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I can't help but noticing the overly sweet dessert Americans enjoy everyday, with relish. But whenever I (or almost any Chinese I know) try a bite of those delicious-looking cakes, cookies, pies, etc, the overly sweetness shocks me each time, making me feel sick-like. When I asked an American fellow-student about this, she jokingly said "because we are such sour people we need something to sweeten up."
The concept of dessert is a western thing; of the eastern cultures I've known, people don't eat dessert as a dessert, but rather as snacks. That is, we don't end a meal (or any meal) with something sweet. When I think more about it, I realize it may have something to do with our differences in diet.
The western diet is mostly meat-based, and when our body need energy, we'd crave for sugar. So people'd eat something sweet such as dessert and then the body get satisfied. But eastern diet is mostly grain-based, which itself consists lots of complex sugar. So by the end of an Asian meal, people are already stuffed with all the carbo they need, and therefore never want to eat any more sweet food.
Another thing about dessert that I (and other Chinese I know) find a bit strange is the cooked fruit in these sweet foods. Because oven baking is not common in east Asia, we cook mostly by steaming, stir-frying, and stewing. Fresh fruits, of just about any sort, don't sound good in any of these three cooking methods. Steamed banana? Stir-fried apples? A watermelon stew? I don't think so. Moreover, fruit and flour and sugar don't sound like a good combination any way. Hence, there's no tradition for dessert. As to health benefits, I think a no dessert diet at least keeps our weight down, not to mention the other less obviuos but no less important effects on blood sugar and so forth.
Finally, here is a real-life story happened in China. A Chinese family invited a couple of German friends to dinner. The host and hostess prepared a lot of dishes, including meat, fish, chicken, veggies, soup,and rice. By the end of the meal, the Germans asked about dessert. The host and hostess were puzzled, since they couldn't understand the concept; they assumed their guests were still hungry. So the wife went into the kitchen and quickly whipped up a plate of scrambled eggs and tomatos with green onions(which is one of the fastest stirfried dishes). The guests looked at the pretty colors and tried some and then said, "very tasty, but not sweet!" And the Chinese couple never figured out whether that's a compliment or a criticism!
In Reply to: why do Americans eat dessert--an observation posted by bing on August 19, 2002 at 20:54:13:
The quick answer is that we aren't Chinese, Bing. We're different and you are
experiencing what is known as culture shock.Are there sick people in China? I heard
lots of stories about the superiority of the chinese diet, mostly from ABC's, but
reasoned that the diet ould be that great or else there would be no need for
doctors, but doctors China has in abundance, enough so that the surplus comes to
America, and make a pretty good living here.
So Bing, Why Do Americans...do whatever it is you are asking about?
Because we are different. Different from Germans, Japanese, French, Australian,
Dutch, Korean, Brazilian, Filipino...and Chinese.
In Reply to: why do Americans eat dessert--an observation posted by bing on August 19, 2002 at 20:54:13:
I like your observations Bing. I hope you keep them coming :-) Like you, I'm trying to adjust to culture differences as well. I remember the first time I picked up dessert here in Holland at the grocery store. I bought a pie/cake type thing. I brought it home and Pieter looked at me like I was crazy haha Seems they eat cake/pie with coffee and after dinner for dessert they have yoghurt, quark, or some other type of milk/pudding thing. I have three really good friends here...one is from Vietnam, one is from Nepal and the other is from Japan. They all LOVE the sweet american desserts and I've had to give them all lessons on how to make them. They especially love the banana bread and muffins :-) And of course they give me lessons on how to make curries, miso soup, sitcky rice and spring rolls.
In Reply to: Re: why do Americans [fill in the blank] posted by Gregory on August 19, 2002 at 21:12:04:
Hi, Gregory.
CULTURALLY "different" but no so different physiologically as to explain this.
Walt
In Reply to: why do Americans eat dessert--an observation posted by bing on August 19, 2002 at 20:54:13:
Thanks, Bing.
This a lot because of the "sweet-fat" diet the advertizers have foisted upon us and which is increasingly filling the coffers of the medical/pharmaceutical combine.
It is hard to pick up a daily paper now that does not have something in it about the diet-disease crisis we find upon us.
Walt
In Reply to: why do Americans eat dessert--an observation posted by bing on August 19, 2002 at 20:54:13:
Well, I hear the French eat really well and don't gain weight like some Americans do. Could it be because they eat most of their meals early in the day? Anybody care to comment on how the French eat? Do they do food combining? Just curious.
In Reply to: Re: why do Americans eat dessert--an observation posted by BarbaraN on August 20, 2002 at 08:56:08:
Thanks, Barbara. Living in another culture does help us understand more and observe more. Have fun in Holland!
