The original Golden Girl is still making us laugh as she prepares to turn 96, so it's worth examining what keeps her young at heart.
We often joke that something or someone is "older than sliced bread," but in Betty's case it's true. She's also older than the ATM, the traffic light, and Penicillin. But you could never guess from the way she manages to bounce around our TV screens.
Betty's career actually began back on radio, and her first starring role on a TV sitcom was in Life With Elizabeth in the 1950s. For more than 70 years, her roles on shows like The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Golden Girls and Hot in Cleveland have made America laugh.
In fact, Betty holds the Guinness World Record for the longest career by a female entertainer, and at the rate she's going nobody is going to beat that record any time soon.
But as she gets older, Betty is taking her age with her trademark humor. "My mom said to never lie about your age," she says, "because you'll forget what you told one person and get mixed up." If you want to be as energetic and bright as Betty in your 90s, she's shared some tips that are pretty easy to follow.
Betty says she doesn't schedule much exercise into her daily routine, but gets more than enough from her work.
With no shortage of new TV roles, guest spots, and cameos, her schedule is pretty hectic, and that keeps her on her toes. Plus, Betty uses her age as an advantage to stay slim. "I have a two-story house and a very bad memory," she jokes. "I'm up and down those stairs all the time."
Betty is also philosophical about aging with grace, and says that a change of attitude can do wonders. "Make yourself as useful as possible so that they'll find a place for you too!" she warns.
"And don't complain"”try to accentuate the positive rather than the negative. If you're complaining, you're not fun to be around, and fun is the name of the game."
And that applies to her diet as well. While Betty is a light eater (she says she usually skips breakfast), she doesn't limit herself to any kind of strict meal plan.
"I don't eat anything special. French fries. Hot dogs if I can get 'em," she says.
"I'll have a sandwich at lunch and then come home, and [my dog] Pontiac and I have a vodka on the rocks and then our dinner. You can't get much better." Betty says she's also fond of Red Vines and potato chips.
It seems like there's no real secret to how Betty stays youthful in her 90s. Then again, they say that laughter is the best medicine, and she gets a daily dose of it!
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