“I feel really good. I feel better now than I did when I was 16,” she joked

NEED TO KNOW

• Ohio native Helen Sophis celebrated her 105th birthday on Oct. 10
• She shared her secrets for longevity ahead of the milestone, noting they include having “good genes and staying physically active”
• Sophis also said that humor and close friendships have helped her over the years

A 105-year-old Ohio woman has a few simple secrets to living a long life.

Helen Sophis, who celebrated her 105th birthday on Oct. 10, joked during an interview with the Akron Beacon Journal that the key to longevity is “clean living” — but she also credited several other factors.

She said her longevity could be attributed to her good genes, staying physically active and following the Mediterranean diet, which is rooted in her Greek heritage. 

Sophis told the Journal that when she was growing up, her mother would cook things like moussaka and fasolakia, a traditional Greek dish made of fresh green beans. Pastitsio, a pasta with meat sauce, was also a staple in her home.

“Everything was from scratch,” she recalled to the outlet.

A Mediterranean diet is a way of eating that emphasizes plant-based foods and healthy fats, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Those on the diet often eat vegetables, fruit, beans, lentils, whole grains, fish, natural cheese and yogurt while avoiding red meats.

Sophis said she also stayed active throughout her life. She played basketball and volleyball at her local high school and continued those sports in college at the University of Akron, where she also added tennis to her roster.

She left school in 1940 — after her sister, Amelia, died at the age of 17 — and went to work at the American tire brand B.F. Goodrich during World War II. She joked that she “had a man’s job during the war” as all her “work was out in the factory.”

After that job, she worked at a Goodrich office. She kept active with golf and even became a star golfer on the women’s team at the company, winning several tournaments, per the Journal. 

Diet and exercise aren’t the only factors that may have contributed to Sophis’ longevity. The centenarian also told the newspaper that her sense of humor “probably did” play a role.

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Although she never married or had children, Sophis has a close circle of friends who “include” her “in a lot of things.”

During the interview ahead of her birthday, Sophis cracked several jokes, including one about celebrating her “Platina Jubilee.”

“I have accepted it,” she said of turning 105, before adding with a laugh, “Actually, I feel fine. I feel really good. I feel better now than I did when I was 16.”

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