As a recognised TV doctor and practising GP with an enduring and passionate attraction to Cyprus, I have just the prescription for you if you are so much as even thinking about a calmer, happier and generally more relaxed life abroad.
Like so many others, tired of the relentless and exhausting rat race, in an often dismal and uninspiring climate (economic as well as otherwise) increasing numbers of people of all ages are looking to enjoy a more satisfying and shamelessly hedonistic future on a paradise island somewhere in the sun.
As a medical man aware of the health benefits of such a move, I can only encourage them.
But where on the map do the parameters for the perfect climate intersect with those other elements essential for an idyllic home abroad?
For many, it will be the Med Life Club Village currently being created in Cyprus.
For those feeling “under the weather”, who would not want to trade the cold damp winter days of the UK for 360 days a year of energising, mood-enhancing sunshine? Not only does it lift our spirits and encourage the more active outdoor life that most of us crave, but it unquestionably promotes a healthier lifestyle and reduces the likelihood of many common ailments that frustratingly tend to inconvenience our diminishing youth.
Anybody with seasonal affective disorder (the winter blues), brittle bone disease, depression and diabetes are all known to be better off in a kinder climate and since natural sunlight falling on the skin produces vitamin D it is also probable that conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammations in the thyroid gland and digestive system are less likely too.
The Med Life Club with its outdoor and indoor pools, tennis courts, golf club, gym, wellness centre, dance classes, and bowling green are guaranteed to promote greater exercise levels, in themselves a vital prerequisite to a faster metabolism, decreased weight, and possibly - if you are lucky and so inclined - even a love life with a sunnier disposition as well.
If allergies, asthma and sinusitis have plagued you for years, if you have been a magnet for winter colds, viruses and chest infections, or if you are just increasingly aware of stiffness and aching in the muscles and joints of your hips, knees or back, it may be time to seriously consider a therapeutic relocation.
Why else do you think our Olympic athletes carry out all their winter training in warmer climates – because they perform better and suffer fewer injuries, that’s why
Whilst you might not want to compete at quite that level, however, the presence of new like-minded friends with similar interests and hobbies to your own and a private 600sq m clubhouse and function room should ensure you remain as busy as you like with plenty to keep the mind and body occupied with a social life second to none.
The Med Life Village will cater for everyone, and nobody who has been reliant on the NHS and has concerns about other healthcare arrangements abroad need worry about their welfare here.
With an onsite medical centre including daily nursing, physiotherapy, a consulting doctor, 24-hour staffing, a careline emergency call system, pharmacy and local ambulance service, the NHS would be hard pushed to match it by comparison.
Everyone receiving a UK state pension can claim free medicines in Cyprus and a private health insurance scheme can also be made available should it be required.
Guest suites mean that families and relatives can visit wherever they wish.
So if all this whets your appetite then good, because the Mediterranean style diet to be had here in the various restaurants and bars, or delivered to your door, will be nutritious, varied, and the perfect recipe for lower levels of cholesterol, blood pressure and stress.
Increasingly in today’s hectic world, lifestyle disorders are taking a significant toll. So for many who can afford to, this is a good time to escape and begin a new life where the fruits of previous labours and a healthier and more active life can be savoured.
When security, a favourable tax system, freedom from noise and other pollution, a flexible purchasing schedule, assistance with relocation and peace of mind with onsite round-the-clock medical facilities are thrown in as well, I’d say this was as near to the perfect pill for a happy, healthy, and worry-free retirement in the sun as you could reasonably hope to find.
