101-year-old nutrition professor shares his 7 rules for a long, healthy life

Dr. John Scharffenberg, 101, still drives and travels the world. He reveals his simple lifestyle habits anyone can follow for healthy longevity.

Dr. John Scharffenberg was born in December 1923. At 101, he drives a red Toyota Prius and lectures about healthy lifestyle habits.@Viva Longevity! via YouTube

Want to live a longer, healthier life? Dr. Scharffenberg, who recently celebrated his 101st birthday, shares the seven simple habits he credits for his longevity:

1. Stay Away from Tobacco

Dr. Scharffenberg has never touched a cigarette — and he says that’s no coincidence. Smoking damages nearly every organ and remains the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S., according to the CDC.

2. Skip the Alcohol

Alcohol isn’t part of Dr. Scharffenberg’s lifestyle either. Despite past claims that moderate drinking could be heart-healthy, he points to recent research confirming that any benefit is outweighed by increased cancer risks. Experts, including the World Health Organization, now agree: No amount of alcohol is truly safe.

3. Make Exercise a Priority

Although nutrition is his field, Scharffenberg emphasizes that physical activity is even more crucial.
During his middle years — a critical time for staying active, he says — he maintained a rugged forested property north of Fresno, clearing land, building a home, and growing a massive garden with 3,000 strawberry plants and dozens of fruit trees.
His favorite activities? Gardening and walking, two forms of exercise that research shows can significantly reduce death risk.

4. Keep a Healthy Weight

Being overweight is closely tied to diseases like diabetes, heart issues, and cancer.
Scharffenberg credits his longevity partly to intermittent fasting: he eats only two meals a day — breakfast and lunch — and fasts for the rest of the evening and overnight. Research shows this eating pattern can support weight control and health in the long run.

5. Cut Down on Meat

A devoted member of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Scharffenberg has followed a vegetarian diet since he was 20 years old.
His meals revolve around plant-based foods like nuts, seeds, fruits (he especially loves mangoes and persimmons), potatoes, and occasional dairy like milk and eggs.

6. Slash Your Sugar Intake

Americans consume an average of 22 teaspoons of added sugar per day — far more than recommended.
Scharffenberg advocates cutting back. One simple trick? Instead of pouring sugary syrup over waffles, he opts for toppings like cashew cream, bananas, and berries.
Fruits offer natural sugar bundled with fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants — a far healthier source of energy.

7. Reduce Saturated Fats

Finally, Scharffenberg urges cutting down on saturated fats. He follows — and promotes — a vegetarian diet, noting that it naturally keeps saturated fat intake low and heart health strong.
“The best diet is a vegetarian one,” he tells his audiences. “And my wish for all of you is to live a long, healthy life by choosing the right lifestyle.”