My Grandma and Her Mom’s Longevity Secret?

Before anything else, I want to greet all the grandparents in the Philippines a belated Happy Grandparents’ Day (September 7). I wish these oldies the best of everything, including long life and more robust health.

Lately, I’ve been pondering where my grandma and her mom got their longevity. They lived for 92 and 101 years, respectively. It can’t have been clean living, because, as Ilocano women are wont to do, they (my great grandma, particularly) are avid tobacco puffers. How can a woman live up to 101 years when she spent her whole life puffing on handrolled tobaccos (since she was 16, actually).

It could be the diet, it could be the environment then, but one thing struck me when we were inventorizing my late grandma’s jewelry. She and her mom both wore the same magnetic bracelet. So many articles detail how exactly these specialized bracelets contribute to good health, but it’s really weird that my ancestors wore one. Hmmm…..