Paquita Salguero: “the girl with the headlights” is 109 years old, looks 30 years younger and is overflowing with joy. What are her secrets?

Today Paquita Salguero Waiter He is 109 years and two days old. The daughter of the lighthouse keeper from Cedeira (A Coruña) was born in 1914 shortly before the outbreak of World War I. Being very young, she was orphaned by her mother and father, but the setbacks in her life have not prevented her from continuing to live with good humor, optimism and admirable health.

After his parents died, until he was 13 he lived in 5 different lighthouses on the Costa da Morte and Asturias with his uncle. For this reason, his friend Jesús Fraiz, doctor, specialist in the study of longevity, author of The centennial population of Galiciawants to write his biography with the title The girl with the headlights.

According to the National Institute of Statistics, in Spain live 19,639 citizens over 100 years of age, but the case of Paquita Salguero is exceptional due to her good physical and mental state.

“I live well, I am healthy, and I enjoy the things I do,” he declared on his birthday to the newspaper La Voz de Galicia.

What are Paquita’s longevity secrets?

The easy thing is to attribute good health to genes, as if the many years of her life had won the lottery, but the truth is that scientists cannot list Paquita’s genes that make her incombustible.

Three years ago Paquita was in the news because she overcame the covid without symptoms. She recently had a sugar rush that affected her vision, but she is recovering. She doesn’t hear well, but otherwise, his health is good.

Health is the result of many factors. Yes, genes influence, but also the environment in which one lives, the personality, the thoughts, the vital attitude, the emotions…

If we want to know Paquita’s secrets, all we can do is ask her and watch her.

1. Walk every day

At 109 years old Paquita stay physically active. He goes for a walk with his dog Queens through the center of A Coruña, goes to the church of Santa Lucía and stops near the market in Plaza de Lugo.

2. He is always laughing

Not only on her birthday, every day of the year Paquita smiles and is ready to have a good time. He doesn’t like to worry about anything and loves to be with other people.

“I feel the same as when I was 18, of course, with fewer achievements, but with the same humor and optimism as the day I came of age,” he told journalist Ana González, from Agencia EFE, when he turned 106.

3. Take care of yourself

Paquita is flirtatious and she likes to go out on the street well-groomed and can easily be mistaken for a 70-year-old woman.

4. She is curious

One of the most surprising things in Paquita is how has adapted to new technologies. He drives his mobile and wears a smartwatch, writes on WhatsApp and sends videos to his loved ones when he sees something he likes.

Besides He loves doing crossword puzzles, reading books and traveling around Galicia. She would like to go to Budapest, but they won’t let her…

5. He is optimistic

She says it herself: “You have to have good character, not be bothered by anything and be very positive.” And he does what he says: he likes going on excursions and having meals with friends, he is always in a good mood and every 7th he celebrates his birthday.

«How happy I am”, It is one of the phrases that she repeats the most throughout the day, according to Pablo Portabales, a journalist who has been on WhatsApp with her since she was a hundred years old.

👉Paquita turns 109: «How happy I am. I am healthy and I enjoy the things I do»
Reaching that age is not within everyone’s reach, but doing it with your vitality is impossible. Paquita Salguero continues traveling, hiking and eating lamprey https://t.co/JzznNyx38O

— The Voice of Galicia (@lavozdegalicia) May 8, 2023

The five keys to longevity

Paquita Salguero is probably a unique case, but her habits fit quite well with the pattern that Dan Buettner discovered in the regions of the planet -blue zones- where more centenarians live.

Although there are some differences between these areas, there are certain common characteristics among the centenarians who live in them:

Healthy diet: Centenarians typically eat a plant-based diet, with a high intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes. They also tend to consume little amount of meat and processed products.

Physical activity: Centenarians tend to stay active throughout their lives, either through everyday activities such as walking, gardening, or housework, or through sports or more structured physical activities.

Solid social networks: Centenarians often have a strong and supportive social network, with family and close friends with whom they share interests and concerns.

sense of purpose: Centenarians in the blue zones often have a strong sense of purpose in their lives, which helps them stay motivated and engaged in activities and projects that matter to them.

Low stress level: Centenarians often experience low stress levels, which may be partly due to their healthy diet, regular physical activity, and strong social networks.