The secret to reaching 127? Never marry

On August 31, Leandra Becerra Lumbreras had her birthday. Do you know who is she? No less than the oldest woman in the world! In 2014, the Mexican turned 127 years old and can be considered the oldest female. However, she has no way of proving this as she lost her documents 40 years ago.

The Mexican government is doing its best to provide new documents to Leandra and has even filed the process to get it done quickly. Only after the documentation is ready can the Guinness Book make the record official. For now, the title goes to the 115-year-old Japanese Misao Okawa.

The secret of such strength

Leandra was 27 when World War I took place, 40 when Queen Elizabeth ascended the throne, 75 when John Kennedy passed away, 82 when the man went to the moon, 100 when the Berlin Wall came down, and still today she is lucid and still. Cheers. It no longer does the same things as before, of course. But you remember everything you lived.

The secret of such longevity? A good diet based on natural foods, eating chocolate between meals, exercising, sleeping well, having entertainment (in her case, sewing and weaving) and never getting married! Leandra was a single mother, had 5 children, 20 grandchildren, 73 great-grandchildren and 55 great-great-grandchildren. He even saw the death of several of them.

One of her granddaughters, Miriam Alvear, 43, reports about her grandmother: “She is totally lucid. She refreshes her mind with her stories of the revolution ... My grandmother has always been a woman who fought. She was still sewing and weaving until about two years ago and never stopped being active. That's why you live for so long. ”

“Her parents were singers and she always enjoyed entertaining her grandchildren with the old songs they taught her, ” Miriam continues. “She always had perfect teeth, even at an advanced age. She doesn't have diabetes or hypertension either, so she can eat as many chocolates and sweets as she likes. ”

Leandra's story

Leandra has a history of a lot of fighting. She participated in the Mexican Revolution in 1910, leading a group of female soldiers known as Las Adelitas. Their goal was to help men during the bloody civil war and ended up contributing significantly to their daily struggle and battle.

Most of the combatants, also called “Las Soldaderas, ” were responsible for transporting products, preparing meals, cleaning up soldiers' equipment, or working as a prostitute. About 200 women fought alongside men in battle, while some were spies to the revolutionary forces.