A well-balanced diet supported by good sleep hygiene and regular exercise can certainly help you live longer, but the secret to longevity isn’t linear. Some supercentenarians say the key is to omit coffee, alcohol, and sugars, while others attribute their longevity to specific food groups. But for the 93-year-old mother of actor Matthew McConaughey, it boils down to having a positive attitude and a clean diet. In a Q&A with City Lifestyle, Kay McConaughey opened up about feeling fulfilled at the ripe age of 93 and how she sustains such a "vibrant" outlook on life.
"I think a lot, a lot has to do with my positive attitude. I really have a positive attitude, and I eat well. I eat clean," she told the outlet.
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McConaughey prioritizes breakfast.
McConaughey's first meal of the day is always packed with essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein. For breakfast, she reaches for a mango- or peach-flavored yogurt and garnishes it with fresh-cut fruit, such as bananas, kiwis, or mango.
"I love my breakfast," she beamed.
She avoids red meat.
Although McConaughey isn’t much of a cook, there is one dish she could make again and again and never get tired of.
"I only cook stew," she shared. "It’s fun, you just put everything in a pot, meat, carrots, potatoes, some mushrooms and a cup of red wine and stir it and put it in the oven at 350 degrees for one hour and it comes out a wonderful stew."
However, you won’t find chuck steak, beef shoulder, or brisket in her stew.
"I only eat fish and chicken, I don’t eat red meat,” said McConaughey (unless it’s a special occasion). "When I go to Matthew and Camila’s house I do because they like red meat and I would never refuse it, but it’s not something that I would choose."
And her daughter-in-law is a fabulous cook, too, said the 93-year-old matriarch: "I love Camila’s coleslaw and salmon."
But she loves wine.
After dinner, McConaughey is more likely to treat herself to a second glass of wine than dessert.
"We never have any sweets in our house, ever,” she said, noting that wine is her sweet treat of choice. "I have a glass at 5 o’clock and then I have a glass when I go to bed."
Her favorite winemaker? Kendall Jackson, a family-owned winery from Sonoma, California.
"I don’t drink any other kind. If I came to your house and you didn’t have Kendall Jackson, and you had a nice Chardonnay, I would drink it. I wouldn't be obnoxious and say, 'It’s not Kendall Jackson, I’m not drinking it,' but if I can get Kendall Jackson, that's what I prefer," she said.
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McConaughey also makes time for exercise.
McConaughey also attributes her longevity to exercise. Her workout routine includes one hour of pilates four days per week: "That keeps me fit."
According to Peloton, pilates strengthens core muscles and pelvic floor muscles, helps with mobility and pain relief, improves posture, boosts flexibility, and can enhance your mental health.
And she maintains a positive attitude.
Not to be overlooked is McConaughey's positive attitude. On her 92nd birthday, her daughter-in-law shared a video with her on Instagram, where she shared a bit of her wisdom.
"I had said it so many times that Matthew, my son, made a frame—a really, really, really big frame—and he put on it, 'Are you going to see the rose in the vase or the dust on the table?' And then he put a mirror in the frame, and it's in my house and so every time I go down the hall, I have to have a look at myself and see it," she said. "So that is a thought for the day for you. It is so easy to make that your thought. Doesn't just have to be today."
This past New Year's, McConaughey (who her children and grandchildren call MaMac) shared that her resolution is "happiness and good health."
"When you're feeling good, then other things kind of fall into place," she said. "The fact of my age, and I'm still so healthy, and [Camila's] got the gratitude, I put those things together, and it works for me."
