Although the science is the same the world over, as is the ultimate aim, countries have their favorite weight loss tips. Some relate and stem from a country’s culture or habits, others have just been widely adopted. They are all great advice though and can help you on your weight loss journey. Why not try a few.
1 Thailand – Eat Lots of Spicy Food!
Some Thai dishes are the spiciest in the entire world, and this is great for weight loss as hot peppers can raise your metabolism, which in turn will help you to digest and burn calories at a much quicker rate. Spicy food also forces you to eat more slowly, which is also a good weight loss strategy!
Frequently asked questions
2 Poland – Eat at Home More Often
There can often be a lot of hidden calories in the food that you order when you go out to restaurants and cafes to eat, because rather than putting the meal together, you are just picking it off a menu. On average, a Polish family will only spend 5% of their annual income on eating out, and because of this they tend to eat healthier meals at home.
3 Brazil – Go for Rice and Beans
Brazilians help themselves to stay slim by sticking to dishes that contain a base of rice or beans. Science tells us that keeping a diet that consists primarily of rice and beans can reduce your chances of obesity by up to 14 percent, and this is because the two ingredients are low in fat and high in fiber.
4 Netherlands – Get on Your Bicycle
It’s not just something made up in the movies; the Dutch really do love to ride their bicycles! There are actually more bikes in the Netherlands than there are people, and their love of the two-wheeled vehicle means that as a nation they are one of the fittest countries in the world. Riding a bike is a brilliant form of exercise!
5 Germany – Never Skip Breakfast
For Germans, breakfast is undeniably the most important meal of the day. Around 75% of the population have a morning meal of whole grain cereals, breads and fruit, and this sets them up for the rest of the day with slow burn energy that will help them resist the temptation of snacking in between main meals!
6 Switzerland – Get into Muesli
Muesli was invented by a Swiss physician over 100 years ago, and it is still insanely popular in its country of origin. Having a bowl of muesli for breakfast or lunch can help to reduce bad cholesterol and is the perfect source of slow release energy to keep you going throughout the day.
7 United Kingdom – Stick to Small Portions
The one thing that Brits are always amazed by when visiting the States is the portion sizes of the meals! You won’t find many restaurants that offer supersize, so take a leaf out of the Brit’s book when making your meals and take about a third of the portion away from your final plate!
8 France – Take Your Time!
There is nothing like a lunch in France that takes up the whole afternoon. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the French eat hours’ worth of food, but more than they take their time and eat their portions slowly, which helps in the digestion process and avoids any binge eating in a short space of time.
9 India – Start Doing Yoga
Yoga is one of the most popular forms of exercise in India, and the relaxing form of exercise not only helps you to center yourself in a psychological way, but the muscle stretching and strengthening also helps to raise your metabolism and in turn help your digestive system and calorie burning.
10 Russia – Grow Your Own Food
There is still a very old country, rustic attitude towards food in most parts of Russia, with many households choosing to grow their own wherever possible. There’s no secret to why this will be good for weight loss, as the more healthy fruit and vegetables you grow for yourself, the less you will be tempted to by processed foods from stores.
11 Finland – Give Nordic Walking a Try
You might have seen people at the weekends going on hikes with those lightweight walking poles? That is known as Nordic walking, and it’s a popular form of exercise in Finland. Hiking with the sticks helps with your balance, but it also helps to give an extra work out to your arms, which can burn more calories per session.
12 Mexico – Make Lunch Your Big Meal
Instead of taking in most of your calories in the evening, do what the Mexicans do and make lunch your biggest meal of the day. In doing so, you are giving your body the chance to burn some of those calories off before you go to bed, because sleeping on a full stomach is not good for your metabolism.
13 Malaysia – Use More Turmeric
This spice is a key ingredient in a lot of Malaysian curries because it grows wild in their jungles. Its biggest positive is that it is a potent fat fighter as it actually suppresses the growth of fat tissue in your body. That doesn’t mean, of course, that you can just throw turmeric on any kind of junk food you want: it has to be part of a healthy meal!
14 Hungary – Eat More Pickles
You might like a standard pickle, but Hungarians take it to the next in their love for pickling things. Bell peppers, tomatoes, cabbage … you name it and they pickle it! The vinegar in a pickled product help to reduce blood pressure, blood sugar and breaks up fat formation in the body.
15 Norway – Get Outdoors!
Norwegians are statistically the most outdoorsy population in the world, and we could take a leaf out of their book! Try to get outdoors more, even better if it’s with your family or friends. Go for walks at the weekends or maybe even take up a team sport that gets you out of the house.
16 Japan – Take a Nap!
Japan is a country that is definitely on the go, but it is very common for Japanese people to take a 20-30 minute nap every day. Tiredness can lead to feelings of hunger that aren’t actually genuine, so giving yourself a mini break might recharge your batteries and stop those false cravings.
17 South Africa – Drink Rooibos Tea
This South African tea is ever better for you than green tea! It is naturally sweet so you don’t have to add any creamer or sugar to your drink, and it is extremely low in calories so you if you switch your normal sweet beverage for this, you could save literally hundreds or thousands of calories a week!
