According to a recent article published by National Geographic Travel, Israelis have pioneered a lifestyle that cultivates feelings of fulfillment and promotes health and wellness.
By: Israel21c, with additional reporting from United with Israel Staff
National Geographic Travel recently revealed the likely reasons why Israel ranks fifth for healthy longevity in the “United Nations World Happiness Report 2018.”
Not least of all, herbs, spices, seeds, nuts, olive oil and other plant-based foods are the backbone of the Mediterranean diet with which Israelis sustain themselves.
The combination of a Mediterranean-style diet, low alcohol consumption, strong family and cultural values, and an excellent healthcare system could be the main factors that put Israel in fifth place worldwide on the longevity scale.
As of 2015, the longest average healthy lifespan is enjoyed in Japan, Korea, Switzerland, Italy and Israel, in that order.
This ranking was one of the aspects noted as significant by the authors of a newly issued UN report on the level of happiness in 156 countries.
In the overall happiness ranking, Israel came in 11th behind Finland, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland, Netherlands, Canada, New Zealand, Sweden and Australia. The Jewish state was in 12th place in terms of happiness among foreign-born citizens.
According to data from Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, over 93 percent of Israelis say they are happy or very happy with their lives, the Israel Hayom daily recently reported.
The “World Happiness Report” is a survey of 156 countries about the state of global happiness. This year’s report was released in Rome in advance of the UN’s World Happiness Day. The happiness scale measures factors including: gross domestic product per person, life expectancy, freedom of choice, generosity, perceptions of corruption, and social support.
A recent study also showed that Israeli Arabs enjoy the highest life expectancy in all Arab and Muslim countries.