Three Easy Steps To A Longer, Healthier And Happier Life
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In the Hunza valley somewhere up the Himalayan mountain ranges, ethnic people called Hunzakuts live. They are able to do superhuman feats and have the endurance that surpasses that of well-known athletes. They can climb up and down cliffs and run for miles along narrow mountain passages without feeling tired. Even elderly Hunzakuts do these feats. They live over 100 years. These people are generally brave, yet patient and cheerful. They remain free from diseases and are excellently healthy.

They stay far away from the ways and habits of the modern world.

These people have learned by their native wisdom what some intellectuals of the metropolis are only starting to see. They have prioritized a long, healthy, and happy life over the drive to win in the world. They live with the basic life principle to live simply, eat right, and enjoy exercise. They may not be modern people, but they live full lives.

Many people living in Sardinia, an island in Italy, are centenarians, particularly those in the remote mountains of Nuoro province. In 1999, 66 people in this island were 100 years in age or older. These people often live alone (they don’t need care-givers), cook, attend to their small shops, and hunt. Some are shepherds who walk their sheep for kilometers. They are slim people.

Their daily diet consists of loads of fresh fruits, nuts, seeds, fava beans, and vegetables — a daily diet rich in fiber, phytoactive vitamins, and minerals. In addition, a glassful of the local red Sardinian mountain wine they drink each meal, which is high in polyphenols that seem to release more age-busting sirtuins, seem to do wonders to their health. An example of a wine label is Gabbas, from Oliena, south of Nuoro.

The Sardinian wine originated from grapes grown from the mountain vineyards.

Their general life principles are:

1. Live a simple life. Expect little but work seriously. Be thankful for what you have. Always have a sense of humor. Enjoy time with families and friends.

2. Eat only organic foods. Try to lessen what you eat. When the stomach is full, stop eating. Do not overeat. Junk foods are definitely out of the diet.

3. Exercise moderately – not too much and not too little. Just stick to regular physical activities like walking, woodworking, and enjoying the outdoors.

4. Drink the glass of Sardinian red wine after each meal.

You might say that long lives and low life stresses are possible only in the mountains or at least in remote rural places. If you want to, you can have the same conditions, or at least something close to them, in the cities — and even in your very own work place. Admittedly, you will have to make many adjustments to simulate a simple life in the mountains, with all the good foods.

It’s not really a question of how applicable the 3 easy steps are in the city, but how willing and serious you really are in actually living a long, healthy, and happy life. When there is a strong will, possibilities will start to show themselves up. Take the first big step of faith.