French Women Don’t Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano became an instant success when it was published in 2004. Its premise is that French women eat well but stay thin because they practice portion control and exercise. The French aren’t the only ones with healthy eating habits. Many different cultures have their lifestyles that help their people achieve weight loss and stay slim. Here’s a look at some healthy diets from around the world.
Thai cuisine can be some of the spiciest in the world, and that can be a positive for weight loss. “When your food is overly spicy, it slows down your eating and you eat less,” says Marjorie Nolan, MS, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. Also, because it’s spicy, “you drink more water with your meal and fill up quicker because of that.” Next time you dine out at a Thai restaurant, order it spicy to help promote weight loss.
Brazilians Savor Rice and Beans
Brazilians eat rice and beans at almost every meal. That means they’re getting lots of fiber, and fiber helps you fill up more quickly and feel full longer, Nolan says. Research has shown that a consistent diet of rice and beans lowers the risk of becoming overweight by as much as 15 percent. The key to the Brazilians’ healthy diet is that their rice and beans aren’t fried, so they’re consuming high-fiber foods in a healthy way.
Russians Tend Their Gardens
Russians don’t have much expendable income so they save by growing their own fruits and vegetables, Nolan says. When you harvest foods from your own garden, “you are likely to take a little more time to prepare and cook and savor them,” she says. When you concentrate on what you eat, you eat less, and eating less with a healthful diet can result in weight loss. Also, bounty from the garden (as long as it’s not fried) tends to be lower in calories and higher in nutrients.
Indonesians Fast
Indonesians are known for periodic fasting — they won’t drink or eat from dawn to nightfall, save perhaps for some rice and water. “It’s not so much that this is a good way to lose weight,” Nolan says, “but what it can do is break patterns of mindless eating. You’re more conscious of what you are eating and not eating.” And being more mindful of your food can help you choose better, more nutritious foods and achieve weight loss.
Many People Sip Tea
Countries where tea drinking is big — in South Africa and Britain, for example — tend to have lower rates of obesity. “A lot of us eat when we’re thirsty — we mistake thirst for hunger. If you drink tea and thus consume more fluids, you stay more hydrated and tend to eat less,” Nolan says. Also, tea contains antioxidants, which prevent against cancer and other diseases, and because tea is hot, it’s going to slow you down when you’re at the table, and that can also help with weight loss.
Hungarians Love Pickles
People in Hungary eat a lot of pickled foods, such as cucumbers and various types of peppers. Pickled vegetables tend to be low in calories and can be part of a healthy diet. Also, pickled foods are tart. “It’s similar to spicy [food] in that you wind up eating less,” Nolan says. Pickled foods contain vinegar and studies have shown that when consumed regularly, vinegar helps maintain body weight. “That’s the premise of the apple cider vinegar diet,” Nolan adds.
Norwegians Keep Moving
In Norway, it’s not about the food but the activity, Nolan says. Norwegians are much more active than Americans. For instance, in Norway, it’s very common on Sundays in the summer for families to go for a hike. In the winter, they go cross-country skiing, quite unlike the American tradition of watching football and snacking on Sundays. “Norwegians really value family activity, which is a big piece of their healthy diets and lifestyle,” Nolan says.
Japanese Diets Stress Portion Control
The Japanese have the lowest obesity rate in the world — a mere 3 percent. That’s probably because Japanese diets are rich in fish, vegetables, fruit, and healthy tofu. The Japanese eat mindfully and slowly. Most importantly, they eat small portions, says Lalita Kaul, PhD, RD, of Washington, D.C., a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. They not only eat healthful diets, but also prepare foods by steaming or sautéing — very little in Japanese diets is fried, except for tempura, she says.
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