You Are What You Eat…Hunza Diet Provides Longevity and Happiness

Did you know…that simple lifestyle secrets practiced by people living in a secluded region of the Himalayas can help you achieve excellent health and enable you to live well past 100?

A tiny population known as the Hunzas (pronounced Hoonzas) who reside in an inaccessible valley at the extreme northern point of India are said to be the healthiest, longest-lived, and happiest human beings on Earth.

It’s not unusual for these people to live to 130 or even 145 years. They also enjoy near perfect mental and physical health—practically untouched by cancer…heart disease…heart attacks…high and low blood pressure…diabetes…obesity…or other ailments common throughout the rest of the world.

The Hunza lifestyle was first documented by Major Sir Robert McCarrison, who had supervisory duties over the Hunzas as part of his post with the Indian Medical Service. Dr. McCarrison was so inspired by the Hunzas’ vibrant health and longevity that he conducted a historic series of experiments to isolate and prove the factors that contribute to it.

Seed of Long Life and Cancer Protection: Boost Your Vitamin B17 by 200%

Thanks to Dr. McCarrison’s documentation, we know that the most unique element of the Hunza diet is dried apricot seeds. Apricot seeds make up such a substantial part of the Hunzas’ caloric intake—and contain so much vitamin B17—that the Hunzas consume approximately 200 times more vitamin B17 than the average American.

Based on this, and on the absence of cancer among Hunzas, medical researcher Ernst T. Krebs developed an alternative cancer treatment based on apricot seeds. hunza diet The treatment, called laetrile, was banned by the FDA in 1971 despite its proven efficacy. However, the natural source of B17 (amygdalin) is still legally available in the form of dried apricot seeds, which may be available at your health food store or purchased online.

A Natural Anti-Aging Mindset Keeps the Hunzas Young

The Hunzas demonstrate an extraordinary mind over matter principle: The way we’re pre-conditioned to think about aging has a huge impact on how we actually develop.

In contrast to our Western view of age, which considers 40 “over the hill,” a 100-year-old Hunza is hardly viewed as old. Hunzas remain exceptionally youthful despite advanced chronological age. First-hand accounts tell us that Hunza men routinely father children at age 90, and Hunza women of 80 resemble Western women of half their age.

Clearly, the Hunza have secret weapons against aging and illness, and thanks in part to Dr. McCarrison’s work, we have a good idea what those secrets are.

Secret #1: You Are What You Eat

The first and most critical secret of Hunza longevity and youthfulness is diet. Dr. McCarrison tested the effects of Hunza diet principles on thousands of rats—and he repeatedly proved the benefits of the Hunza way of eating.

Aside from apricot seeds, the basic components of the Hunza diet are:

Fruits and vegetables (mostly raw)

      : especially potatoes, string beans, peas, carrots, turnips, squash, spinach, lettuce, apples, pears, peaches, apricots, cherries, and blackberries.

Nuts: walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, beechnuts, and plenty of almonds, consumed whole or processed into an oil using a technique passed down through the generations.

Animal protein: especially milk, cheese, and chicken. The Hunzas are not strictly vegetarian, but they consume very little meat.

Yogurt: crucial for the health of intestinal flora.

Grains: especially barley, millet, buckwheat, and wheat, mostly in the form of a bread called chapatti, which the Hunzas eat with every meal (and to which some attribute the amazing potency of Hunza men, in part due to the high vitamin E content of the whole, natural grains).

Less is More: Hunza Stamina Credited to Eating Less

The Hunzas eat just 2 meals a day—despite their active lifestyle filled with demanding physical labor. Their bountiful energy and endurance is likely related as much to what they don’t eat as to what they do eat.

The average American consumes about 3,300 calories each day (100 grams of protein, 157 grams of fat, and 380 grams of carbohydrates).

The average Hunza adult consumes about 1,900 calories daily (50 grams of protein, 36 grams of fat, and 354 grams of carbohydrates).

Live Like a Hunza: More Secrets for a Longer, Healthier Life

Fasting: The Hunzas fast for a number of days each spring. Fasting is an excellent way to rejuvenate your entire body. Many health practitioners advise starting slowly with fasting, perhaps trying one day per week, and starting with juice instead of water only.
Fresh Food: Eat most of your vegetables raw (or very lightly steamed). Cut down your meat intake, and replace white flour with whole grains.
Walking: Try adding regular walks. For the Hunzas, 10- to 15-mile walks are commonplace. Walking is the simplest, least costly, and most accessible form of exercise, and most people can manage to walk for an hour each day (and benefit greatly when they do).
Relax and Live in the Present: The Hunzas practice certain yoga techniques, most notably yogic breathing (slow, deep, and rhythmic) and relaxation. Hunzas also practice short meditation sessions several times daily, and go through life with a focus on the present, with little thought of the past or future.

By adopting the Hunza principles, you’re likely to be amazed not just by significant improvements in your physical health, but also new found serenity, peace of mind, and complete well being.