Costa Rican Diet
Secrets for Staying Lean
I spent the last week in Costa Rica enjoying
some warmer weather and getting to know the
culture. The people there are amazing,
friendly, and very welcoming. One thing I
couldn’t get over, though, was that only 1
or 2 out of 10 people were overweight -
unlike the US where 6 to 7 Americans are
overweight…
I was curious as to why this was so I
started to do some research.
Here's what I found:
1. Costa Ricans eat 3 main meals a day that
consist of locally grown foods
2. The meals typically consist of 3-4 ounces
of a fish, eggs, or grass fed meat, some
rice, black beans, and a handful of
vegetables (this dish is often referred to
as “casado” and is fantastic!)
3. The meals are very high in fiber with
more than 10 grams per meal
4. Costa Ricans eat “slow foods” which means
they take awhile to digest and you don’t get
the typical sugar spikes even if they are
having a beer with their meal
5. Since most of Costa Rica is rural the
people there tend to be more active
throughout the day
6. Many of the jobs involve manual labor and
there are far less jobs that require them to
sit at a desk for 8-10 hours per day
7. Cars are less common and many people
choose to walk to and from town
8. Much of the food preparation is done at
home and many of the processed foods we have
in the US just don’t exist here
9. Costa Ricans don’t view walking and being
active as a chore, but rather a way of life
10. The culture in Costa Rica promotes
sitting down to meals together and enjoying
the local foods grown by the community,
family, and neighbors.
Overall, my experiences in Costa Rica were
fantastic and I got to get in some great
hikes, white water rafting, and adventure
sporting trips. But even more impressive
were the people that I got to meet and share
their culture with.
My belief is that if you begin to eliminate
much of the man made processed foods that
have come about as fast food alternatives
you will begin to naturally reset your
weight. I have also been a firm believer in
getting up and off your seat as much as
possible – even if it means only going for a
20 minute walk multiple times per day.
I hope a few of these Costa Rican cultural
secrets for staying lean gave you a few
ideas you can incorporate into your daily
routine to help you burn more body fat and
achieve the body you want!
ommitted to your success,
Stephen Cabral, CSCS, CPT, NS
Author of Fatlossity, Lose5in7 Weight Loss
System
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