Carmelo Flores was born in Bolivia and belongs
to Bolivian native tribe known as Andean, is now 123 years old. He has a baptism certificate, on
which his date of birth is 16th July, 1890. According to Carmelo it
is a traditional Andean diet that has kept him alive for so many years. He
gives all the credit to three foods that has kept him alive for 123 years, the
three foods are: quinoa grains, riverside mushrooms and coca leaves.
Quinoa a species of goose foot is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds. Quinoa was first domesticated by the Andean peoples around 3000 years ago. It is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal, or grain, as it is not a member of the true grass family. As a chenopod, quinoa is closely related to species such as beetroots, spinach and tumbleweeds.
Source: Quinoa Grains
Coca has also been a vital part of the religious cosmology of the Andean peoples of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, northern Argentina, and Chile. In Bolivia bags of coca leaves are sold in local markets and by street vendors. The activity of chewing coca is called picchar, derived from the Aymara language.
Although coca leaf chewing is common only among the indigenous populations, the consumption of coca tea is common among all sectors of society in the Andean countries, especially due to their high elevations from sea level, and is widely held to be beneficial to health, mood, and energy.
As per him
potatoes with quinoa are quite tasty. When asked about the secret of his
longevity, he said that he walks a lot going out with his animals. He usually
avoids eating noodles and rice. He walks without cane and does not wear
glasses. As per him he has never been farther afield than La Paz, 80
kilometers away and has been never badly sick. All these things have made him
live this much long and also strong and healthy.
Upon asking
about the secret of his long life, he said daily walk is his hobby; he takes
his pets along with him when he goes out to walk and he walks without the help
of a walking stick. He drinks the water which comes from the snow-capped peak
of Illampu which is one of the Bolivia’s highest mountains. He doesn't drink
alcohol but just drink some of it in his youth.
Article: news.com.au
