The Key to How Poor Farmers In Costa Rica Live Until 100

“Pura Vida”

Costa Rica often evokes sunny beaches, sea turtles, and macaws, but there’s much more to this Central American country.

Nicoya, its small community on the dry land on the Pacific, is home to many 100-year-olds. Because of them, National Geographic journalist Dan Buettner called this region a Blue Zone (a place where people live much longer than the rest of the world).

When Michelin Chef Niklas Ekstedt went to Nicoya to discover why these people live so long, he saw poor rural areas, a lot of manual work, and big families under one roof. What could be their secret to long life?

Here’s what Niklas found out about these healthy 100-year-olds.

Live “Pura Vida“ — Appreciate Life for What It Is

When you google “Pura Vida“, you get some colorful beach bracelets. But you can’t buy Pura Vida for five bucks just like you can’t have Danish hygge if you just pull woolen socks by the candlelight.

Behind this phrase is the whole philosophy of happy life you can see in everyday conversation. Pura Vida is a warm “Hello“ and also a “Goodbye“. It means “I’m fine, thanks“ and “You’re welcome“ as well. You can use it in the context of “Oh, that’s life“ to shrug off frustration, “Don’t worry“, and even “That’s great news!“

Pura Vida is similar to “That’s just the way it is“. It helps you accept the inevitable and not fuss about it. Life is too short, so make the best of it. Relax and go on. Enjoy old traditions and poor conditions. Be content with what you have and don’t wish for more. Cherish simple pleasures and savor a slow and stress-free life. Pura Vida is a pure art of living.

And it extends to other people because life isn’t only about you.

Adopt Your Former Worker

Nicoya is a poor canton where many residents still work as farmers and cowboys. Their lives are filled with manual labor. As a result of poverty and harsh conditions, people rely on each other to survive.

When Niklas visited the Padilla family, he met 103-year-old Señor Miguel Anaños. He had been working at the Padilla farm for years and remained there when he retired. In other words, the family adopted him as their grandad because that’s what you do for someone who worked for you half of his life.

Nicoyan people are friendly and warm. Family members give support to each other, even if they aren’t of the same blood. This is one of the factors why these people live so long: Close family relationships and a social network full of love and respect depreciate every blow in life.

And because they work so hard, these people know how to take care of themselves.

Sleep for 8.5 Hours and Get Up at 4 Because You Have to Work Like a Dog

Since they live in the country and don’t have electrical appliances, their day is too short and filled with manual labor. They rise with the sun and go to bed with it.

Physical activity makes these people live longer. Men work in the fields and ride horses. Women wash the laundry in the river and milk the cows. Their kitchens are in the yard because it’s hot. They even grind corn by the hand. Also, they don’t hop into a car and ride to the nearest 7-Eleven. Instead, they walk for miles every day.

Their life isn’t sweet and easy. Most of us wouldn’t live like them because it’s exhausting and leaves little room for internet surfing. But for these people, this is “Pura Vida“.

Once they finish with all the work, they take a rest. They sleep a lot to recuperate their strength. And they also have a specific kind of diet.

Eat the Same Food Every Day

Because this breakfast is full of nutrients. They have beans, rice, and onions. Add a couple of eggs, a tortilla aside, and pour a cup of coffee, and what more do you need?

This food is full of protein, fiber, vitamins B and D, and minerals such as iron, calcium, zinc, magnesium, copper, and manganese. Their bodies synthesize naturally what you take in an effervescent tablet and pee out by the end of the day. And their food doesn’t have any chemicals unlike ours.

They make tortillas with an old variety of corn. In the beginning, they boil the corn with ashes to soften it. Later, they separate the kernels from the ashes. Because they eat so much of this plant, they rarely break a bone. Soluble corn fiber boosts the value of calcium in the bones.

Also, they have a special drink.

Drink Vino Coyol

Nicoyans make this mythical ancient beverage from the sap of a papaturro palm. It is a white liquid that acts like alcohol if you leave it for several hours in a glass. And these people give it even to their kids a few times a day because it’s very nutritious.

Vino Coyol is rich in potassium, iron, sodium, and calcium. It also contains natural sugars such as fructose and glucose. Nicoyans drink it to prevent anemia and diabetes. The sap also regulates cholesterol, triglycerides, and high blood pressure.

The best thing about Vino Coyol is its taste. Niklas laughed when he tried it for the first time because he expected something unsavory. But it’s very delicious — something between kombucha, natural wine, and beer. Not so bad for medicine, ha?

Although Nicoyans don’t have the latest iPhones and McDonald’s, they have everything they need to live long and healthy lives.

How about you?

It All Goes Down to Loving Your Life

On a ranch Niklas visited, eight cowboys live together like brothers. They ride bulls and work with the cattle all day, passionate about their heavy work and dusty roads.

In the evening, they sit down and talk. No Super Bawl, no Netflix, no takeaway. Still, they experience life more intensely than us with all our technology and highly organized free time.

Jorge Vindas, a researcher of the Blue Zone for over 15 years, explains how Nicoyans get to live for so long:

• They live more calmly and slowly and accept whatever happens.
• They also do physical work until very old age. Not until 60 but like until 80.
• And they also have tight bonds with each other and take care of their aging population.
• They have a regular rest, sleep more than us, rise and go to bed with the sun.
• Nicoyans are also more connected with nature and eat simple healthy food.
• A glass or two or three of Vino Coyol doesn’t harm.
• To most of them, spirituality plays a part in their wellbeing.

Unpretentious Nicoyans are satisfied with what they have and don’t strive for more. They are happy and healthy. If these poor people in the rural areas can live with such fulfillment, you can do it, too. Pura Vida.

Get my weekly digest on what makes life worth living or read my other popular articles:

Mind Cafe’s Reset Your Mind: A Free 10-Day Email Course

We’re offering a free course to all of our new subscribers as a thank you for your continued support. When you sign up using this link, we’ll send you tips on how to boost mental clarity and focus every two days.