Thailand: Eat spicy food
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 spicy food slows your eating. When you eat too fast, by the time your body signals it’s full, you’ve overeaten. Eating more slowly is a good weight-loss strategy, and making food spicier is an easy way to do it
Brazil: Have rice and beans
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. 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. That’s because it’s lower in fat and higher in fibre, which is thought to stabilize blood sugar levels. It may be counterintuitive, but a diet full of beans equals a beach-ready body.
Netherlands: Ride your bike
Bikes outnumber people (at 18 million versus 16.5 million) in the Netherlands. 40 percent of the Dutch use their bikes for commuting. Traffic lights in some parts of Amsterdam are even synchronized to bike speed. Riding bikes for errands, work or pleasure can help fend off weight gain. Casual riding for errands and commuting can burn around 500 calories an hour, but if you up the exertion or add in hill-climbing, you can burn up to 1,000 calories an hour
Switzerland: Try a bowl of muesli
Switzerland: Try a bowl of muesli
The ingredients in this porridge—oats, fruit and nuts—have all been linked to better health and weight control. Muesli was developed by a Swiss physician more than 100 years ago to nourish hospital patients, but today the Swiss eat it for breakfast or as a light evening snack. Eating a lot of soluble ’fibre can reduce bad cholesterol levels by
up to 10 percent. Muesli’s fibre makes it slow to digest, keeping you full
longer. But read the label carefully, though: Sugar content can vary from two to 14 grams per serving.
Malaysia: Cook with tumeric
This spice a key ingredient in curries. One of its chief components is a substance called curcumin, which may turn out to be a potent fat fighter. A recent study from Tufts University in Boston found that mice fed a high-fat diet with small amounts of curcumin gained less weight and body fat than other mice given meals that were similar but curcumin-free. Researchers think the ingredient suppresses the growth of fat tissue. Try some turmeric in your next curry or stir-fry.
Hungary: Eat more pickles
Hungarians like things pickled—not just cucumbers but bell peppers, cabbage and tomatoes. All of these brined beauties can help keep you thin, probably because of
the vinegar that pickles them. Growing evidence suggests that acetic acid, the main component of vinegar, helps reduce blood pressure blood sugar levels and fat formation. If you’re watching your sodium intake, though, check the product label—pickled foods can be high in salt
South Africa: Drink rooibos tea
Enjoyed throughout the country, rooibos tea is more robust than green tea, and it’s naturally sweet. Swapping your specialty coffee for rooibos tea or any hot drink without cream or sugar could save you thousands
of calories a month. Liquid calories sneak up on us. Even a cup of fruit juice has over 100 calories. Cut out 100 calories a day from food or drinks and you could lose 10 pounds in one year."