People living here live for longer than anywhere else © Getty Images/Blend Images
Locals in this region outlive everyone on Earth, and it’s down to a couple of clever life hacks. The principality of Monaco boasts an impressively high average lifespan of 87.01 years as of 2023.
Marking a 2.38 percent uptick since 2022, the citizens’ longevity is tied to superb living conditions and top-notch healthcare available there. But it’s two particular habits that stand out for praise, reports Surrey Live.
These secrets to a long life?
It’s the Med-inspired grub and ample alfresco time enjoyed by most, according to Insider Monkey.
The common meaning of “alfresco” is “outdoors,” particularly when referring to dining or other activities enjoyed in the open air. It comes from the Italian phrase “all’aperto,” meaning “in the open air.” The association of “alfresco” with prisons arose due to the historical conditions of these institutions. Italian prisons were often cold, dark, and damp, mirroring the harsh outdoors, particularly in winter. This negative connection to the outdoors led to the slang usage of “alfresco” to describe the unpleasant reality of prison life.
Beyond the common understanding of “alfresco” as meaning “outdoors,” its slang usage in contemporary Italian paints a starkly different picture. This unexpected twist in meaning reveals a fascinating interplay between language, culture, and historical context. The word “alfresco,” originally stemming from the Italian phrase “all’aperto” (meaning “in the open air”), has been hijacked by slang to refer to a far less pleasant place: prison.
This unexpected twist in meaning isn’t arbitrary. It reflects a historical reality where Italian prisons were often cold, dark, and damp, offering little respite from the harsh outdoor elements. This contrast between the original meaning of “all’aperto” and the slang usage of “alfresco” illustrates the dynamic nature of language and how words can adapt to reflect evolving cultural perceptions and experiences.
Mediterranean munching
Clinching the title of “world’s healthiest diet” for a seventh consecutive year, the Mediterranean menu is lauded not just for its comprehensive wellbeing payoffs but also for its specific perks for heart health, blood sugar levels, bone and joint wellness. Plus, it scores points for being a doddle to follow and fab for family dinners.
Related video: Discover the Countries With the Longest Life Expectancy
The Mediterranean way of eating revolves around heaps of veggies, fruit, beans, lentils, and nuts, alongside a solid serving of wholesome grains like whole wheat bread and brown rice. Seafood gets the thumbs up in this diet, as does a moderate nip of natural cheese and yogurt, coupled with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil for those all-important good fats.
Dodging red meats and sugary snacks is part of the deal, but a glass of vino during meals is totally acceptable. A large panel of medical and nutrition experts, who evaluated numerous popular diets and eating habits in categories such as nutritional completeness, health risks and benefits, long-term sustainability, and evidence-based effectiveness, selected the diet. It received a score of 85.1 percent, comfortably surpassing the second-ranked diet on their list.
Diet is one of the key choices: Mediterranean Diet Recipes – Search
Outdoor activity
Dan Buettner, an expert in longevity, has identified one activity he believes is ‘better than the gym’. Considering this is part of their lifestyle, the people of Monaco are likely onto something.
In a conversation with Dr Tim Spector on the ZOE Health podcast, Dan, the founder of Blue Zones, explained how an outdoor activity like gardening could extend your lifespan. Blue Zones refers to unique longevity hotspots around the globe where people regularly live to be over 100 years old.
These areas have low rates of chronic diseases and are marked by specific lifestyle factors that contribute to longevity, such as a plant-based diet, regular physical activity, and strong social connections. If you’re seeking a low-impact outdoor activity to incorporate into your routine, Dan suggests gardening as it allows for varied body movement.
Gardening is not only a serene activity but it’s also excellent for lowering cortisol levels, the body’s main stress hormone, while keeping your joints limber. Dan stated: “I’ve seen the studies that show that when you’re gardening, your cortisol levels or your stress hormones drop.
“And it could very well be you get your hands dirty and you wipe your mouth and you’re getting the microbiome. There’s a little bit of dirt. But I argue that gardening is probably much better than joining a gym, the best longevity exercise you could do.”
