Adapted from The IBD Healing Plan and Recipe Book
By Christie Korth, CHC AADP

Continued from part 1 of this article…..

French Lifestyle vs. American Lifestyle

Still not convinced lifestyle, nutrition, and IBD go hand in hand? Consider the following: In Michael Moore’s documentary Sicko, Moore interviews people from France about health care, career, lifestyle, and how each element affects health. In the interview, Moore brings up the fact that the average American works forty to fifty hours weekly. This concept causes the French to laugh jovially. One gentleman stifles his laughter and comments, “Here in Europe, we only work thirty-five hours per week. We need to make time for what’s really important in life—family. The Americans are so silly, running around like crazy. Your people work too much, and they are all of poor health! See what your working habits are doing to your country?”

The French credit their vitality to superior free health care, working less, and proper nutrition. Another woman who is interviewed brings up another interesting point: She claims the average person in France spends more money on high-quality, organic food and less on housing, thus explaining why their living arrangements tend to be more modest compared to those of Americans. It turns out, there is something to the more-holistic, balanced lifestyle French citizens experience.

In a first-of-its-kind study, the World Health Organization (WHO) has analyzed health-care systems around the world. Using five performance indicators to measure health-care systems in 191 member states, it finds that France provides the best overall health care, followed by Italy, Spain, Oman, Austria, and Japan. The WHO also claims that the health-care system in America costs a higher portion of its gross domestic product than in any other country but ranks 37 out of 191 countries in performance. How is that for showing you about a holistic lifestyle.

Countries Ranked in Order of Longest Life Expectency

1. France
2. Italy
3. San Marino
4. Andorra
5. Malta
6. Singapore
7. Spain
8. Oman
9. Austria
10. Japan
11. Norway
12. Portugal
13. Monaco
14. Greece
15. Iceland
16. Luxembourg
17. Netherlands
18. United Kingdom
19. Ireland
20. Switzerland
21. Belgium
22. Colombia
23. Sweden
24. Cyprus
25. Germany
26. Saudi Arabia
27. United Arab Emirates
28. Israel
29. Morocco
30. Canada
31. Finland
32. Australia
33. Chile
34. Denmark
35. Dominica
36. Costa Rica
37. United States of America
38. Slovenia
39. Cuba
40. Brunei

(source: World Health Organization Study on Life Expectancy)

– If you have IBD, you owe it to yourself to consider how your lifestyle may impact your illness. For more information on how you can help your IBD holistically, please check out The IBD Healing Plan and Recipe Book, by Christie Korth – – Here is the link.