Recently, yet another study has come out
attempting to determine the location of the World’s healthiest local diet. Unsurprisingly, the winner was not London. The
victor this time round is the Netherlands, who, according to the results
collated by Oxfam, won by some margin thanks to a combination of low food
prices, better nutritional diversity and low levels of diabetes.
But this is just one study. And it seems like every few months we are presented with a different one telling us which nation has nailed the best gastronomic balance. With the UK at number 13 this time round (we would be interested to see where London would place, given its luxury restaurants), we decided it was time to look beyond a specific country and instead try to find the similarities in the so-called ‘best’ diets. Is there a country that we can truly crown as king of healthy living? We just had to find out, because surely Edam cheese cannot be the cornerstone of healthy living…
But this is just one study. And it seems like every few months we are presented with a different one telling us which nation has nailed the best gastronomic balance. With the UK at number 13 this time round (we would be interested to see where London would place, given its luxury restaurants), we decided it was time to look beyond a specific country and instead try to find the similarities in the so-called ‘best’ diets. Is there a country that we can truly crown as king of healthy living? We just had to find out, because surely Edam cheese cannot be the cornerstone of healthy living…
Our first task was to trawl through many
scientific pieces to discover where the acknowledged top diets were, and,
unsurprisingly, the usual suspects kept appearing – Japan, Italy, Greece, Spain
and the Nordics regularly topped the charts of healthy living. Despite visiting many exotic countries to help inspire our designer jewellery, this was the first time we've looked at their diets.
The problem is, every time one such study is carried out, the measuring stick for what counts as ‘healthy’ differs. For some, it is obesity levels (in case you are interested, Japan has the lowest at 1.5% and Nauru the highest at a whopping 76%). For others, it is to do with availability of food, or the average nutritional value. We were surprised at the wide variety of methods used.
The problem is, every time one such study is carried out, the measuring stick for what counts as ‘healthy’ differs. For some, it is obesity levels (in case you are interested, Japan has the lowest at 1.5% and Nauru the highest at a whopping 76%). For others, it is to do with availability of food, or the average nutritional value. We were surprised at the wide variety of methods used.
In fact, there is a serious problem with all of
these lists: No one really knows what we should be measuring. It’s difficult to
tell how much of people’s health and life expectancy is down to the diet and
how much is down to the healthcare system of that country. Just as it is
difficult to differentiate whether health issues are a cause of a lack of
quality food, or simply a lack of food. (9 out of 10 of the ‘unhealthiest’
places in one study were sub-Saharan African nations – we’ve no doubt much of
their diet is healthy but this research focused on nutrient deficiency which,
if that country struggles for food, will be high even if its traditional food
is high in nutrients).
What is interesting, however, is that although
the number 1 spot has varied dramatically with each study, the top 10, in
general, see the same nations occupy the pinnacle; namely Japan, Mediterranean
and Scandinavian countries. So we think it does better to look at what these
all have in common, rather than try to determine by our own measurements which
is most effective. We’ve found a few similarities, which we think, if followed,
should improve health and lifestyle.
1. More veg, less meat
The Mediterranean diet is primarily vegetable based – most meals have meat as an accompaniment rather than the main event. This is echoed by Scandinavia, which, although often serving ‘hearty’ meals, involves a lot of fish. Japan, too, relies much more on seafood and fish as part of its diet than red meats.
Plant based diets reduce cholesterol and the antioxidants found in fruit and vegetables drastically improve health and immune system.
The Mediterranean diet is primarily vegetable based – most meals have meat as an accompaniment rather than the main event. This is echoed by Scandinavia, which, although often serving ‘hearty’ meals, involves a lot of fish. Japan, too, relies much more on seafood and fish as part of its diet than red meats.
Plant based diets reduce cholesterol and the antioxidants found in fruit and vegetables drastically improve health and immune system.
2. Whole grains
Most white bread contains ‘insoluble fibre’- whereas soluble fibre, often found in rye bread in Scandinavia, lowers cholesterol and causes less glucose in the bloodstream. Another good alternative to white bread is whole grain -whole grains are eaten much more in the Mediterranean diet as well, which many studies cite as being a big benefactor to improving health.
Most white bread contains ‘insoluble fibre’- whereas soluble fibre, often found in rye bread in Scandinavia, lowers cholesterol and causes less glucose in the bloodstream. Another good alternative to white bread is whole grain -whole grains are eaten much more in the Mediterranean diet as well, which many studies cite as being a big benefactor to improving health.
3. Soups
A similarity between Japanese and Scandinavian cuisine is the regular use of broths/soups. We’re not talking the creamy kind here, but the thinner soups such as Miso, used often to start a meal and – in Japan – often eaten three times a day. Soups are a great way of filling you up without piling on the calories.
A similarity between Japanese and Scandinavian cuisine is the regular use of broths/soups. We’re not talking the creamy kind here, but the thinner soups such as Miso, used often to start a meal and – in Japan – often eaten three times a day. Soups are a great way of filling you up without piling on the calories.
4. Take your time
One interesting fact we came across is that it takes twenty minutes for your brain to register you’re full. That’s 20 additional minutes of eating time you might not need! The Japanese phrase ‘Hara hachi bu’ means ‘eat until you’re 80% full’ comes to mind. In France, the average meal takes 42 minutes and on the continent meal times are regularly taken at a more leisurely pace. Doing this helps ensure you only eat what you need, not what you need to finish the plate.
One interesting fact we came across is that it takes twenty minutes for your brain to register you’re full. That’s 20 additional minutes of eating time you might not need! The Japanese phrase ‘Hara hachi bu’ means ‘eat until you’re 80% full’ comes to mind. In France, the average meal takes 42 minutes and on the continent meal times are regularly taken at a more leisurely pace. Doing this helps ensure you only eat what you need, not what you need to finish the plate.
6. Fish is king
Japan, Scandinavia and the Mediterranean all have the common characteristic of
high fish diets, thanks to their proximity to the sea. Fish is a fantastic
alternative to meat, with its healthy oils and low/zero fat content.
So, whilst we do not believe there will ever be one country who can crown
itself the healthiest, we do feel that there are certain traits necessary to
create a healthy diet.
We’d thoroughly recommend all of the above methods to help improve your diet –
and in doing so, perhaps enjoying a more worldwide taste of cuisine.
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