Hunza Kingdom
The Hunza area is located in the Northern part of Pakistan, near the border with China. The valley stretches between the two highest mountain ranges Hindukush and Karakurum. The area is rich in rivers, so the tributaries of the Indus River shape the area as a deep valley. The Hunza Valley is located at an altitude of 2,438 meters. The territory of the Hunza is about 7,900 km square.
Karimabad (formerly called the Baltit) is the capital that is an attractive tourist destination in Pakistan, due to the impressive landscape of the surrounding mountains, Rakaposhi, Ultar Sar, Bodhahagur II, Genta Peak, Hunza Peak , Darmiani Peak, and Bublimating. The number of the Hunza Valley people today is about 87 thousand.
Hunza is a major tourist attraction in Pakistan, and many Pakistani and foreign tourists come to enjoy the beautiful landscape as well as the culture of this ancient nation. This is a modern region and advanced in every plan, for Asian standards. The British Reigned the status of the Hunza as a Principality until 1947.
On November 3th, 1947, Mohammed Xamal Khan Reigned the Hunza, sent a telegram to Mohammed Ali Xina, in which he agreed to connect his Principality to the new state of Pakistan. By 1974, the Hunza had autonomy within Pakistan, then abolished by Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. The coming to Hunza Valley is a long and old road that starts from the city of Islamabad.
People of Hunza
Most of Hunzа are Muslims. The Hunza region is home to a population of three ethnicities. The lower region of Hunza (from Maun to Nasirabad) is mainly inhabited by Shinaki, the people who speak Shina. The central area of the Hunza (from Murtazabad to Ahmed Abad) is mainly inhabited by people who speak Burushashi. The upper area of Hunza, known as Goca (from Shishat to Hunzherab) is mainly with people speaking Waki.
The Kingdom of Hunza (Hunza Valley) is located in the mountains of Northern Pakistan and has about 90,000 inhabitants.
The Hunza people are famous for their longevity and is a fact that their average life span is 100 years, but many of them live easily reach up to 120 years. There are examples of Hunza people that have lived up to even 160 years.
They are rarely ill, do not know about tumors, according to official medicine statistics they are a cancer-free nation. They look very young, and their wives can give birth up to 65 years.
For a long time, it was thought that the inhabitants of this valley owe their longevity and vitality to their genes, but new research shows that environmental factors, influence more than genetic predispositions. Тhe Hunza people are always smiling, cheerful and happy. They look younger and many foreigners are surprised at their age.
Factors that scientists have identified as crucial to the quality of life of Hunza people is a diet based on herbs and plants, especially apricot kernel oil, simple lifestyles and increased physical activity.
Hunza’s residents are the only ones that do not suffer from cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and the are world’s longest living.
At the International Congress of Carcinogenic Diseases in Paris, held in August 1977, experts published “According to data from the Geocancerology (Cancer Research Science in Different Areas of the world) complete absence of cancer occurs only in Hunza people.
For them, the passage of 100 to 200 km per day is like a walk around the house for us. The climb of steep mountains near the Hunza lasts a very short, half hour, and comes down cheerful and full of energy.
Hunzas claim to be the descendants of the soldiers of the army of Alexander the Great, who settled here during the campaign to Asia. They have no Asian characteristics and resemble many of today’s inhabitants of the Balkans, and are considered descendants of the ancient Macedonians. They use the Sun and the lion for their own symbol. The language of the Hunzа people is called Burushaski which is not related to any other known language. Hunza people and in general the Hunza region have the highest literacy rate in Pakistan and a wider.
Healthy habits and nutrition
Geographical separation allowed Hunza people to preserve their healthy lifestyle over the course of several thousand years. The longevity and exceptional health of the inhabitants of this valley attracted the attention of many researchers. Many of the Hunza people live up to 100 years or more.
It has long been believed that this unusual longevity is due to certain genetic factors, but many studies have shown that the secret of longevity is due to a healthy lifestyle and great physical activity, as well as a diet consisting of plant products.
Famous American cardiologists, E.G. Toomey and P.W White visited the Hunza area in 1964 and their lifestyle research was published in one of the most specialized magazines, American Heart Journal( E.G Toomey, P.W. White ( A brief survey of the heart of ages Hunzas) , American Heart Journal, 68:842, 1964.
Two doctors concluded that all subjects (at the age of 90-110) had normal blood pressure, normal cholesterol levels, and good working of the heart. Hunzas do not know about the existence of malignant diseases, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, premature aging of the body.
Cereals
Hunzas are fed with a large number of cereals (barley, millet, corn and rye). Flour is made from whole grains of cereals. The flour is used for making bread without yeast, called” Chapati” Chapati bread Hunzas is used in every meal.
Fruit and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are an essential part of Hunsa’s diet. They usually take fruits and vegetables fresh and raw. Vegetables are processed in a very short time.
Fruits are usually eaten (apricots, apples, pears, cherries, mulberries, and grapes).
Apricots eat fresh and raw. When preparing desserts, Hunzas does not use refined sugars. Vegetables that are mostly eaten by Hunzas are (beans, peas, chickpeas, lettuce and spinach)
Nuts
Hunzas usually eat nuts, less hazelnuts and almonds. They make almonds cooking oil, recipe according to a prescription several thousand years old. In the form of a meal, these fruits are most often combined with vegetables.
Products of animal
Hunzas are strict vegans. They rarely use food of animal product. Meat is eaten only for holidays (Kurban Bajram, weddings, birthdays). On such occasions, little boiled meat is cut into small pieces. As Muslims do not eat pork. Milk products they consume- goat’s milk and cheese, rarely butter. Hunsas have an original yogurt-like milk product. Hunzas, who consume food of animal product, do so in the winter. Consume small amounts of salt. In some dishes salt is not used at all.
