly established open heart surgery procedures wham's mentors advised him to study chest surgery before he concluded included his graduate program the training involved operating on the chest and the chest wall a method that preceded open heart surgery weam prolonged his residency for 2 years and continued his training at the St Francis Hospital for cardiac children in Rosland New York when I got into practice I got paid fees for doing surgery and I thought this is really something I have all this fun and get paid for it it's like any hobby like a little old lady knitting with her hands after his residency in 1955 waram returned to Loma Linda University where he had previously completed his initial medical training in 1937 he performed the first open heart surgery at the school in 1958 for 22 years warham served as chief of cardic surgery until he retired at age 74 2 years later than the typical maximum retirement age for Cardis surgeons at the Medical College in the 1960s warham traveled with a team of doctors and nurses including his wife Barbara waram a nurse to train surgeons with the international Heart Institute among their destinations were Pakistan Greece and Saudi Arabia where prior to the Loma Linda University overseas heart surgery teams arrival many people who needed these operations often died here in America say California if a person comes to me and I don't do surgery on him he can go down the street and get it done by somebody else but in most countries there was no way for them to have heart surgery if they had money they'd go abroad to England or the US it was a very challenging situation and the people were very grateful three strong family and social connection Ellsworth and Barbara waram met at Glendale Adventist Hospital in 1948 when Ellsworth 35 was a resident in surgery and Barbara 21 was a nursing student once I went out with him the younger men didn't quite do it Barbara told foxnews. com he arrived at the door with flowers and tickets to the light opera I thought he was a keeper at the time Barbara and Ellsworth raised their five children on a 40 acre apple orchard in Oak Glenn California about 22 mi from from Loma Linda University when he reached 95 years of age he said he was still on top top and could do surgeries however he retired because he wanted to spend more time with his family multiple Studies have shown that people with strong family connections tend to live longer with research indicating that a close family Network can significantly reduce the risk of mortality primarily by providing emotional support and mitigating stress during challenging times being socially disconnected for example is associated with higher risk of illnesses including heart dis disease stroke anxiety depression and dementia loneliness and social isolation have also been shown to increase the risk for premature death by 26% and 29% respectively now let's look into more practical tips for longevity that you can take with you at home four resting well with good night's sleep each day DrWham ensures he gets 8 to 9 hours of rest waking up at 5:00 a. m.
his morning routine begins with drinking three glasses of water before doing anything else research suggests that maintaining a consistent sleep schedule and Rising early May contribute to longevity and overall health studies from the journal of clinical sleep medicine and the White Hall 2 study have linked 6 to8 hours of regular sleep to lower risks of cardiovascular disease and mortality while irregular sleep patterns can accelerate aging a 2019 nature communication study found that early risers tend to have better mental well-being and a lower risk of disease whereas night owls face a 10% higher mortality risk according to Chrono ology International additionally Harvard Medical School Research indicates that poor sleep can shorten telr speeding up cellular aging by prioritizing sufficient rest and maintaining a disciplined morning routine Drwarham exemplifies how healthy sleep habits can support both longevity and overall well-being five exercise and moving the body throughout his long and healthy life Drwaram prioritized staying active by incorporating movement into his daily routine rather than structured workouts he preferred goal-oriented activities that kept him physically engaged while serving a purpose his exercise came naturally through tasks like mowing the lawn tending to his garden and frequently walking up and down the stairs he dedicated up to 10 hours a week to maintaining his yard proving that staying active doesn't always require a formal workout regimen DrWham often referenced a Stanford University study which found that climbing a flight of stairs 20 times per week was associated with a 46% lower risk of death from heart disease given his commitment to movement and overall well-being it's no surprise that DrWham remained sharp and independent even continuing to drive past the age of 100 six Loma Linda Blue Zone healthy lifestyle DrWham lived in Loma Linda California one of the world's five blue zones a term coined by longevity researcher Dan Butner to describe regions where people live significantly longer and healthier lives Loma Linda's residents many of whom like waram are 7th Day Adventists have a life expectancy that is 9 to 11 years longer than the average American studies suggest that this longevity is largely due to their lifestyle which emphasizes a plant-based diet regular physical activity and the avoidance of smoking and alcohol additionally Loma Linda has a strong community of retirees and programs designed to support its aging population in particular men in Loma Linda live 6 to 7 years longer than the average American men however diet alone does not account for the remarkable longevity seen in blue zones buner has highlighted other key factors such as regular movement strong Social Circles that reinforce healthy habits a deep sense of community and effective Stress Management in Loma Linda for example healthful eating is deeply ingrained in religious beliefs the Adventists celebrate their Sabbath on Saturday instead of Sunday Butner explains they take their diet directly from the Bible Genesis 1:29 lays out the diet of the Garden of Eden for 7th Day Adventists health is a spiritual commitment they believe in treating the body with care and avoiding harmful substances often uing rich fatty foods and embracing a plant-based diet DrWham embodied this philosophy demonstrating how Faith lifestyle and Community can work together to promote a long healthy life seven a plant-based diet I happen to be a vegan I've been a vegan now for about half my life I think that that's a healthy form of uh nutrition Drwaram maintained a simple yet disciplined eating routine consuming only two meals a day his breakfast at 10:00 a. m. always included whole wheat cereal with almond milk sometimes accompanied by fruit or nuts his second and final meal at 400 p.
m.