In Reply to: Re: why do Americans eat dessert--an observation posted by Love Food on August 20, 2002 at 13:43:10:
Eating the major portion of their meals earlier in the day may be one reason. The other reasons I can think of would be:
Although I've read about the benefits of the red wine etc, I personally never believed that red wine per se can help with human health in general. What's more likely is the relaxed atmosphere red wine established that is benefical.
In Reply to: Re: why do Americans eat dessert--an observation posted by bing on August 20, 2002 at 13:58:57:
Hi Bing
Let me tell you. There are plenty of big macs out there in good ole Paree. Visited paris a few years back, and there it was, Mcdonalds in paris, and doing great business too and not just the tourist variety either, although u are right, definitely less than out here. It was probably there mainly for the tourists who are use to that kind of "junk" food, and yes, I have to admit I went in there for a meal.:)
I do agree that there is less stress in their lifestyle as compared to americans and probably why they appear happier, plus I think their food is more "authentic" as in more home cooked meals, rather than reliant on fast food.
About the wine. I think that you have to be quite healthy already to tolerate it. I get awful headaches from red wine, and also ccant stand the taste of it much either. My body just doesnt like it. Maybe it just agrees with others better, but I think if your body is already functioning optimally then you have a better chance of "enjoying" wine and it not taking a toll on your health otherwise, pass on the wine.
From a weight loss perspective, best to eat your meals as early in the day as you can. Have lunch as your main meal and have dinner light. Your body tolerates carbs and big meals better earlier in the day and doesnt store it as fat as much as if you eat late.
In Reply to: Re: why do Americans eat dessert--an observation posted by Love Food on August 20, 2002 at 13:43:10:
VF
In Reply to: why do Americans eat dessert--an observation posted by bing on August 19, 2002 at 20:54:13:
I eat sweets when i crave them and loathe them when I need other foods but in either case the other foods make me feel almost nauseated when I think about eating them when I want Or need the other. As a kid I drank a Lot of milk but don't like it now. I think it fueled my higher energy and maybe I needed it for growth and bones. Recently I found out
I go with what I want, like, or works for me. When I had food sensitivities I ate very little other than rice. After they were solved I went back to eating whatever. I don't like salads since they fill me up but don't satisfy and will eat them at the end of a meal if I don't want other things. Dessert is more like a snack than to finish a meal. I'd rather fill up on food and snack when hungry between them.
VF
In Reply to: Re: why do Americans eat dessert--an observation posted by Love Food on August 20, 2002 at 13:43:10:
Have you ever been to a french restaurant? The portions are very small and the entrees are normally just meat and veggies. Drink sizes are also different and expensive. For a $1.50, you get a 6 ounce bottle of juice, water or cola and no free refills haha I think that europeans, not just the french, are generally not as overweight because they are more active. Have you ever tried to find a parking space in a large european city??? haha NOT POSSIBLE!! Do you have ANY idea how much gas costs here???? For those reasons, many europeans bike or walk to town instead of driving. The only exception to that is maybe the germans haha They tend to be the largest europeans. I think its those large beer mugs haha
In Reply to: Re: why do Americans eat dessert--an observation posted by vince f on August 20, 2002 at 16:24:56:
Hi vince, I think you said the crucial word here: people "learned" to like certain foods. And most of these "learnings" happened before we are old enough to know whether their benefits outweigh the harm. Which means that the wiser ones eventually have to "unlearn" some of the things they shouldn't have learned in the first place.
In Reply to: Re: why do Americans eat dessert--an observation posted by bing on August 21, 2002 at 11:47:05:
Bing, Hard to know what we learned from birth or that we learned works for us. We grew up with a 10qt container of
I find that I did and always do and eat what keept me at
In Reply to: Re: why do Americans [fill in the blank] posted by Gregory on August 19, 2002 at 21:12:04:
As children, Americans are rewarded with candy when they do well. For the last thirty years they've been told that fat is bad for them so they eat more and more sugar because it's fat-free (or at least ingested fat-free). And if your health deteriorates to contracting candida, the yeasties that take up residence in your GIT will hold your body hostage until it gets its very own does of sugar. So dessert as part of every meal is likely to (artifically) satisfy everyone.
The Asian and other cultures eat more nourishing foods such as complex and unrefined carbs and protein, and don't crave sugar like Americans do.
In Reply to: Re: why do Americans [fill in the blank] posted by myelinman on August 22, 2002 at 11:34:04:
To be honest, I'm not very familiar with candida. From what I gathered from your comments, it sounds like those who crave for sweets more or less have a candida problem. As the other side of the coin--so to speak, can I assume that if one has no cravings for sweet foods and never enjoy sweets, this person has no candida problem? Just a thought.
