The Healthy Hunza

For a long time, people believed there was a place in the Himalayas where the inhabitants lived forever. They called the place Shangri-La. This name came to mean "paradise" in the English language.

A lot of the stories about Shangri-La are untrue. However, some are accurate. The original​​ Shangri-La was the Hunza Valley, a remote region in the high mountains of northern Pakistan. The Hunza people don't live forever, but many live to be over one hundred​ years old. They appear to be among the healthiest people in the world. They are certainly immune to the many diseases of this area.

Why is this? People who have traveled to this remote area say it's because the Hunza diet is so healthy. The inhabitants eat only what they grow. Grain, fruit and vegetables are their daily food. They seldom eat butter or eggs. They eat meat only on important feast days. Their only sweet dish is dried apricots. The Hunza never drink alcohol. Their religion forbids it. Sugar and canned food are also unknown to them.

There are two other reasons why the Hunza diet is so healthy. Firstly, there are few trees in the high mountains of the Hunza region, so wood for the kitchen stove is scarce. This means that the inhabitants must cook their food quickly. Doctors now say that short cooking times are best for a healthy diet. Secondly, the Hunza have a limited area of farmland. Their valley is only one mile wide because it lies between some very high mountains. They can never grow extra crops, and as a result their food is carefully rationed. That is why you never see an overweight Hunza.