I聽have always been a pretty big guy. My whole life I was taller and bigger than most and living that way has had its perks and disadvantages, but when my kids came into my life I decided I didn鈥檛 want to be that big guy anymore 鈥� I made a life change.聽
I went to a dietitian, changed my eating habits and exercised more. I ended up losing about 60 kilograms (132 pounds) in about a year and a half.聽
However, coming back to Canada hasn鈥檛 been all that great for my waistline. I never knew that within a decade there鈥檇 be almost 125 different kinds of chip flavours, and, of course, I have to try them all. Oh, and don鈥檛 get me started on all the assortments of candies, gummies, licorice and all the other pure sugar treats available as well. Well, I finally got myself under control 鈥� I鈥檓 back on the wagon 鈥� and I鈥檓 doing the same things that have worked for me before.
Even though there鈥檚 a plenitude of junk at the grocery store, rest assured there鈥檚 also a variety of great nutritious food readily available. Obviously, if you鈥檙e looking to make a healthier choice you鈥檒l need to decipher nutritional labels 鈥� but this is where I鈥檝e noticed a few things.
It鈥檚 absolutely perplexing how we鈥檝e got a load more sugar in our foods here. My kids鈥� favourite cereal 鈥� same brand, same type 鈥� has 10 grams of sugar per serving, while in the Middle East (the cereal is prepared in the U.K.) only has 7.5 grams per serving. Even the colours are more vibrant here 鈥� it鈥檚 like they鈥檒l glow in the dark in comparison to the same stuff over there.聽
Milk over there has 4.5 grams of sugar per serving, while here it鈥檚 12 grams. It鈥檚 also been driving me crazy trying to find any yogurt with no sugar in its contents (I鈥檝e finally found one brand), while had many options over there. I鈥檝e asked friends to send me pics of food labels and a good majority of comparable products have less sugar over there. (I鈥檇 also like to note that sodium and fat levels are much higher here as well, but vitamin levels are also higher in our food).
Now I鈥檇 like to tread carefully into the gluten-free food that is readily available everywhere here. This is all new to me. There are no gluten-free foods over there 鈥� virtually none. Now, I do not want to defend or vilify people鈥檚 dietary choice over gluten, but what I find surprising is how many people I鈥檝e met here who have some form of allergy to it.聽
Bread is a staple food in the Middle East; they eat bread all the time as everything is very 鈥渃arbo-licious,鈥� but gluten allergies are unheard of. I have one friend, who鈥檚 originally from Seattle, with a gluten allergy and it perplexes doctors over there; 鈥淲hat? You can鈥檛 eat bread? You can鈥檛 be serious?鈥澛�
This just reinforces the notion that we should be aware of what we eat and make better food choices, especially since companies prepare their products differently for other markets around the globe 鈥� getting more sugar and additives, whereas other markets do not, is a tad too worrisome for my taste.
- Originally a 麻豆社国产resident, Marcus Monopoli left for the Middle East in 2008 for radio gigs in Egypt and Oman. He moved back last summer.
