Spanish Lessons: How to Live Forever, or at Least Until 100

A study in the medical journal The Lancet reported that Spain is expected to have the world’s

highest longevity rate by the year 2040. The World Population Review currently ranks Spain number six in the world for life expectancy despite being hit particularly hard by the pandemic. According to Business Insider, “Spain is on track to have the world’s longest life expectancy by 2040 with a lifespan of 85.8 years, surpassing Japan.” The five countries currently above Spain are much better off financially, so how does Spain do it?

Party with Your Great-Grandkids

Instead of tucking their grandparents away in retirement communities where no one under 55 is allowed to reside, in Spain, grandparents and great-grandparents are welcome to the party. In my village, everyone gets together in the plaza, from babies to 100-year-olds—of which there are quite a few. A few months ago, there was a whole ceremony to honor the oldest living among us, and they all walked up to the podium to accept their recognition. People drink and carry on in front of every generation, and events are not segregated by age.

Walk! Your Legs Are Not Decorative Appendages

Most mornings I get up early and meet with my friend. We walk along the paths and waterways near the village. We cross paths with the same people along the way and stop to say hi. Many of them are well into their 90s and are still out there with their dogs. Most of them have to use canes, but that doesn’t stop them. In the evenings, whole families walk down to the river so they can walk back and see the sunset. They don’t count their steps; they just walk because it is a part of their day, and walking makes you feel good.

Eat Like You Have a Garden and a Fishery

I have to confess, I am not a huge fan of Spanish food. I like fiery, extroverted dishes, and Spanish cuisine is more understated and subtle. It features simple, fresh ingredients whose flavors stand out because of their quality.

Eating paella

This is largely lost on me as I shovel hot sauce on everything, but I can appreciate it in theory. Most people in my village have access to at least a little plot of land, and they grow their own vegetables there. People freely give away produce to their friends and neighbors. I often come home to find a bag of tomatoes and cucumbers hanging from my door—no note, just an anonymous gift. Spain is the world’s leading producer of olive oil, and it is used in everything. Every winter everyone harvests their trees and takes their olives to the mill, where it is returned to them in the form of oil.

Because it is surrounded by sea, seafood is popular here. It even features in the iconic paella. Between the vegetables and the fish, people can’t help but be healthy, even if they

do indulge in a whole lot of ham and wine too. After all, ham and wine are what makes life worth living.

Sex It Up, Baby

When done in a healthy, loving, consensual way, sex is really good for you. It lowers your blood pressure, helps you fend off dementia, and generally just makes you smile in the morning. According to Slice Magazine, 72 percent of the adult population in Spain is having sex at least once a week. Interestingly, many of the top 10 countries for sex and those for highest life expectancy are the same. So don’t skimp on the sexy time.

Siesta, Siesta, Siesta

In my village, everything stops between 2 and 5 p.m. You can’t run to the store for eggs because it is closed. Don’t stop by your friend’s house because they are sleeping. It took me

a while to warm up to this concept, as it requires getting up early and staying up late. I had a hard time relaxing in the afternoon when I knew I had a lot to do, and I would get super annoyed when I hadn’t finished my shopping but everything closed down and I had to put it off for another day.

I have learned to appreciate it, though. My energy level has always dipped between 3 and 4 p.m., but when I lived in other parts of the world, I had to push my way through and keep going. Now I don’t have to. I let nature take its course and sleep for an hour. My body and mind feel better for it.

Happy Talk: Positive Words and a Positive Outlook

Thirty years ago, I fell in love with the Spanish language. I love the rhythms of the music, the passion of the poetry, the drama of the soap operas, and the incredible complexity of the literature. I love the energy of the way people speak and the way my personality becomes livelier and more emotional when I converse in Spanish.

I didn’t know at the time, but not only is it attractive to me, it is good for my health too. All of that energy and life doesn’t just hang in the air; it is passed from one person to another in a pandemic kind of contagion that reinforces life instead of eroding it.

I have often noticed how people here don’t spend much time complaining about things like the weather. Instead, they talk about how beautiful it is. They call each other guapa or guapo

(beautiful, handsome), and when you ask them how they are, they reply, “I’m here!,” meaning, of course, “I’m great. How else would I be when I am here?”

So, viva España, viva the people who live here, and viva everyone reading this article! I wish you a long, healthy life full of small joys and pleasures all along the way.