>> 5 things Europeans do differently to Aussies which keeps them SLIM! Most of you know I have recently returned from 5 weeks of cavorting around Europe with my love. Whilst soaking up the elegant European ambience and culture and delighting in experiencing how different their way of living is, I continually noticed one major difference that stood out so obviously – the average European is in general slimmer and trimmer than the average Aussie. Even though they eat croissants daily. Even though they eat full fat cheese regularly. Even though they drink wine daily. We all know the book and its claims called “French Women Don’t Get Fat” by Mireille Guiliano and certainly, the statistics do support this; compared to 28.2% of Australian women, only 14.6% of French women are considered to be obese. 10.4 % of Italy’s population are obese compared to 28.3% in Australia* and the list goes on. So what are they doing so differently? Here are 5 things we can learn from the Europeans to reduce our waistlines here in Australia: 1. They eat MUCH LESS fast food You’ll notice it – McDonald’s and the like are few and far between in major Europeans cities like Rome and Paris. In France the government has strict rules about the sale and advertising of foods that do not encourage healthy eating. Compare this to Australia where there is a McDonald’s, KFC, Hungry Jacks, Red Rooster in abundance – everywhere you look. This easy access to nutrient-deficient, food-like products is increasing the waistline of the average Aussie fast. So make like the Europeans – have it rarely. There are PLENTY of other options for cheap, quick food which will NOURISH us – not make us sick, overweight and appear high up on worldwide obesity tables. We just have to research other options, get creative and make the conviction to live healthier stronger than the urge to scoff fast food. 2. They often drink black coffee The large, milky latte takeaway coffee order in the mornings here drunk from a take away cup in the rushed commute to work is not how it’s done in the far away land that is Europe! A large latte contains more than 200 calories and that’s without sugar. A lot of Europeans take pleasure in having an espresso or long black which is minimal in calories. They make time to sit down and enjoy drinking it, living in the moment. 3. Their portion sizes aren’t supersized In Italy, pasta is ordered as a “first” – meaning it’s an entrée. Followed by a “second” which is the main such as lean meats with salads. In Australia, pasta is ordered as a main – meaning we are chowing down on FAR more pasta than we need to and consuming far too many calories we won’t burn off….which, you guessed it, leads to weight gain. There’s no need to give it up – just make like the Europeans and have a small serve and NOT as the main event….with organic olive oil on top of course! 4. They walk and cycle more European cities are lively, thriving communities filled with busy streets of pedestrians, cyclists, people on scooters and motorbikes along with the small European cars. It’s different on this side of the world – due to the sheer size of our land we all drive a lot more with many things not in close proximity like it is in Europe. However – we can certainly learn something from our European friends here. We can start small – need to take a quick trip down to the local supermarket to pick up bread? Jump on your bike! Fresh air whilst burning calories could be a lot more appealing than taking the huge 4WD out of the garage. Start small until it becomes an enjoyable habit. 5. They don’t do low-fat or no-fat Traditional European fare involves full fat, REAL food. Full fat dairy straight from the local farm. Organic, fresh local olive oil poured all over your fresh salad or pasta – not a no-fat artificial bottle of salad dressing in sight. They keep their food as natural as possible and aren’t afraid of full fat food – they just don’t eat huge portions of it. So next time you reach for that chemical-laden no-fat, sugar-free yoghurt, make like the Europeans and choose an organic, full fat, high quality, non-synthetic version instead. Enjoy these lifestyle lessons from our stylish European friends and let’s get Australia OFF the higher end of the obesity scale. We can at least make a start with these 5 little tips Thanks for reading! Hope you liked it and check back every Monday for a brand new health, fitness or nutrition post! Kimberley Rachael xx **Statistics sourced from OECD Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs
Posted on: Tue, 14 Oct 2014 03:49:17 +0000