Man, 100, and Wife, 99, Share 6 Tips for a Long Life and Their ‘Secret Weapon’ for Longevity

Eleanor and Bernie Gerson marked their 80th wedding anniversary this year, but there’s so much more to celebrate. He’ll be 101 years old in November; she’ll turn 100 in January. They met as teenagers but went their separate ways until “destiny” brought them back together, he says. The couple lives independently with the help of their daughter who resides with them in Warrington, Pennsylvania. “We are very, very thankful for still being together,” Bernie Gerson tells TODAY.com. His wife is still amazed by their whirlwind marriage, which came after he proposed via letter while serving on a U.S. Navy warship in the Pacific during World War II. “Now I look back at it, I realize how young we really were, and how much we have had to find out about life,” Eleanor Gerson says. He drove a car and played tennis until his 90s, and has a “secret weapon” when it comes to his diet. She always liked to be active, walking, volunteering and helping others. “I feel that having each other has kept them going this long,” their granddaughter, Allison Snyder, tells TODAY.com. She likes to describe her grandparents as “peanut butter and jelly” because they’re inseparable. Their daughter, Renee Gerson, 79, believes healthy eating, exercise and always being involved in the community have been important factors. Here are the couple’s simple tips for a long life: Eat a Healthy Diet Both credit wheat germ, which they’ve been eating for as long as they can remember, for their longevity, Snyder says. Bernie Gerson sprinkles a heaping tablespoon of wheat germ on his cereal every morning, calling it his “secret weapon” for good health and smooth skin. “Nobody takes me for my age because I don’t look like a lot of people who are 101,” he says. Wheat germ is the “healthiest part of the wheat kernel,” according to the University of California, Davis. It’s a “unique source of concentrated nutrients,” researchers note, and is rich in bioactive components with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, studies have found. It’s also a good source of “anti‐aging polyamines,” compounds that can play a role in preventing chronic diseases. Bernie Gerson’s daily morning meal of cereal with wheat germ and milk also includes crushed walnuts, sliced almonds, blueberries, strawberries and a banana. Eleanor Gerson eats oatmeal with blueberries, honey and cinnamon for breakfast. She also likes berries and apples, which are among the healthiest fruits. Both love cinnamon buns and pastries with their coffee, but keep the portions small. The couple usually skips lunch and has a variety of foods for dinner, including eggplant parmesan, fish, grilled cheese, pasta or eggs. They don’t drink alcohol. Stay at a Healthy Weight The Gersons made an effort to avoid weight creep, or the tendency to gain weight as people age. It can lead to obesity and increase the risk of heart disease and other chronic illnesses, studies have found. “I always watched my weight through the years, and my wife does, too,” Bernie Gerson says. “We’ve never been heavy in our whole life.” He loves chocolate, for example, but holds himself back — enjoying just a little taste. The centenarian still wears the same size suit he wore when he was a young adult. Be Active Eleanor Gerson introduced her husband to tennis by signing them both up for lessons and “created a monster,” she jokes. He was reluctant to go at first, but got hooked on it immediately and played until he was 94. Some doctors believe tennis is the healthiest sport because it’s a whole-body workout. Bernie Gerson also played basketball, football and baseball, and took up jogging when few other people were running. “Being healthy and in shape was a very important thing in my life,” he says. Eleanor Gerson shared that goal. “I always liked to be active. I enjoyed that, and I think that makes a happy person,” she notes. She regularly walked and played tennis for a while. Laugh and Talk “We like to laugh a lot, Ellie and I. I think that keeps you young and keeps your mind in good shape,” Bernie Gerson says. His granddaughter calls him a “naturally happy person” who likes to tell jokes. Her grandmother is the conversationalist. The couple enjoys discussing current events and politics at dinner together every evening, Snyder notes. Bernie Gerson’s No. 1 rule for couples is to never go to bed mad. “You should stay up all night and fight,” he says. “Always have respect for one another and admire your spouse.” Love Deeply The Pennsylvania couple met in 1941 when both their families were vacationing in Atlantic City and stayed next door to each other. He was not quite 16, she was 14. “I used to see her go to the beach, and I’d say, ‘She’s so pretty, I would love to meet her,’” Bernie Gerson recalls. They did meet on the boardwalk when he asked a mutual friend to introduce them. He jotted down her phone number, but they didn’t stay in touch when she went back to Philadelphia and he to Norristown. About two years later, Bernie Gerson was on a date with another girl in Philadelphia when he spotted Eleanor with her date at a dance. He called her the next day. Bumping into her again was “destiny,” the centenarian believes. Bernie Gerson proposed marriage in a letter while serving in the U.S. Navy on board the USS Wilkes-Barre during World War II. The Purple Heart recipient was at sea in the Pacific Ocean, so it took months for him to find out she accepted. When he came home, she told him, “You’re under no obligation. We don’t really know each other that well.” But she was willing to go with it, she says. “We’re getting married,” he replied. The wedding took place nine weeks later on July 14, 1946. Stay Positive Bernie Gerson says his father told him at an early age that he should have “good MA,” or mental attitude. “He’s so right. If you think positive, it’s a wonderful gift,” Gerson says. “It’s easy to be negative and talk bad about things, but if you have a good MA, you can almost overcome anything that happens to you.”