Posted by Janis Jibrin on Fri, Aug 07, 2009
My hometown, Washington, D.C., is a true melting pot. The area attracts
more foreigners than most other American cities. We have immigrants
from El Salvador, Guatemala and other Central and South American
countries. We have a large Ethiopian community as well as people from
other parts of Africa. Then there's the diplomatic and World Bank
community—well-to-do foreigners who are either here for a few years or
who have settled in D.C. And, of course, there are all the tourists who
come to visit from every possible country.
Whenever I get to
chatting with any of these people, they all seem to express the same
thought: "Why is it that I've gained weight since I moved to this
country?" or "I never used to eat junk food until I came here." No
matter where the person is from—Lebanon, France, Brazil or Japan—this
is a common refrain. So, I wasn't surprised when I read about a study
that linked moving to the States with poorer dietary habits.
The study
analyzed blood levels of three sets of Americans: Those who were born
here, those who were born in Mexico and those born in another country.
The researchers compared levels of carotenoids, antioxidants
found in produce, which are an indication of how many fruits and
vegetables a person eats. The result: The longer a person lived in the
U.S., the lower their levels of carotenoids. This
isn't the first study to show that being an all-American eater is bad
for your health. Previous research suggests that moving to the U.S.
increases the risk of obesity, heart disease, cancer and other
diseases. So, stop eating like an American and take a cue from other
cultures by adopting these healthier habits:
• Eat fruit for dessert.
Of course, this is easy to do when you live where fruit is locally
grown, top-quality, seasonal, ripe and bursting with flavor. But
farmers markets are loaded with delicious and fresh options for most of
the year, so grab a basket and enjoy the season's bounty.
• Get cooking.
You don't have to spend hours in the kitchen. For a meal you can make
in minutes, sauté some greens (five minutes) or make a salad (10
minutes if you use pre-washed greens, wash and cut some tomatoes and
scallions, and toss them with olive oil and vinegar). Then, you can add
rotisserie chicken or some broiled fish (five to 10 minutes) to round
out the meal.
• Don't be a penny-pincher. Europeans
spend about twice as much on food as Americans—and they're thinner. You
might find that when you buy higher quality staples, you'll be more
satisfied with your meals, and you might spend less money—and
calories—on junk food. For instance, if you spring for the more
expensive but wonderfully flavorful fruit, you might not need ice cream
or cookies. A salad of interesting mixed greens with an avocado and a
first-rate dressing is a much more satisfying experience than iceberg
lettuce topped with a mediocre dressing. And dinner starring
wild-caught salmon, with its less fishy, more delicate flavor, wins
hands-down over the canned version.
• Don't miss meals.
Meal-skipping is a mostly American phenomenon. The trend of bypassing
breakfast or doing away with dinner will simply set you up for
overeating. Be sure to eat three real meals and a snack (as long as
you're actually hungry and the next meal is still an hour or more
away).
For more healthy-eating tips, check out TheBestLife.com.