From Sleeping Habits to Diet, Can We Pick Up a Few Longevity Tips From the Queen? (2024)

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From Sleeping Habits to Diet, Can We Pick Up a Few Longevity Tips From the Queen? ›

The Queen sleeps 8.5 hours each night. She goes to bed at the same time each night (11 p.m.). The article notes that experts recommend going to bed at the same time, as it trains your body to feel sleepy as you approach that hour. She eats light, protein-filled meals at regular times.

Irregular sleep habits included inconsistent sleep and wake times, interrupted sleep and napping. Sleep duration was still important: People who got long, consistent sleep had the lowest mortality risk, says Angus Burns, a research fellow at Harvard Medical School who co-wrote the study.

Royal chef Darren McGrady, who has cooked for the monarch for 15 years, revealed that the Queen doesn't eat starchy foods unless for a state dinner. Instead, her daily diet centres around the very specific dish of grilled fish or chicken with two types of vegetables. She also enjoys big bowls of salad and fresh fruit.

The Queen ate a balanced diet including chocolate and gin

In the morning, the Queen was known to have biscuits and tea followed by toast and marmalade, cereal with fruit, or smoked salmon with scrambled eggs and truffle, as Insider's Ali Millington reported.

It's said that in order to feel fresh for her daily appointments the Queen always went to bed at the same time every night, 11pm, and slept for eight and a half hours – meaning she woke at 7.30am each day.

But the problem isn't sleep. Morning larks tend to live longer than night owls, research has shown. But a new report suggests that may have less to do with sleep and more to do with what happens when you're awake.

Numerous studies have been shown short sleep duration to be associated with hypertension, diabetes, and premature death. However, in several studies, long sleep (as defined by sleeping more than eight hours) has also been associated with premature death.

The Queen was said to have four meals a day but only eat small portions at each. She began her day with a cup of Earl Grey tea (Fortnum and Mason, and Twinings are thought to have been favoured) and a biscuit followed by a bowl of Special K, poured from an airtight Tupperware container to keep the cereal crunchy.

Game Meats and Wild-Caught Fish Dinners

The queen's preference for game meats even extended to more casual meals; she was, reportedly, a big fan of hamburgers made with ground venison. She usually skipped any potatoes, pastas or grains at her evening repast, but almost always had room for dessert.

Former Royal Chef Darren McGrady says that Queen Elizabeth ate her favorite snack, jam sandwiches (aka jam pennies), every day for more than 90 years.

What is the Queen's secret to a long life? ›

Regular exercise

The queen walked with her dogs, rode horses, hiked around the grounds of her estates and otherwise stayed active throughout her life and into her old age. “Probably the single best thing most of us can do for our health is regular exercise.

Etiquette expert William Hanson confirmed this story when he wrote for the Daily Mail that Her Majesty would usually eat bananas after dinner was served, rather than with breakfast or as a snack. "Dessert was traditionally the fruit course at the end of the meal, whereas today people confuse it with the sweet course.

William stated that he eats two eggs, toast with butter, apple juice and a cup of tea with milk and sugar to start his day off.

It can be hard to tell what the royal family's official duties are. Generally, every royal supports charities, appears at events, and occasionally travels the globe to strengthen diplomatic relationships. But some royals also have day jobs, and others have long military careers.

The Princess of Wales reportedly goes to bed at 10.30pm every night to ensure she's refreshed for the day ahead, according to OK!. And to make sure she's comfortable before going to sleep, the future Queen Consort is said to be a fan of an early dinner around 6pm.

Starting the day out with the formalities before any of the fun starts, The Queen takes her time to read the daily newspapers, catching up with the latest goings on in the world – she is Head of State of 16 governments, and leader of the Commonwealth of 53 nations, and so it is important to stay abreast of world news.

Factors included: 1) ideal sleep duration of seven to eight hours a night; 2) difficulty falling asleep no more than two times a week; 3) trouble staying asleep no more than two times a week; 4) not using any sleep medication; and 5) feeling well rested after waking up at least five days a week.

Eating a nutritious diet and exercising regularly may increase your life expectancy. Other factors, like overeating and drinking more than a moderate level of alcohol, may increase your risk of certain diseases.

The research, published in the journal Sleep Health last month, concluded that those who had inconsistent sleeping patterns had a higher biological age compared to those with a regular sleep schedule.

Deep sleep is essential for health and wellbeing. Most adults need around 1.5–2 hours of deep sleep per night. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advise adults aged 18–60 years to aim for at least 7 hours of sleep per night. Around 25% of this should be deep sleep.