Meet the Hunzas, an ancient culture who live in the Himalayan Mountains near the border of Kashmir, China, India and Afghanistan. If you had been born a Hunza, it wouldn’t be at all abnormal to live to be 145 years old! So what exactly are the secrets of the Hunzas? Are they buried in the snow on the tip top of a gigantic glacier? Not at all! In fact we have the answers right in front of us!

The Hunzas were first discovered by Dr. Maccarrison, a Scottish physician on an adventure during the time period between the two World Wars. It became obvious that the Hunzas had achieved extraordinary health. Disease was virtually unknown to these people. Even smaller ailments such as indigestion, ulcers and acne were nonexistent in both youth and elders. The Hunzas reach physical and mental maturity at the age of 100! It has been said that a Hunza women of 80 looks no older than a women of 40 living in our society.

As vegetarians, vegans and raw fooders, we are all familiar with the concept that food is our medicine, an approach established by Hippocrates over 2000 years ago. The Hunzas eat very naturally, much like animals in nature. They only eat as much fuel as their bodies need, nothing is eaten in excess. They also practice an annual fast in order to rest their digestive systems. Their diet is mainly vegetarian and consists of grains, like barley, millet, buckwheat and wheat, and also a high amount of raw fruits and vegetables. The Hunzas live in a pristine environment at an elevation of 8000 feet. The most common fruits and vegetables grown there are berries, apples, peaches, pears, potatoes, string beans, spinach and lettuce. They also use apricots and their kernels for medicinal purposes. They do include a small percentage of animal products in their diets such as raw yogurt, milk and cheese. They rarely eat meat, if any at all, and use nuts like almonds and walnuts for protein. With every meal, chapatti is eaten. This bread is made from stone ground flour, usually either wheat or barley. They are flattened and cooked on a skillet over low heat. The grains used by the Hunzas are always whole, containing all of the beneficial nutrients that the process of refining eliminates.

Exercise also plays a major role in a Hunza’s life. Physical labor is a daily activity and a long hike acts as a reward for a long days work. To be active everyday is simply normal for these people. The Hunzas don’t experience chronic fatigue syndrome or depression as our culture does.

Perhaps mental outlook has more to do with the aging process and the onset of disease than one may want to admit. A youthful mind often means a youthful body. The Hunzas have a very positive outlook on life, and their lives are centered on the present moment, as oppose to the unchangeable past or unpredictable future. The Hunzas are not bombarded with worry and anxiety like we are today. Because of this, the Hunzas seem to have immunity to stress related health degeneration.

It’s so simple! There’s nothing difficult or impossible about the way the Hunzas live and how they attain vibrant health, while the health of our society continues to decline! It is no longer a petty dream to plan on living to 100! The Hunzas are very inspiring! If only we could live our lives in Hunza style. Their secrets are right at our fingertips. With a little effort and a little enthusiasm we too can live in better health far into the future. We all have the power to bathe in the cool waters of the fountain of youth.

--Anna is a raw food vegan.