Live a healthy lifestyle in Vilcabamba, Ecuador
High in the mountains of south-central Ecuador, Vilcabamba is one of top five healthiest places in the world to live, according to an article released this month by the editors of International Living.
People from the village of Vilcabamba routinely live into their 90s and 100s—no wonder it’s known as the “Valley of Longevity.” Study after study has been done to discover their secret.
It turns out the secret has nothing to do with magnetic fields, shamanic rituals or ancient alien technology. It boils down to hard work and clean living.
An international study in 1978 identified the features contributing to Vilcabamba’s famous longevity:
- Leanness. Fat to body weight ratios in Vilcabamba are extremely low.
- Diet. Due to the village’s isolation, almost no processed foods or fertilizers reached the place until recently. All food was grown locally and naturally and washed down with spring water.
- Low cholesterol. Little to no animal products were included in the local diet until recently.
- High activity level. Vilcabamba has historically been a farming community, and the main mode of transportation is walking. This regular exercise keeps the locals healthy.
Expat John Curran, who lives in Vilcabamba, Ecuador, puts the healthy lifestyle down to the valley’s magnificent weather. “This consistently good weather means your body doesn’t have to expend energy adapting to climatic extremes. Windows can be open 24/7, filling your house and your lungs with crisp, clean air,” John says.
The qualities and lifestyle that made Vilcabamba such a center of Ecuadorian health are also found in many quiet, off-the-radar towns and villages throughout the country’s rugged Andes Mountains. Legendary longevity is still a major part of the Ecuadorian health picture.
Ecuador is one of five places identified by the editors and contributors of InternationalLiving.com as the healthiest places on earth to live in 2010.
Comments
