Yes, the diet industry is worth billions and we all know
that most diets simply don’t work. Its human nature, we’re good for a few days
and then we walk past the kebab shop, take one whiff of that greasy goodness
and suddenly we’re munching on God-knows-what, and all our self-sacrifice has
come to nought.
So, I’m going to share my 100% guaranteed to work diet with
you. You can write an (admittedly short) book all about it and become rich
beyond your dreams. So what is the secret to guaranteed, exercise and drug-free
weight loss?
Simple – move to Bhutan. I was approx 85 kilos when I arrived
here. When I recently returned to England, I was 78kilos. I haven’t been that
weight since my early 20’s. So, what exactly is the secret? Well, it’s quite
simple; there are no burger bars, chip shops or KFCs. In fact, there aren’t any
chain stores in all of Bhutan. There aren’t really any supermarkets here
either. The capital has a couple of slightly larger shops but they are far from
being supermarkets. So the reason for my weight loss is really very simple,
there is hardly any junk food to eat.
Our diet
In Australia, I ate meat almost every day. In Bhutan we only
eat meat at the weekends and that tends to be a very small portion. I imagine
many westerners living in Bhutan would quickly become vegetarians after their
first visit to the butcher’s shop. There is very little thought given to
hygiene, the premises looks more like an abattoir than a shop. You can’t buy a
particular cut of beef, you simply buy ‘beef’. This beef is very fatty chuck
steak that must be stewed for a long time before it is tender enough to eat.
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| Mmmm...... on second thoughts, lentils aren't so bad after all. |
Though I love pork, I simply wouldn’t risk buying it in such
unhygienic conditions and again it is extremely fatty. Bhutanese people have a
very different taste to most westerners. In the West, we have been told that
fat is the devil and it should be avoided at all costs. Here, I think the
traditional view of fat as ‘a good source of energy’ or ‘a good way of keeping
the cold out’ still holds sway. Interestingly, I’m told that all the meat comes
from India, as Bhutan is predominantly a Buddhist country they don’t ‘really’
approve of taking the life of an animal. Of course, people (including monks) can
eat the animals once butchered but that’s a different story.
As for chicken, you can buy a whole chicken that’s it. There
are no breast fillets to stick in the stir fry. In fact, meat is routinely
served with all the bones still in it and you must chew carefully and try to
dispose of the bones in as polite a manner as possible.
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| Friday nights are homemade pizza night. |
As in many parts of India, it is very common for Bhutanese
people to eat with their fingers. When cutlery is provided it is usually a
spoon or a fork. When I recently asked for a knife to tackle a large piece of
gristly meat at a friend’s house, there was much discussion before someone
disappeared and eventually came back with said instrument. When we discussed
it, my host said, we just use our teeth to chew through it – we never bother
with knives.
Sweet versus salty
Bhutanese people delight in telling me that western food is
very sweet whereas Bhutanese food is very salty. I agree with them to a point,
I think a lot of western savoury food does contain unnecessary sugar and sweet
things are often too sweet. However, they become very defensive when I point
out that Bhutanese bread is incredibly sweet – you cannot get it without loads
of sugar. Also, as a tea lover, Bhutan is a very challenging country for me.
There are 2 sorts of tea: the first is ready made with milk and sugar. When I
ask for black tea with no sugar they say, “Coffee?”
I say, “No, tea with no milk or sugar.” This is so strange
that they always whisper something about coffee to someone in the kitchen and
moments later I am presented with a cup of instant. The other type of tea is
known as ‘suja’ or ‘butter tea’. It is often drunk at religious occasions and
many Bhutanese like to drink it for breakfast. As the name suggests, it is tea
which contains milk, butter and salt. They have been drinking it for centuries
and it is very much part of the culture. I was recently at a formal meeting to
congratulate the local education officer on his promotion to ‘dasho’.
He asked me, “What do you think of Bhutanese food?”
“Well Sir,” I replied. “I don’t really enjoy Suja.”
Seconds later an attendant silently proffered me a cup which
I could not refuse. The Dasho laughed heartily and commented that a chillip
(foreign) friend of his told him that Suja was by far the worst tea in the
world. I’m glad he wasn’t offended, many people are though and I’ve found that
it is often easier to take a small cup and try and pour it away discreetly
rather than simply refusing it.
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| Fresh milk from the dairy next door. |
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| BYO bottle. |
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In season
In the west, we are used to eating our favourite fruits and
vegetables throughout the year. In Australia an apple hardly seems like a
seasonal fruit at all. Shortly after arriving in Bhutan, I purchased a few
apples and realised that I had paid $5 for a kilo. They later went up to $6 a
kilo. That may not sound too excessive but that is half a day’s pay. Imagine
working all day for only 2 kilos of apples! I cannot imagine who in Bhutan can
afford them at that price.
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| Suitcase of food supplies from the capital. |
Some like it hot
Of course, I cannot write a post about Bhutanese food
without mentioning chilli. I don’t know when the chilli arrived in Bhutan but
it is very much part of the culture. They are eaten as a vegetable rather than
as a condiment and so most dishes are best described as ‘fiery’. I like a bit
of chilli myself but I literally could not stomach the amount of chillies a
typical Bhutanese eats. Our kids would always complain if I put the slightest
hint of chilli in our food back in Australia. Now they are so used to it that
they even sprinkle it on popcorn.
Rice, Rice and more
rice
The Bhutanese love their rice and a typical meal contains
about 3 times the amount of rice I would normally eat. Many eat rice with just
about every meal - it makes sense, it is cheap, it grows locally and it fills
you up. I’m not sure how healthy the diet is and I feel so sorry for the
boarding students at the school who are served almost identical meals day after
day.
Many teachers complain about the growing popularity of junk
food with the students. The boarders often sneak over to one of the local
general shops and buy Coke or packet noodles (eaten dry). Frankly, the teachers
have barely seen the tip of the ice-berg and I think they would be shocked to
see the abundance of junk food in the West. Very few students in Bhutan are overweight
– sadly the same can no longer be said about their western counterparts.
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| My first attempt at making roti |
Justine came across these photos recently on another blog
and they really do make you stop and think. Just compare the American diet with
the Bhutanese one. It may be a bit ‘samey’ but how much healthier is it? Also,
Bhutanese farmers rarely use pesticides so the typical Bhutanese diet is also
organic and of course uses a lot less packaging.
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| This Bhutanese family spends about $5 a week on food (they must grow a lot of their own produce). |
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| This American family spends $365 a week on food |
I have virtually no will power when it comes to food and I
love all the stuff that is bad for me. But I hope when I return to the west
that I bring some of my Bhutanese ways with me – I think I’ll feel a lot
healthier if I do.
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| My bread made with local buckwheat flour. |
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