AbRoAd ChAnGeD mE. No, but it kinda did. Not to be that girl, but I’m serious. I studied abroad for 116 amazing days in Florence, Italy. Coming into abroad I was anxious. Not because I was leaving the country but because I was going into one where the main food group was carbs. The first week I was there I didn’t have pasta or pizza, choosing the eggplant parmigiano or a fish every time. Finally I had to try it.
I ordered a gnocchi rose ready to dig in only to be served the world’s teeniest portion. I remember looking at my boyfriend and the time and thinking, ‘were going to need to order way more.’ But, both of us were left feeling completely satiated and satisfied at the end of our meal. Not to mention it was absolutely incredible.
Though the portions seemed small it turns out we’re just way over served in the US. Not only that, but our ingredients are far more processed. In Italy, they were using local, unprocessed ingredients. The portions were smaller and lighter, and as a result, we left our pasta dinners almost never feeling over-full or bloated. (That has probably never once happened to me when I ate Italian in the states).
Additionally, with the lack of public transportation and cars due to the small scale size Metropolitan Florence, it was easy to hit my 10,000 step mark by noon, often coming home with exhausted legs and upwards of 15-20,000 steps. The Italians were moving without realizing it. Almost no gyms existed there and the one that we did find was full of my fratty guy friends and no locals. I would go for runs along the river occasionally, quickly made impossible by tourist congestion forcing me to re route, and there would rarely be another runner. Italians simply moved their bodies as second nature to get around the city and let me tell you, everyone is trim. We were hard pressed to find an Italian in Florence with extra poundage on them and from what I learned, it’s simply due to the lifestyle they live.
I observed that Italians ate what they pleased, and it created a healthier mindset towards food; Italians ate to taste good food, to feel good, and to fuel. This left no room for unhealthy yo-yoing we often see in America; restrict, restrict, restrict… and BINGE! The portions were never over-indulgent, never too much.
I spent the four months tasting everything I wanted to from caprese sandwiches, to every pasta I wanted, to coal fired pizza, to bread and olive oil, to gelato, and more. I left Italy in my same jeans I arrived in with plenty more knowledge than I came with.
My time abroad taught me a whole lot about myself and the world. Florence showed me what a healthy relationship with food should look like. I learned that moderation is key, quality of ingredients is essential, good food is better than “diet” food, and a happy life is one that definitely has deliciousness in it.
Ciao for now,
Rach
RachLansFit 