Start Having a Love Affair With Food
One of the main differences between Italians and Americans is that Italians treat eating like a passionate love affair with food while Americans treat it like a quickie or a one-night stand.
Italians respect food. Americans lust after it. In Italy, food isn't just "fuel," or entertainment. It's a major source of pleasure. Italians long for it, talk about it, lovingly prepare it, savor it, and eat it with gusto. And yet Italians are not fat.
What Americans sometimes dismiss as meal-in-a-minute feeding times are cherished rituals to the Italians -- mini-celebrations, even -- culminating in a deep sense of satisfaction that leaves little desire for anything else -- least of all, snacking.
Italians love to spend quality time over their food and make eating a social occasion whenever possible. (Eating with your "friends" on TV doesn't count.) Italian prepare their meals with love and only the finest ingredients. They don't just eat, they dine. And they dine well.
An Italian meal brings loved ones together with wine, conversation and just the right amount of wholesome, delicious food eaten over just the right amount of time for proper digestion to take place. You leave the table physically and emotionally satisfied but never stuffed.
Sound good? It is good! And you can learn to this way, too.
When you "fall in love" with food, it means exchanging a masochistic relationship with unhealthy eating for a satisfying relationship with food that nourishes and supports your weight loss efforts.
On the surface, it may seem as if the obesity epidemic in America just underscores how much we love food. But eating all the time isn't the same as loving food. When you love something, you take your time with and show it respect. There's a big difference between food adoration and gluttonous desire. Imagine enjoying a perfect small portion of a lovingly-made tiramisu at the end of a meal. Then imagine downing a carton of fat-free ice cream followed by a box of fat-free cookies. Which do you think is more satisfying? Which is more loving for your body?
I'd go for the tiramisu! Better yet, something completely natural, like fruit. Believe it or not, fruit is the dessert of choice found on most Italian tables following a meal. Sugary confections are reserved for special occasions. And even at that, the portions are smaller than ours.
No wonder the Italians are slimmer than we are!