Jan
2
The Middle Eastern Lifestyle
Filed Under Eating Healthy, Healthy Habits, Motivation
My wife and I just came back from two weeks in Israel. The trip was mostly for visiting family but we also got some quality tourist time at places like Eilat, Jerusalem and Masada. I’ll save the details for my personal blog, but there were a few things that I thought were very appropriate for 60 in 3. First and foremost were my observations on the Middle Eastern lifestyle.
A Notable Lack of Obesity
The first thing I noticed was the lower rate of obesity. This is not to say that everyone was slender and in shape, there were some overweight individuals. However, the rate of obesity was much lower than I was used to from the US. To make this even more puzzling, most people I met were not gym goers. There were very few Israelis who worked out on a regular basis and the streets were markedly lacking in the joggers that we’ve become used to here in the US. Curious about how Israelis maintain their health, I did a bit of unofficial research. I talked to the people I met about what they ate and how I lived their lives. These are the differences I observed in the life of the average Israeli compared to that of the average American.
The Differences
Less snacking - Very few Israelis seemed to snack. When they did snack, I saw more fruit than candy bars.
Less liquid calories - I saw virtually no one drink sodas with the exception of a few drinking diet coke. I also saw no one carrying around those large latte cups. Starbucks by the way, tried to enter Israel but had to close its stores because they were so unprofitable.
Light dinner - People ate a very light dinner. It typically consisted of a bit of bread and some cheese with some fruit and vegetables thrown in. Lunch was the main meal of the day it was eaten at around 1pm.
Consistent breakfast - Everyone I met ate breakfast. This wasn’t the heavy eggs and bacon breakfast we’re used to from the US. Instead, it was usually some cheese, perhaps a pastry and some fruits and vegetables.
Activity level - While they didn’t frequently go to the gym, Israelis did keep very active. This ranged from my father who went dancing every other day and walked every morning, to my uncle who walked a few miles every evening. There’s also a lot of weekend activity such as hiking or biking.
Lack of car culture - This is related to activity level but I wanted to separate it a bit since I thought it was important. Israelis use public transportation a lot more than Americans. They walk to the bus or to the train and they walk to work. At night, when they go out, they walk around with friends. They go to school using their legs instead of their car. It was a noticeable difference and I think it has a huge impact.
Less meat - I didn’t meet a single vegetarian Israeli, but all of them ate less meat than most Americans. Not only that, but they usually ate healthier meats. I saw no pork and very little beef. Instead, I saw a lot of lamb and chicken.
Lower fast food consumption - In the entire ten days, I never once heard someone say “we just came back from McDonald’s.” They do exist but they seem less popular than in the US. The standard Israeli fast food is falafel, which is healthier than a typical Big Mac.
What Does It All Mean?
It means that Israelis do naturally what we try to force ourselves into. Rather than spend a lot of time at the gym, they simply live a healthy lifestyle. I think it’s something we can all learn from.
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9 Responses to “The Middle Eastern Lifestyle”
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It makes sense. Lots of sense. In fact, when I see articles/posts about stuff like “French people don’t get fat”, I guess it’s for similar reasons. Okay, we eat more meat, I suppose, but it’s also true that being used to walking/biking to places, not hitting the fats-food joint every day, and drinking less liquid calories can only help in losing weight or maintaining a healthy enough weight.
Hi Kery,
Yah, I don’t think it’s anything genetic, it’s just a lot of small healthy habits that add up to a healthy lifestyle.
Gal
Yes, i agree Gal, but honestly, my favorite junk foods are all israeli (crembo, bissli, pesek zman, etc..). also, i notice more produce and “real” food eating as opposed to the energy bars people consume here as if they run 10 mile marathons. I havent been there for two years, but never saw any fancy energy bars and protien shakes that i see people guzzle at the gym thinking they’ll get leaner from it.
Culture does play a big part in the way we live our lives, and America sure does seem to have a “drive through” mentality. Can you imagine what would happen if every fast food joint in the US closed down for a week?
One of these happy moments that makes me be proud I am Israeli :). May be it is crazy life rhythm that makes us forget eating. May be it is hot weather that you just cannot eat too much or drink hot coffee. I personally was very successful to gain weight lately – even my mom noticed this. So I decided to take action – eat more low calorie food, drink much more water, and do sports. It helped – lost 8 kilos.
Hungry Waif,
Thanks, now I have a Pesek Zman craving I’ll get you for this!
Skinny Guy
Yep, I think you hit it right on the head. Our culture has a lot of unhealthy habits in it which we need to be aware of.
Alik,
I didn’t say all Israelis were thin, only that on average, you were healthier than Americans.
Gal
No not all Israelis are thin, but i must say when you walk around the public areas, there are a lot less than you would see here in the states, and i live in la which is like plastic surgery/skinny worship heaven. I dont like to be rude, but i am sometimes astounded by how many obese indivduals i see sometimes (oddly enough, i see many at the gym?? go figure).
…Hmmm if u saw the article on a Filipino point of view…I would say you’re killing yourselves by not eating these wonderful things…Why not enjoy life???But it’s okay…Like hello you also wouldn’t enjoy life if you were unhealthy wouldn’t you???And I only opened this article because of my Social Science report…LOL…
JP, I’m not sure what you mean. I love eating and I really enjoy the food I eat. I just try to avoid junk food.
The med diet I describe above is healthy and very tasty. However, you don’t have to stick to it all the time. It’s just a useful lifestyle to learn from. Personally, I love a variety of food.
Gal