What Helps Asians Stay Slim?

Many people think that Asians have a different metabolism or have different genes that keep them slim. However, if you just visit any Asian country, there is one thing that you may or may not notice that affects their body weight:   what they drink.

In Japan, what is most noticeable are the number of drinks vending machines in public spaces. You can find them everywhere; train and subway stations, bus stations, on sidewalks, rest stations on the freeways, etc., etc, etc.  You get the picture.  They are truly everywhere.    Some drinks machines offer both hot and cold canned drinks, such as the one above.  The blue indicates cold while red indicates hot.

But the three most noticeable differences between drinks in the U.S. and Asia are

1. Size of can
2. Amount of sugar
3. Alternative drinks without sugar

These three points can really make a difference on one’s diet. If you see in the photo above, most canned drinks in Asia are 2/3 to 1/2 the size of the American can, so automatically, the sugar count goes down.  Next, many of the local brands are not as sweet as the American brands and lastly there is a wide variety of teas that contain no sugar.  We Asians do not put sugar in our green tea and I find that very strange to find bottled sweet green tea here in the states.  So, my simple conclusion is, because of the culture and customs we consume much less sugar in our drinks and therefore, it helps Asians stay slimmer.

But, this is not only practiced in public. At home we enjoy a variety of Japanese and Chinese tea and sugar is never added.  So, our palate is just more accustomed to less sugar.  If you drink a lot of soda pop, this summer why not try and brew some Asian teas and chill them in the refrigerator.  Just remember to omit the sugar and you may find yourself a little slimmer!

Photo: Pixabay