We generally have more cheese on our pizza here. On everything, actually. It may be the lactose. |
I experienced this too. In my case, I was in a culture that enjoys a lot of sugar and definitely indulged and still lost weight effortlessly. |
So you have no reputable sources for your claims. Got it |
I'm vacationing in Europe right now and my pants are definitely fitting better, but I feel like I'm eating more. So I totally get what you are saying. |
Carbonation, including carbonated water.
Studies in rats show that drinking carbonated beverages, even non--caloric ones, increases the production of the hormone ghrelin, which is problematic for a number of reasons, but most relevant to this discussion, it causes the body to store fat for energy (increases adiposity). It also increases hunger and fails to satisfy thirst (which is why fast food restaurants serve giant carbonated beverages). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3136335/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4049314/ |
|
My European spouse is convinced it’s got something to do with the enriched wheat here. Also, at least in France, bread goes stale in a day and can by law only contain four ingredients. Whatever is keeping American bread fresh for a week is probably not something that is good for us. |
My European friend says it’s the bread. |
Don't we in the US use sugar made from sugar cane? In Central Asia it is beet sugar. And as others have noted, we use a different kind of wheat. That and the ubiquitous corn syrup. |
Don't eat crap - eat simple whole foods - whatever you want. It's that simple. And walk a lot. |
I’ve heard this but I always gained weight in Europe. I gained at least 10 lbs on a 4-month study abroad.
I really don’t trust the US food industry though. They will do anything to squeeze the last cent out of an ingredient if they can get away with it. |
What did you eat today?j |
You can get the special breads that you find in Europe in the U.S., if you look hard. Try ones made with Erewhorn wheat, available at the gourmet grocery stores. Or order your own speciality wheat flour and bake your own--it's not that hard! You can get hormone-free meat and poultry here as well, European butters, cheeses, and yogurts, etc. If you really want to eat like a European, you can..it just takes more effort. The only item you really can't get here is the unpasteurized cheeses and raw milks, unless you source them from a farm sub-rosa. So if you are convinced that European food is the bomb, change your food habits to eat like them! |
Italian pizza is much lower calorie in general—lighter weight crust, thinner spread of cheese and toppings. Our low moisture mozzarella has *less* lactose—that’s not it. But Italian mozzarella also is less calorie dense. |
OP here. I meant to say, thanks to every who chimes in with similar experiences. It’s crazy-making, especially after I logged food and did the exercise tracker!
Really appreciate all the thoughts on reasons too. |