I’ve visited 170 countries – these are five of the worst places I’ve been to… and why Canada and France make the list
Story by Esther Marshall
- Lauren Heavner, from Arkansas, offers ruthless verdicts of places she’s been to
- Find out which country she thinks has ‘hostility just beneath the surface’
- READ MORE: Woman becomes Internet sensation from Land Rover videos
The American globetrotter put a few popular destinations on the hall of shame list.
There’s the glitzy Mediterranean spot with ‘no culture’, the African nation where men will ‘just pee anywhere’ and the Asian nation with ‘a hostility that seems to linger just beneath the surface’.
Allow us to introduce globetrotter Lauren Heavner’s – Search hall of shame – a list of the ‘least favourite’ places she’s been too that’s noteworthy because she has been to an astonishing 170 countries in total.
So, she’s certainly not lacking in perspective.
Lauren, a professional vocalist from Arkansas, talks through the list on a TikTok (@laurenheav) video with over 3,000 likes and reveals further details here about experiences she had in the countries she’s named.
Scroll down for more, including her explanations for the controversial decision to include France and Canada on the list.
Monaco 
Lauren explains that city-state Monaco is ‘unapologetically built for the ultra-rich’
In her TikTok video, Lauren explains that she’s been to city-state Monaco ‘at least 20 times’, but says ‘it’s not for her’.
She says: ‘It just doesn’t have much of a culture. It’s impossible to walk around the streets and see anything.’
Speaking separately to MailOnline, Lauren reveals: ‘The thing about Monaco, the bitter pill you can’t quite swallow, is that it’s unapologetically built for the ultra-rich. Every time I’m there, I’m confronted by my place in the food chain. Just someone passing through, acutely aware of what I don’t have.
‘It’s not even subtle, either. Monaco whispers it to you through every overpriced glass of wine, every gleaming yacht, every diamond-studded wrist watch you pass on the street.’
In the video, Lauren recounts her experience of entering a shop to look at a ‘pair of shoes’ that she thought she could afford and being told by the shop assistant that they were $500 (£394) and feeling like a ‘peasant’.
Despite its flaws, Lauren admits that Monaco is ‘beautiful at night’ in the video and tells MailOnline the ‘view alone’ could get her back there.
Related video: Top 10 Rudest Countries. (World According To Briggs – Video) – Search
The traveller says: ‘To be fair, Monaco is something else entirely.
‘It’s a playground of indulgence and spectacle, where the city lights at night from the harbour hit you like a scene out of a dream or movie you’re not rich enough to star in. That view alone could bring me back. But if there’s one thing that might really pull me in again, it’s the Grand Prix.’
She also explains that Monaco isn’t a dangerous destination, saying: ‘Monaco isn’t the kind of place where you feel unsafe. It’s too polished, too tightly controlled. When there’s this much money floating around – billions tied up in yachts, diamonds, and offshore accounts – petty crime doesn’t stand a chance.’
But perhaps the best part of Monaco is the ease with which you can leave it.
Lauren tells MailOnline Travel: ‘Monaco, for all its gilded edges, has its charms. One of them is the train station. In 15 minutes flat, you’re in France. Head the other way, and you’re in Italy. It’s like a portal, a quick escape from all the polished perfection.
‘On the train, suddenly the French Riviera unfolds before you from your window. Towns like Villefranche-sur-Mer, Antibes, Cannes, and Nice – places that feel less like an exclusive club and more like somewhere you actually belong.’
Some would say Influencers are like locusts; they make a lot of noise!
As Canada is becoming more socialized and Toronto a sad city to live in, Canada is a fantastic country. Something like 90% of the Canadian population are within 100 miles of the United States border. That’s not even hyperbole, that’s the actual statistic. And those People are polite, everything is clean, great food and beautiful scenery. Likewise sounds like most of her complaints about France were really about Paris.
Some Canadiens would say she does not need to go back and I am sure Canadians won’t mind it. That’s usually the consensus I see: People who complain about French people being rude, for instance, often don’t come across as very courteous themselves. Perhaps she is treated as she behaves….especially with not greeting people properly. Life is a chance to have one bad experience that will create an impression and many times you talk with 10 different people you gain 10 different impressions about a region or country.
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