Who knew that after appearing in Mary Poppins 60 years ago, as well as a highly successful TV show named after him in the 1960s — among almost 100 projects — Dick Van Dyke would still be blowing away fans with his amazing talent. Now age 99, the comedic entertainer who was the oldest Daytime Emmy winner for his guest appearance on Days of Our Lives, recently appeared in a Coldplay video. Plus, he survived the catastrophic wildfire in Malibu. The legend recently shared a few secrets to his long life.
Maintain a Child-Like Sense of Wonder
The Chicago Tribune talked to Van Dyke when he was promoting his book titled, Keep Moving and Other Tips and Truths About Aging. He jokingly explained his daily routine: “I’m up at 6 every morning. I wake up and have a cup of coffee and get over to the gym before I talk myself out of it.” Then he seriously added that moving around and exercising to get the circulation going makes one feel great. “I can go to the gym feeling pretty lousy, but I walk out of there with a bounce in my step and feeling pretty good. “I know very few people who are inactive who have all their marbles.”
He also stated, “Walt Disney and I always said we were children looking for our inner adults.” Furthermore, he said that having a child-like mentality doesn’t mean being selfish but rather means continuing to be creative and keep one’s sense of wonder. He also explained that a good diet is important for longevity. Cutting out processed food and fast foods is key to maintaining good health. He stated that as a youngster, he dreamed of eating candy whenever he wanted as a grown-up. Although he doesn’t do that, he admitted, “I do eat ice cream every night.”
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Keep an Active Mind
The Tribune also clarified that his nightly treat consists of “two scoops of Haagen-Dazs vanilla with a generous topping of chocolate syrup.” As to his regular diet, he’ll probably eat meat once per week, keeps an eye on his sugar levels, and always has blueberries in the morning. He also struggled with quitting smoking until a doctor showed him an X-ray of his chest, pointing out, “These are little emphysema scars on your lungs.”
He even quit drinking alcohol, and although he had a minor struggle with it, “It started to taste funny. It didn’t do anything for me. I wasn’t interested anymore.” He also keeps his mind active by memorizing Shakespeare on a daily basis, doodling while on a set, and even tinkering with computer 3D animation. He finds that the most important thing is to remain open-minded about things, which, for his friends who refuse to do that, is “a factor in aging.”
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