(BlackDoctor.org) – Are you an American diet pro? The kind who’s dabbled with pills, shakes, or who’s tried grapefruit, cabbage, and lemonade diets? Think you’ve tried every diet under the sun? Well, we’re about to take you on a virtual trip around the world to learn about the best diets tips from other cultures.
Try incorporating some of these international weight loss approaches into your own regimen.
1. Sip Some South African Rooibos Tea
Enjoyed throughout the country, rooibos tea is more robust than green tea, and because it’s naturally sweet, it needs no sugar. Ditching your daily Frappuccino for a cup of rooibos, which Starbucks now sells, could save you thousands of calories per month. ‘Tea-drinking cultures generally have lower rates of obesity,’ says Dr. Pescatore. ‘That may be from special compounds, such as catechins, that certain teas contain, or it may simply be that we often think we’re hungry when we’re really dehydrated.’
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2. In Thailand They Spice It Up
Thai food is among the spiciest in the world. Hot peppers raise your metabolism, but the real benefit of food with a little zing is that it slows your eating, says James Hill, PhD, past president of the American Society for Nutrition. ‘Americans eat too fast,’ he says. ‘By the time your body signals that it’s full, you’ve overeaten. Eating slower is a good weight-loss strategy, and making food spicier is an easy way to do it.’
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3. Rice & Beans By Brazil
All that shaking at Carnaval isn’t the only body-friendly habit in Rio; Brazilians stay slim by enjoying this traditional dish with just about every meal, says Sérgio Charlab, editor of Reader’s Digest Brazil.
A study in the journal Obesity Research found that a diet consisting primarily of rice and beans lowers the risk of becoming overweight by about 14 percent when compared with the typical Western fare. That’s because it’s lower in fat and higher in fiber, which is thought to stabilize blood sugar levels. It may sound counter-intuitive, but a diet full of beans equals a beach-ready body.
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4. The Indonesian Fast
Islam, this country’s leading religion, encourages periodic fasting-no food or drink from dawn to dusk. Others in Indonesia practice mutih, which allows only water and white rice. Although experts don’t recommend fasting for weight control, fasting in moderation can break patterns of mindless eating, says Hill, of the American Society for Nutrition. ‘Most Americans never get hungry,’ he points out. ‘We’ve eaten the next meal before we’ve entirely digested the last one.’ No need for strict abstinence to get these psychological benefits, just try cutting your calories in half for a day.
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5. Eat-At-Home Poles
Poles typically spend only 5 percent of their family budget on eating out. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics, the average American family spends 37 percent of its food dollars at restaurants and fast-food joints. To save money and pounds, start tracking how often you eat out and how much you spend each month, and gradually cut back. ‘People who don’t cook at home tend to
