As mentioned above, Asian dishes are rarely served in large portions, but this doesn’t apply to vegetables, especially green vegetables: they are eaten in substantial amounts. Another important difference is the taste: Western vegetable dishes often seem bland to Asian palates.
4. Tea instead of cold water
Unlike Europeans and Americans, Asians usually wash their food down not with cold water or soda but with warm, typically green, tea. There is an opinion that cold water, especially in combination with fatty foods, slows down the digestion process and can trigger weight gain as a result.
3. Healthy desserts and snacks
In Asia, a wide popularity is enjoyed by sweets and snacks based on rice, seaweed, and red beans, as well as nuts, seeds, and fruit. These delicacies are undoubtedly much healthier than the chips, cookies, and cakes we’re familiar with.
2. Walking
Surprisingly, this habit is related to high population density. Residents of large cities use public transport instead of cars; they also live in small apartments in areas where shops, laundries, and other public places are located within walking distance.
Because of that, a typical Asian walks a longer distance in a day than an American who usually gets around by car.
1. Exercise and meditation
Traditional Asian medicine pays much attention to the prevention of diseases and seeks to eliminate the root of an illness, while Western medicine works mainly with its consequences. That is why meditation, Tai Chi, and other activities are widely practiced in Asia to prevent the development of certain diseases, including obesity.
Bonus: A 1-minute exercise to give you a flat belly
All you need is a surface you can lean on (such as a table) and 1 minute of free time.
How to do it:
- Stand with your back to the table, straighten your shoulders, and raise your chin as shown in the picture.
- Raise your hands, and start to reach up, alternating your right and left hand. Make 4 repetitions with each hand.
- Turn your torso to the right (with your feet remaining in the original position), and touch the table with your hands; repeat the same with the left side.
Do this exercise every day for 1 minute, and you’ll notice the first results in as little as a week.
