The healthiest places to live in the world

Healthiest country in the world 2011.

Having a good genetic makeup is one of the keys to living a long life. Just as important, if not more, is keeping your stress levels low, leading an active life, feeling optimistic, and eating a good natural diet. The United States is not always conducive to creating those conditions but there are places all around the world that can help you discover the key to a long, healthy, and happy life.

Our first stop on the international tour is New Zealand. The country is filled with natural beauty and the people there make it a way of life to appreciate that beauty. Walking and hiking are the sports that people do most in the country and if you’ve seen pictures or ever been you can understand why. It’s always so beautiful and there are plenty of places where you have amazing views of mountains, the ocean, lakes, or verdant valleys. The life expectancy is two years higher in New Zealand than in the US. Health care in the country is cheap and often times free. Residency is a bit of a challenge to achieve but if you have a skill that can be useful to the country or a company operating in the country then you shouldn’t have much trouble making your way over. Folks that move always take note that everyone seems to live a supremely active lifestyle. People are always out walking and seeing the sights. Also, no matter where you live in the country you’re no more than 90 minutes from the ocean by car. It’s perfect for beach lovers. It’s much easier to eat fresh, whole foods too. Almost every resident grows something and you can simply walk down the street and buy your produce for the day’s meals. Combine the healthy eating with the healthy lifestyle and you have a recipe for living a long life.

There’s a region in Costa Rica called the Nicoya Peninsula. The people there live longer than almost anyone in the world. Scientists call it a Blue Zone, their term for places where people live extraordinarily long lives. There are several reasons for this and many have to do with the culture of Costa Rica, which you would presumably adopt and adapt to if you moved there. There’s a big focus on family. Older folks live with their children or couple up and live together so they always have someone to depend on. The diets in the area are generally low calorie, something that’s been proven to add years to your life. It seems like Costa Rica would be a wet place but the climate in this particular area is rather dry, which means more time outside and fewer respiratory diseases for the residents. The water in the area features a great deal of calcium, which leads to stronger bones. The culture of the area and Costa Rica and the local area where these long living people reside leads them to take great pride in their work and feel needed and valued, which is probably the most important factor in their long lives. If you’ve grown up elsewhere you won’t have this cultural advantage but given enough time you could pick it up and benefit from the lifestyle.

The lifestyle in Sardinia, an island located off of Italy’s coast, has led to extreme long lives for certain folks in the area. The diet is certainly a big help. The Mediterranean diet that has become well known throughout the world is followed here, with lots of olives and olive oil, whole foods grown locally, tomatoes, beans, fruits, and cheese high in super healthy Omega 3s. Some of the residents of the area stay away from meat except for special occasions. As with so many other long living people, family is of the utmost importance. They’re close and they value and love each other. Old people here are not sent off to homes where no one visits them. Instead they live with someone they’re related to. They also tend to work until they simply can’t anymore. The close knit villages in the center of the island are home to those living longest and as with any other place, it’s about the close knit nature of the communities and the support everyone has. It turns out socializing is one of the healthiest things you can do.

They call Vilcabamba, Ecuador the Valley of Longevity. They call it that because the residents live an awfully long time. This is credited to a completely pollution free environment and heavily oxygenated air due to the rainforest. The natural medicines that grow in the area and aren’t available in developed countries are given some credit as well. It might also be the minerals from the Earth that fill the drinking water. Everyone who lives there credits the weather though. They all say that the warm and wonderful weather is what makes it such a wonderful place to live their lives and what gives them longevity. They might be right. Warm weather year round makes it so your body doesn’t have to adjust to the seasons, which is stressful. The warm weather means less stress overall and any doctor will tell you that stress is the deadliest killer of them all. The warm weather and the fertile soil in the Valley of Longevity means there’s an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables to eat all year round.

There are a few lessons to be taken from these healthy living places. First, it’s important to eat a diet heavy in whole foods. If you can buy them organically and right from the farmer that’s even better. Avoid canned stuff whenever possible. Reducing your stress levels in any way possible is equally as important. That means a job that you love and that you find rewarding. That means good weather. Close knit families (or groups of friends in place of families) are important too. When you have all of that then you have what you need to live a long and healthy life.

Picture of a big house. Healthiest place to live in the world. 

1. Best Islands To Live On Lots of people get the urge to wander far and...
2. Moving Far Away From Home A move to a new state or a new country...
3. Know The Neighborhood And Your Neighbors If you’re looking to buy a new home then you...
4. Buying A Townhome vs Condo Vs Buying A House There are many decisions you need to make when it...
5. Bigger Is Not Necessarily Better In America, the prevailing wisdom is that bigger is better....