[img]96|left|||no_popup[/img]Dateline Jerusalem – Life expectancy in Israel is among the highest in the world. This is despite casualties of war and terror, and auto accidents that are considered in determining Israeli longevity. Israel is one of the few places I won't drive. As a former cop I was trained in pursuit driving and maneuvering about other hazards of the road. As for men, Israel's life expectancy is second behind Sweden at 80-plus years. Women, however, only take eighth place at about 84 years while Japan comes in first for women. On the other end of the spectrum, Sierra Leone comes in last with a life expectancy for men at 39 years and Afghanistan's average is bad for both men and women, at 41 and 42 years.
There is a lot of speculation as to why Israel's population has such a high average life expectancy for both men and women. One reason is cows do not get bovine growth hormones. Chickens also do not get growth hormones. Throughout Europe, and even in a couple of places in the U.S., some cows were infected by Mad Cow Disease, which is dangerous to the cow as well as humans. No Mad Cows in Israel. Because most of the beef in Israel is kosher, the lungs of the animals are inspected for defects that often indicate problems. Of course, even in the U.S. and other countries, cows used for kosher beef are kept separate from those used to feed the regular population. It is surprising that kosher food in the U.S. is a major business, but that is because non-Jews are keeping kosher products on their shelves and in their refrigerators for health reasons.
Diet also affects the high Israeli life span. It is known that a Mediterranean diet is very healthy. The Israeli diet consists of beans, eggplant and olive oil. Hummus and falafel are made from garbanzo beans that supply folic acid, zinc and calcium. Even when I order a hamburger, the “bun” is a pita slathered in hummus. As for eggplant, it is said that an Israeli woman does not know how to cook if she does not know at least 100 ways to make eggplant. Mint, which is rich in manganese and vitamins A and C, is served with tea and lemonade. In fact, here you cannot buy lemonade without mint. Also, there is a special yellow ginger plant unique to Israel that is great for digestion and metabolism.
The Real Reason
But in addition to the kind of food Israelis eat, it is what they eat and when that counts. Who else in the world has salad for breakfast? And salad does not consist of lettuce. Israeli salad on a menu means finely diced tomatoes, unpeeled Persian cucumbers, lemon juice and olive oil. Sometimes bell peppers and spices. Cereals are just now becoming breakfast fare. Every main hotel and most homes serve Israeli salad for breakfast. Israelis also eat their version of salad for lunch and dinner, filling pita bread pockets along with shwarma or falafel. The heavy main meal of the day is consumed at lunch. No wonder obesity is rare compared to most nations. Of course, I mess up the stats for that. I am one of the few fat people in this country.
Israel also has mandatory healthcare, which seems to work better than the socialized medicine of Great Britain and Canada. Although the health services are private corporations, they are heavily regulated by the government and subsidized by taxes. The sales tax alone in Israel is over 18 percent. Add that to your purchases and no wonder everything is so expensive. The hospitals have some of the best equipment and resources in the world. Israel is known for its research, medical discoveries and treatments. Of course, the ratio of doctors and specialists to the population is high. Palestinians might complain about Israel and want to annihilate it, but they are among the first to take advantage of Israeli medical care.
Exercise probably is another factor. My city of Rehovot has exercise machines in parks and along walking/jogging paths. No need to spend a fortune on a gym membership when the equipment is available for free. The healthcare companies offer free exercise classes as well.
L'hitraot. Shachar
