Look, did the oldest man in the world actually get there by eating tons of sweets? Probably not, but I’m not going to disrespect my elders and imply that he’s lying, either. 

 

So when Masazo Nonaka, the 113-year-old Japanese man holding the Guinness World Record for longest living male, told Guinness that he “believes his longevity is down to soaking in hot springs and eating sweets,” who am I to argue?

 

In fact, he said that back in April when he first got the title, and he is still going strong as of his 113th birthday, which was July 25. So, obviously, his system seems to be working for him. 

 

And no, we don’t know exactly how many sweets he is referring to. One candy bar a week? A piece of chocolate before bed every night? Or maybe a he literally eats a snack cake for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

 

I will tell you this, though. If I make it to 113 years old, I’m going to literally live on chocolate and long soaks in a hot spring. And I’ll probably add in plenty of glasses of moscato just to be safe.

 

His daughter told Guinness that she doesn’t exactly think it is the sweets that helped him live so long and says his old age is likely due to living “his life in a way that doesn't bring him stress.”

 

But we can all agree that eating sweets is a great way to “live life in a way that doesn’t bring stress,” right? And more specifically, having a healthy approach to sugar and sweets — one that doesn’t demonize them — also helps reduce stress. 

 

So let’s all eat a little piece of chocolate today in honor of Nonaka’s 113th birthday. And may we all live a little longer because of it. And even if we don’t, we’ll at least have enjoyed a little more of life because of it.