Alcohol isn't normally thought of when it comes to healthy living and long life but on her 101st birthday, one woman has said it was the secret to her longevity. Centenarian Mary Flip has lived a long and happy life and she thinks tequila is the elixir of life.
Mary, who lives in Arizona, was celebrating her massive birthday milestone on November 2 when her daughter asked what her tip to living a long life was. The mother of six replied: "Oh, my secret. Hmm, I don't know. Tequila!" to the surprise of her family.
It's thought her love of tequila developed when she lived in Mexico, where the blue agave plant derived tipple originates from. At 18 years old, Mary moved to Mexico on her own as she lost her mother and sister during The Great Depression.
This tragic loss left Mary as the sole survivor of her family from the young age of 15 but undeterred she struck out on her own. It was in Mexico that the centenarian met her husband and settled down into life as a rancher before moving back to Chicago.
It was then, reports the Daily Mail, that the mother of six turned to art and began to pursue it as a career and became a renowned artist, earning recognition from the Chicago School of Art.
Mary and her husband also had their first child during this time and Mary credits her passion, along with tequila, for giving her an outlet while raising the children.
"I really like to draw," she told Arizona Family. "And I was able to figure out that things change even as you’re drawing them. So, I was able to develop and make them look real. It took time but I had nothin’ else to do except raise a bunch of kids."
Born in 1921, Mary has weathered the Great Depression, World War II and more recently the Covid pandemic but hasn't let this slow her down.
She said at the party she was getting ready to dance the night away - even saying she would "get up on the table" to have a boogie.
The birthday girl was wearing a pink crown and a badge that said "one year sexier" but was not drinking tequila, opting instead for her favourite beer, Guinness. Mary's daughter asked her "how do you feel?" to which the witty centenarian quipped: "With my hand".
While Mary may have been joking about her belief in tequila's magical life extending properties, her suggestion isn't totally unfounded. According to American Chemical Society, tequila has lots of surprising effects on the body when drank in moderation such as lowering blood pressure.
Other studies have suggested the tipple could lower your likelihood of developing dementia, aid in regular sleep cycles, help with weight loss and even relieve the common cold.
