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Nutrition Secrets from Around the World

Do you wonder how other people from other parts of the world stay slim, healthy and live longer than us? Do you wonder what they are eating or how different their meals are from ours? The answers are startling. Read on as Truestar reveals the top nutrition secrets from around the world.

North American Diet
Many people have heard about the growing epidemic of obesity. In Canada, more than 6 million adults are overweight and another 2.8 million are obese. Together they represent 47% of the Canadian adult population. However, more startling is the growing trend in childhood obesity. In 1998-1999, the overweight and obesity rates among children aged 2 to 11 were 37% and 18%, respectively.

There are many different reasons for the growing waistlines of North Americans, one of which is diet! Large portions, eating on the run, fast-food and high-fat snacking are common diet pitfalls in the North American culture.


A Nutrition Trip Around the World

Asian Diet
The traditional Asian diet may be a contributing factor to the high adult life expectancy and to the low chronic disease rates found in many parts of Asia. Here are some Asian diet secrets:

  • Eat light meals more often (about 6 times per day).

  • Consume a diet rich in plant foods versus animal foods. Eat lots of rice and other grains, noodles, flatbreads, potatoes, fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, various soy foods and other legumes, vegetable and nut oils, herbs and spices and plant-based beverages such as tea, wine and beer.

  • Diets should be low in both saturated and total fat.

  • Choose foods with minimal processing. The freshness of foods from plant sources maximizes contents of dietary fiber, antioxidants and other micronutrients.

  • Engage in regular physical activity such as t’ai chi and gardening.

  • Share food with family and friends for the benefits of social support and pleasure.


    • French Diet
    Only 10% of the French population is obese despite their indulgence of pastries, wine, butter and croissants. Are you wondering how this is possible? Although the French diet appears to be higher in saturated fats, they typically consume fewer calories, resulting in decreased numbers of overweight and obese individuals. The French also have some other nutrition secrets including:

  • Eating until you are sufficiently sufficed and not stuffed!

  • Keep portions small.

  • Take time to savour and enjoy food. By doing so, you feel fuller and eat less.

  • Do not sit around the television or at a computer desk and snack on high-fat junk foods.


    • Mediterranean Diet
    The Mediterranean diet has been shown to provide many health benefits including reducing the risk for heart disease and cancer. In a study from the University of Athens, published in the New England Journal of Medicine (June 2003), researchers found that people who ate a Mediterranean-type diet had a 33% reduction in the risk of death from heart disease. The study also showed that the cancer death rate was 24% lower than the death rate for those who ate other foods. Here are some Mediterranean diet secrets:

  • Consume a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, complex carbohydrates such as whole grain breads and cereals, potatoes, beans, nuts and seeds.

  • Add olive oil to your meals. Heart-healthy olive oil is an important monounsaturated fat source, as opposed to North American’s high “bad” saturated and trans fats found in processed, packaged and fast foods.

  • Consume dairy products, fish and poultry in low to moderate amounts.

  • Eat small amounts of red meat.

  • A Mediterranean meal could take up to two hours or more to complete; yet, the amount of food consumed is less than at a typical North American dinner.

  • Keep an active lifestyle to burn off calories and keep the heart and body healthy!


    • Truestar Diet
    Truestar meal plans contain many of the same foods that make up the best diets from around the world. Nutrition plans contain complex carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, lean sources of protein such as chicken, fish, soy, legumes and lean meat and healthy fats such as olive oil, nuts and seeds. Truestar promotes other aspects of healthy lifestyle, similar to the countries listed above, such as regular physical activity, a healthy attitude, proper sleep habits and no smoking.. Truestar also offers high quality vitamins to supplement your diet.

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