I have been traveling a lot lately! On a recent trip to Northern Europe, I made several observations. People of all ages looked happy and healthy. They were trim, smiling and either walking or riding a bike. There were more bikes on the road than cars. In fact, most cities had separate bike lanes which made it easy and safe for the riders.
Another observation is how much fresh fish is consumed in Northern Europe. One of the reasons I really noticed, is because I am not a big fan of eating fish. I did eat a lot more than usual while there, as it was on every menu while many items I was used to seeing were not.
The other observation I made was how many farmer’s markets there were. There were large farmer’s markets with many stands to small single fruit stands in the middle of a shopping area. These were daily events, not like many cities in the U.S. that have them on a Saturday or maybe Tuesday and Thursday.
Europeans enjoy their life! They enjoy the process of shopping for food, of dining with friends and even shopping for necessities!
The healthy lifestyle of the Northern Europeans can be measured in obesity rates that are much lower than that of the U.S. which ranks #12 at 36.2%. Nauru (an island nation off the coast of Australia) is #1 at 61% obesity rate. #80 Finland at 22.2%. #92 Estonia at 21.2%. #96 Sweden at 20.6%. #109 Denmark at 19.7%. and #112 Switzerland at 19.5% obesity rate.
I just loved walking around these cities with all the energy of happy and healthy citizens sitting in outdoor cafes, shopping at outdoor farmers markets and socializing on the sidewalks.
I, of course, was on vacation and enjoying more than I should have, so now I have to get back into my garden and start eating and cooking with my fresh organic produce!
Happy Summer.
