The Italian Diet

     

     Today I put on my size 10 jeans and could not help but notice that the fit is looser.  Even my skinny jeans, which were a little snug when I left Canada, are now comfortably loose.  Like so many women I have tried many diets over the years.  There has been Weight Watchers, the Atkins Diet, the South Beach Diet......I could go on and on and on.  Ladies I think I have found the best diet.....The Italian Diet.

     I am not sure if my morning expresso helps kick my metabolism into third gear.  It sure feels that way as I buzz around Florence.  Or maybe it is the 53 (yes I counted each and every one) stairs that I have to climb up to the apartment that I am staying in.  I climb those stairs at least 4 times a day.  At first it felt like torture, and my thighs and bottom hurt for days, but now I do them without thought.  It could be the shopping at the market, as there is virtually no processed food.  Every other day I buy fresh chicken, fruit and vegetables.  There are no candy or chip aisles at the market.  

     I have noticed that while the food in the trattorias is delicious, the portions are much smaller then in Canada.  Canadians tend to gravitate to the restaurants that give the biggest portions for the dollar, and it doesn't really matter about quality or taste.  We usually gorge it down so fast, often while we are driving, that we don't even really have time to notice if we actually enjoyed it.  The portions here in Florence would by Canadian standards be considered a "diet" portion, but it is loaded in flavour like you have never experienced.  You can't help but want to savour each and every bite, as like kissing a man that is a fabulous kisser, you just don't want the experience to end.    

     And then, of course, there is the walking.  Here, in the city of Florence, I walk everywhere.  There is no need for a car.  Even if you had one, it would take you longer to navigate the busy streets by car then by foot.  I set out in the morning and by the time that I make it back to my apartment I will have walked anywhere between 5 and 10 kms.  Most days I do that twice a day.

     Yesterday I headed out just before lunch.  I stopped at my favourite pizza restaurant for sustenance as I planned on making my way past the Ponte Vecchio to Piazza Michelangelo.  It is about a 40 minute walk.  I enjoyed a wonderful meal while visiting with a couple who were from Brazil, and were making their way to Amsterdam to live.  Before I knew it we had spent an hour together, complete strangers, talking about each other's lives.  This is not unusual here in Florence.  Often the restaurants that have particularly wonderful food are so busy that strangers will share a table.  Instead of looking at this as an inconvenience, many welcome it as an enjoyable part of the meal.

     Italians view meals much differently then North Americans.  It has been my experience here in Italy that the social experience of the meal is just as important as the meal itself.  I have to wonder if it is because of this that one enjoys their meal much more, resulting in not being as hungry throughout the day.  After an Italian meal you really feel like you have nourished yourself in many ways.
     As I wandered, undeterred by clouds and drizzle, along the Arno River, past the Ponte Vecchio, through the maze like streets and up the hill to the Piazza Michelangelo, I was so taken by what was around each corner that  I didn't give thought to how far I had walked.  It was hours before I trekked back up the 53 steps to my apartment, and not once did I think about food.  I think because I felt so full from such a wonderful day.          

     It could also be the lack of stress here that has contributed to the "Italian Diet".  I am beginning to think that the national mantra for Italians is, "It is not a problem, don't worry", as I have heard it so many times.  There is something to be said for a simpler stress free life.  With no worries one has no reason to run to the fridge to stuff those worries back down with food, or to use food as a diversion from what you are really thinking and feeling.    
     Italy just may be the place for my dreams to come true......to get back into a size 8 pair of jeans.