The other day, I was talking with a fellow expat who showed me a picture from an ID of his that was over 10 years old. It was shocking to see that he looks younger now than he did in that ten-year-old photo.
It turns out that the older picture was from back when he was living a typical unhealthy, stress-filled life back in the US. And he’s not the only expat I’ve met who looks younger than their age (I like to include myself in that group too).
Here are four reasons why I believe that living overseas can help you look and feel younger.
Eating healthier
When I was living in the US, I generally ate healthy food: lots of fish, grass-fed beef, and a wide variety of vegetables. However, all that good food was often supplemented with things that weren’t exactly the best choice (like processed food when I was in a rush).
In many countries, you’re more likely to find healthier foods than you normally get in highly industrialized places like the United States. Depending where you move to, there may be a longer growing season, letting you eat fresh fruits and vegetables during more of the year.
And if you live in a country where it’s inexpensive to hire a cook, or go to restaurants often, you can get fresh made meals much more often than you may have been able to do back home.
Walking more
Back home, everyone I knew drove everywhere. If your destination wasn’t within a block, you got in your car.
After moving overseas, a car seemed like it would just be more problems. First, I’d need to get a local drivers license, then find some insurance. If I wanted to buy a car, it would be much more expensive than I was used to, thanks to the high import duties. Parking was difficult to find, and the local way of driving was a bit more adventurous than I like.
So that left walking as my main means of transportation. The biggest result of all that walking was my frequent trips to the clothing store. Every few weeks, I needed to buy pants that were one size smaller. Without going to the gym once, I’ve lost 30 pounds.
Avoiding stress
Think about all the negative and stressful things you hear during a typical day. People at work talking about the bad economy, news shows that are trying to scare you, and reality shows that constantly show people lying to each other and arguing.
This is one time when it’s actually helpful not to know the local language. You won’t be tied up in all of this artificial stress.
Now, moving overseas does have its own sources of stress. However, they are all areas of your life where you can make progress. As you learn more of the language, and discover how things work in your new home, you’ll start to feel more in control and less stressed.
Keep your mind active
If you want to stay young, you need to exercise your mind too. We tend to get into routines that turn into ruts. How often have you driven to work, and not been able to remember anything at all about the drive?
In a new country, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to learn new things. Learn the language, find out the history behind new holidays, eat new foods, visit museums filled with different types of art.
Of course, if you move overseas and spend all your time sitting in your home, reading negative things on the Internet, and eating unhealthy food, it’s going to show. You’re not going to look any better, and you’re not going to feel any healthier.
Since you making a change by living overseas, use that as an opportunity to make more changes in your life. Drop your negative habits and replace them with positive ones.
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