Italians make delicious food. They are well versed in the art of flavor and aroma. They have conquered the culinary world by the balls when it comes to making healthy, tasty, and affordable dishes.
Italians are known worldwide for their pizzas and pasta. Both carb-focused dishes that they eat daily, yet they have the lowest obesity rate compared to other developed nations.
Italians thrive on their delicious food while Americans keep getting fatter and fatter on the same food.
So, what is the secret behind Italians' health?
1. Post Prandial walk
Italians live an active life. They believe in burning off the calories with a good long walk rather than dieting.
La Passeggiata is an age-old Italian ritual that they still follow. It is a leisure walk that Italians take multiple times during the day specifically after meals.
Post-prandial walks are necessary for regulating blood glucose levels after a meal. Walking even for 10 minutes after a meal can help you manage blood sugar efficiently.
So, this socializing custom of Passeggiata is the reason why Italians can maintain a lean figure easily.
2. They follow the diet of their ancestors
The Mediterranean diet has been voted the world’s best diet . Italians follow this diet daily. They have been following it for centuries.
Americans eat red meat in huge quantities and forget fiber altogether. This is the reason for the high obesity rate in America.
Italians follow the opposite diet. Italians focus on eating fresh seasonal produce and consume more fish and white meat than red meat.
So, here you have it. Fruits, olive oil, vegetables, less red meat, and more fish and white meat are the reason for low obesity rates in Italy.
3. The upside of home-cooked food
Italian prefer home-cooked meals over processed craps. Socializing and family time are enjoyed with real food and not a frozen pizza.
Americans consume more processed food than anyone in the world.
50% of their daily calories
come from
ultra-processed foods.
Artificial taste enhancers and preservatives are the reason for this pandemic of obesity.
A slice of cheese pizza in U.S. school lunches is 303 calories. The Italian Pizza slice on the other hand only has 180 calories.
Americans need to follow the Italian model of home-cooked meals for faster weight loss and easier weight management.
4. They stick to a few breakfast options
Americans are big on breakfast. For them, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The same is not true for Italians.
Italians have a lighter-than-air breakfast. The usual Italian breakfast consists of a sweet treat like a croissant or a slice of unfrosted cake with a much-relished cup of coffee.
Americans have more breakfast options than breakfast places. These options encompass all fatty, sweety, meaty, and savory dishes.
Americans start their day with a big meal while Italians keep it light.
5. They eat only one food at a time
Italians eat food for taste and not for the macros. Americans focus too much on the macros, while Italian thrive on pizza and pasta.
Italians have successfully broken down their cuisine to the simplest form. With healthy ingredients and smaller potions, most things are comparatively healthy.
Italians practice eating only one food at a time. Each course is small and followed by another plate. So, they don’t overindulge.
We all have seen the pilling of thanksgiving plates trending on Twitter. They are unappetizing as hell.
So, follow the Italian model and eat one food at a time. Start with a salad and proceed on to a fish or chicken main course.
6. They eat smaller portions than Americans
Americans' potions are large. My cousin who visited last summer explain the abundance of food with big hand gestures and an amused look.
He told the astonishing story of the never-ending yogurt with great delight. It took him thirty minutes and a brain freeze to finish a small cup of frozen yogurt topped with endless toppings.
Italians on the other hand follow the smaller potion for all courses. In Italy, a person can eat an entire pizza by themselves because it's not drowning in toppings. Toppings in Italy are fresh and limited.
I bet you cannot eat an entire regular-size pizza in America unless someone bet you a few hundred dollars for it.
Conclusion
Italians eat delicious pizza and pasta daily without getting fat.
So, there is something you can learn from their daily routine that grants them good health and a great physique.
- Stop overloading your plate and eat one food at a time.
- Start with small potions and enjoy a second serving only if you are hungry.
- Start your day with a light hassle-free breakfast.
- Go for a 15-minute walk after every meal.
- Replace red meat with white meat and fish. Eat more fruits and vegetables.