91-Year-Old Oscar Winner Ditches Booze, Weed, and Cigarettes – And Says She's Never Felt Better
91-Year-Old Oscar Winner Ditches Booze, Weed, and Cigarettes – And Says She's Never Felt Better
Ellen Burstyn, the 93-year-old Oscar-winning actress, says ditching alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana is the secret to staying active and sharp in her old age. On Rob Lowe’s podcast, Burstyn credited her long-term health to three simple changes: eating a plant-based diet, exercising regularly, and quitting all three substances [139819]. She explained that giving them up helped her maintain energy and focus in her later years, emphasizing that small, consistent changes make a big difference [139819].
The revelation comes as longevity experts promote the idea that lifestyle choices can make people feel years younger. Known as the “flicker stage,” the concept argues that functional age is not fixed [139488]. Experts Stuart Kaplan and Marcus Riley say the method is not about extreme diets or intense exercise, but simple actions that improve energy, sleep, and mental clarity – accessible to anyone who focuses on nutrition, movement, and stress management [139488].
Jane Seymour, 75, echoes that approach. After a near-death experience in her 40s, the actress now follows four daily habits to keep her mind sharp and body strong: regular physical activity, a balanced diet, mental challenges like reading, and maintaining close relationships [139660]. She credits this routine with helping her stay energetic, saying, “I want to be the best I can be” [139660].
Meanwhile, a new report from the Health Foundation reveals that people in the UK are now getting sick younger than a decade ago. The thinktank found a two-year drop in “healthy life expectancy”—the number of years a person can expect to live in good health [139542]. Mental health has worsened the most, especially among young adults, and researchers say the pandemic did not cause the decline [139542].
Adding to the health concerns, jailed Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi, 54, was rushed to a hospital from prison after a sharp decline in her health [139440][139192]. Her family said the activist, who has been imprisoned since 2021, has faced repeated medical issues and suffered a heart attack in March [138979]. No further details on her condition have been released [139440].