Researchers studying the science of longevity have coined the term "plan de vida," or "life plan," the BBC reported, and they think it is one of the reasons why the residents of Nicoya, a 80-mile long peninsula located along the western coast of Costa Rica, regularly outlive the rest of us.
Within this rural beach community the average age is 85 — but many residents live to be over 100-years-old. In fact, residents here are three-and-a-half times more likely to live past 100 than the global average, the BBC reported.
As a result, Nicoya has been identified as one of the world's five "Blue Zones" by researcher Dan Buettner — regions of the globe where people are thought to live the longest and healthiest lives. The spot was recently featured in his book and Netflix docuseries on the topic.
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Here's what makes Nicoya, Costa Rica so special.
The life expectancy in Nicoya is one of the highest in the world
Despite being one of the areas with the lowest income in Costa Rica, the average life expectancy for a resident of Nicoya is 85 years, compared to just over 77 years for the country as a whole. In the United States, life expectancy is 76.1 years.
Some of the habits that may contribute to the long lives of people in Nicoya include eating mostly unprocessed foods, prioritizing rest and friendships, and incorporating regular movement into their days — all features common to the other Blue Zones of Loma Linda, California; Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; and Ikaria, Greece.
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Nicoyans eat whole foods and produce that they harvest themselves
Many Nicoyan men greet the morning by riding their horses through the mountains, and having a hearty breakfast of gallo pinto (rice and beans), homemade corn tortillas and coffee, Forbes reported.
Much of the produce Nicoyans eat they reportedly grow and harvest themselves, according to Forbes.
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