In Reply to: why do Americans eat dessert--an observation posted by bing on August 19, 2002 at 20:54:13:
I come from a 'middle-east' background, and believe me you haven't tasted 'sweet', till you've had Baklava, or the other assorted sweets dripping in syrup. It's a way of life, in that part of the world.
In Reply to: Not Just Americans, love there sweets posted by FZ on August 22, 2002 at 23:11:32:
Boy FZ, you're telling me. I was just recently in Lebanon and I was surrounded with ice cream, baklava, ras el abd, cakes of all kinds, cookies, and that sweet breakfast thing with the bread, cheese and corn syrup spread all over it (the name escapes me at the moment.) The particular people I was surrounded by were unhealthy too.
Lightwalking,
Gregory
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Re: why do Americans eat dessert--an observation
Posted by BarbaraN on August 20, 2002 at 08:56:08:
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Re: why do Americans [fill in the blank]
Posted by Walt Stoll on August 20, 2002 at 10:57:12:
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Re: why do Americans eat dessert--an observation (Archive.)
Posted by Walt Stoll on August 20, 2002 at 11:02:05:
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Re: why do Americans eat dessert--an observation
Posted by Love Food on August 20, 2002 at 13:43:10:
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Re: why do Americans eat dessert--an observation
Posted by bing on August 20, 2002 at 13:43:38:
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Re: why do Americans eat dessert--an observation
Posted by bing on August 20, 2002 at 13:58:57:
--they eat slowly, unlike most Americans who 'eat on the run;'
--there's less big macs in France, while fast food is one of the major causes of weight problems here;
--the French live a less stressful life than the Americans, since they work less, play more, enjoy life more, and I bet they are happier, too.
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Re: why do Americans eat dessert--an observation
Posted by Miss Bliss on August 20, 2002 at 14:24:05:
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Re: why do Americans eat dessert--an observation
Posted by vince f on August 20, 2002 at 15:50:35:
Eating your bigest meal at noon helps keep the weight down since you burn off what you ate.
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Re: why do Americans eat dessert--an observation
Posted by vince f on August 20, 2002 at 16:24:56:
Could be that people eat what they do because that is what they learned to like from family and friends or maybe different ethnic groups have different needs or cravings. I think different people in a group can have different needs.
that the muscles use calcium to function. I went through a few summers recently and ate a LOT of ice cream like it was a staple. I tried to convince myself that the nuts in it, which is the only type I like, balanced the fat.
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Re: why do Americans eat dessert--an observation
Posted by BarbaraN on August 21, 2002 at 04:08:42:
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Re: why do Americans eat dessert--an observation
Posted by bing on August 21, 2002 at 11:47:05:
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Re: why do Americans eat dessert--an observation
Posted by vince f on August 22, 2002 at 01:11:00:
ice cream in the freezer and ice cream cones and my dad who ate some often also took vitamins and did things that were said to be healthy. I ate ice cream but I don't remember eating it a lot and only remember an A&D supp that we got regular when young and that is in Cod oil. When i was on my own I bought some healthy things that I had seen at home but they sat and went bad so I didn't buy them again. Not untill I got injured did I look for and find things that helped me because before I had nothing to fix and wouldn't want to mess with where I was by changing anything since maybe I was as healthy as i was because of what I did and ate. When in my 40's and smoked I tested like a 20yr old and even better and better than the best that a hospital and
lung specialist tested who also tested healthy people for insurance purposes and I was hardly able to breathe from burned lungs.
the level of function I wanted and needed and even now what
I do or take helps me do what I can though it is nowhere near what I was capable of and I am always looking for more answers and find many. If I binge on something I figure there must be a reason. My grandfather who lived to be 104 and he was put in a home to slow him down and it took a hospital to kill him before his time and he did things that might be considered wrong or strange but I would opt for following him compared to others who appear to do and eat healthy and don't make it to 60. I always said I will wait to copy grmps's beaten raw egg and bread stuffed into a cup of coffee for breakfast till I reach 90 since that is when I first saw him do it and I don't think it would go down now. Maybe the taste buds fade as we age.) Once in a while he would eat nothing but ice cream at every meal for a day and not touch it again for 6 mo.
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Re: why do Americans [fill in the blank]
Posted by myelinman on August 22, 2002 at 11:34:04:
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Re: why do Americans [fill in the blank]
Posted by bing on August 22, 2002 at 14:53:45:
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Not Just Americans, love there sweets
Posted by FZ on August 22, 2002 at 23:11:32:
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Re: Not Just Americans, love there sweets
Posted by Donna E. on August 23, 2002 at 11:43:48:
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