5 Italian habits for health longevity and happiness

I left the U.S. for Italy more than 20 years ago

My love affair with the country began in 2003. I was a junior in college spending a semester abroad, and almost immediately, I knew that I had to stay. 

Today, I live in Milan with my Italian husband, Diego, and our 6-year-old son, Lorenzo. My affection for my adopted home has only grown over time. Over the last two decades, I’ve also had the opportunity to observe why Italians lead such long and healthy lives. 

I’ve incorporated many of their longevity habits and traditions into my routine as well. Here are some of the reasons why the quality of life is so incredible here. 

The “aperitivo” is one of my favorite aspects of living in Italy. On the surface, this pre-dinner Italian ritual might just seem like a happy hour, but it is so much more than that. It is a community builder. 

In Italy, it is common to be out and about in the late evening and see everyone — from parents and toddlers to young professionals to grandparents in their 90s — enjoying a light snack and a delicious drink at a local neighborhood spot.

My son often asks for ‘peritivo (adorably not pronouncing the “a”), fully expecting that he’ll get juice and some chips. My husband and I may have a glass of wine, a gin and tonic, or even a non-alcoholic cocktail. 

The driving force behind the activity is to spend time with the people you care about.

“La passeggiata” comes from the word “passeggiare,” which means to stroll. 

In smaller towns and cities, you will often see Italians meandering up and down the main street, before or after their “aperitivo,” or while enjoying a gelato. Or maybe it’s taking the long way home after dinner. 

The beautiful part of this activity is that there is no destination you are trying to reach. You walk for walking’s sake.

Your only goal is to do “la passeggiata,” and experience the joy of spontaneously encountering people you know along the way.

Italians take their food seriously. So much so that you’ll often hear them talk about “la materia prima,” which more or less translates to “the raw ingredients.”

Because of the way Italian cities and towns were planned, they are often surrounded by agricultural areas that produce the food Italians eat. 

Sure, when I was living in Florida, I would occasionally go to a farmer’s market. But that was the extent of my involvement with, and understanding of, where my food came from. That was nothing like the experience we have here.

For example, we have gotten to know the proprietors of a local strawberry farm near us. It is very common for my husband to send a Whatsapp message to the owner saying he’ll stop by to pick up five containers the next day. Then, these farmers will go out to their fields to harvest the fruit at the perfect height of ripeness. I assure you that these are, without a doubt, the best-tasting strawberries I have ever had. 

In my husband’s native seaside village of Tellaro, the local fisherman will often send messages to my husband’s father with pictures of the catch of the day, anything from sea bass, to octopus to squid. I still vividly remember the first time I saw jumbo shrimp so fresh they was still moving. 

Plus, buying straight from the source not only guarantees freshness, but also accessible prices. 

Italy, and Europe as a whole, also have pretty stringent rules around what you can and cannot put into food. I never worry about the quality of food here. 

In Italy, access to healthcare is seen as a human right, not a privilege.

People aren’t thinking about what happens when they change careers or, heaven forbid, lose their job, and if that means they will no longer be able to afford doctors’ visits, prenatal care, or even cancer treatments.

I think there’s a special peace of mind that comes from knowing you can access quality care regardless of your financial situation.  

I like to joke that vacationing is the official sport of Italy, second only to soccer. 

Full-time employees in Italy have a minimum of four weeks of vacation per year. There are also many official government holidays that everyone takes off for, like “Ferragosto,” which falls on Aug. 15. It was started as a period of rest for workers during the days of the Roman Empire. 

All of which is to say, people have a lot more vacation time here than anything I was used to growing up in the States. 

I was so surprised, for example, when I first arrived in Milan, that even the major supermarkets would close for weeks over the summer. The reason? If they don’t have customers, it doesn’t make sense for them to keep their doors open and air conditioning running.

At first, with my American mentality, which very much prioritized productivity, I had a hard time understanding it. But now, after 20 years and many wonderful, memorable trips with my family — that my husband starts to plan every few months like clockwork — I absolutely love it, and would not have it any other way. 

In Italy, there is a reverence for taking time off. Here, people see that work is just a portion of who we are as people. They understand that time spent with family and friends is the foundation of a long, happy and fulfilling life. That ethos is what makes Italy such a great place to live.

Thea Duncan Prando is the founder of Doing Italy. She lives in Milan with her husband and son. To learn more about her life in Italy, follow her @DoingItaly

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