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What Snow Chains Do You Need for the Pyrenees in Spain and Andorra?

Published: March 09, 2023Leave a Comment

Every winter I travel to Andorra or Spanish ski resorts, and an essential part of my travel gear are snow chains or snow socks.

Here’s my research and recommendations on the subject. When it comes to safety and security, I always go for the best even if it means spending a bit more money. For this purpose, I chose to focus on Michelin’s offerings, as it is a reputable company in the tyre business.

Whichever choice you make, be sure to include long arm-covering gloves and a towel and some wet wipes to help you stay clean when you install the chains. I also recommend having a snow scraper. The Michelin snow scraper is a simple yet effective tool that is designed to remove snow and ice from your car’s windshield and windows. The snow scraper features a sturdy plastic handle with a wide, curved blade that is designed to efficiently remove snow and ice from your car’s windows without scratching the glass.

Ok, let’s get into the options.

Snow Socks – Michelin SOS Grip Evolution

Michelin offers a range of snow socks that are designed to provide additional traction on snow and ice. The snow socks are made from a patented textile material that is highly durable and long-lasting. Here are some of the features and benefits of Michelin’s snow sock range:

  1. Easy to Install: Michelin snow socks are easy to install and remove, and they can be fitted in just a few minutes. The snow socks stretch over the tire and are secured in place using a tensioning system that ensures a snug and secure fit.
  2. Improved Traction: Michelin snow socks provide improved traction on snow and ice, which can help drivers stay safe and avoid accidents. The snow socks are designed to grip the road surface, providing better traction and stability when driving on slippery surfaces.
  3. Quiet and Comfortable: Michelin snow socks are designed to be quiet and comfortable, even at high speeds. They are made from a soft and flexible material that does not create excessive noise or vibration when driving.
  4. Durable and Long-Lasting: Michelin snow socks are made from a patented textile material that is highly durable and long-lasting. The material is resistant to tears, abrasions, and punctures, which ensures that the snow socks will provide reliable performance for multiple seasons.
  5. Easy to Store: Michelin snow socks are compact and lightweight, which makes them easy to store in the trunk of your car. They come with a storage pouch that can be used to keep the snow socks clean and dry when not in use.

Overall, Michelin’s range of snow socks provides drivers with an effective and convenient solution for driving on snowy and icy roads. They offer improved traction, easy installation, and long-lasting performance, making them a popular choice for many drivers.

I have used their SOS9 grip for my tyres and have been impressed by how easy it is to install them and remove them. Always keep a big bag with you for storing them as they will be dripping wet and very dirty when you take them off. You’ll want to chuck them into a washing machine for a rinse and dry them out before you put them into long-term storage. The fact that they retain a bunch of water in them after you remove them is the main disadvantage, together with their lack of durability/robustness compared to other solutions.

I was able to get both snow socks on within 5 minutes.

However, if you’re going for a quick trip or two once a year, these are the perfect thing to have in your boot to get you out of a tough spot if/when needed.

Price: around €80

Composite Snow Chains – Michelin Easy Grip Evolution

The Michelin Easy Grip Evolution is a type of snow chain that is designed to provide extra grip and traction on snowy or icy roads. It is designed to be easy to install and remove, and it does not require any special tools or equipment.

The Easy Grip Evolution snow chain is made of composite materials and features a central snow grabber that provides additional traction and grip on the road surface. The chains are designed to fit snugly over the tire and are secured in place using a tensioning system that ensures a tight and secure fit.

One of the key features of the Michelin Easy Grip Evolution is its compatibility with a wide range of vehicles, including passenger cars, SUVs, and vans. It is also designed to be durable and long-lasting, with reinforced links and a flexible design that helps to prevent damage to the tire or wheel.

In addition, the Easy Grip Evolution is designed to be easy to store and transport. It comes with a storage case that can be easily carried in the trunk of your car, and it can be quickly installed in just a few minutes.

Snow socks are designed to provide moderate traction on snowy or icy roads, while the Easy Grip Evolution snow chains are designed to provide more significant traction and grip. This makes the Easy Grip Evolution a better choice for drivers who live in areas with more extreme winter weather conditions.

Another difference is their durability. The Easy Grip Evolution snow chains are generally more durable and long-lasting than snow socks, which may wear out more quickly and need to be replaced more frequently.

The Easy Grip Evolution chains will take up more space to store and take longer to install and remove compared to the snow socks, but they also do away with the water retention issue when storing them immediately after use, since they have a much smaller surface area in contact with the road and ice/snow.

For those who are used to snow chains and who make frequent tips to snowy areas, I recommend these over the SOS snow socks, as the latter are meant for emergency situations only rather than regular use.

Price: around €100-120

Michelin Fast Grip

The Michelin Fast Grip is a type of snow chain that is designed to provide additional traction on snowy or icy roads. The Fast Grip is made of a composite material and features a diamond pattern that is designed to provide extra grip and traction on the road surface.

One of the key features of the Michelin Fast Grip is its ease of use. The chains are designed to be easy to install and remove, and they can be fitted to the tire without moving the vehicle. This makes the Fast Grip a convenient solution for drivers who need extra traction but do not want to spend a lot of time installing and removing chains.

Price: around €350-400

Other Considerations When Driving in Snow

If you live in snowy regions, you already know that a 4×4 with winter tyres is the best option. But what about the rest of us? There are many debates online about tyre choices, and whether it’s best to have a FWD or AWD vehicle.

To me, it’s clear that if you visit snowy areas frequently in winter, but actually live in a warmer area, it could be a good idea to equip your car with all-weather tyres. Then you can do away with the chains and there is no further work on your end. Another option is to have a set of winter tyres and another set of summer tyres. This is only an option if you have plenty of storage in your garage and don’t mind the hassle of changing your tyres once or twice a year.

When it comes to FWD vs AWD, while it is clear that AWD is a better option for offroad use and snowy conditions, it is much better to have a FWD vehicle equipped with winter tyres than an AWD vehicle equipped with summer tyres.

So there is no need to sell your FWD to buy an AWD, just decide on what strategy you want to use with tyres or chains and you’re set for your winter fun in the snow.

Whichever setup you have, be prudent on the road as icy and snowy conditions will always have some effect on your car’s handling, and more importantly, you can expect the unexpected from other vehicles, some of whose drivers are encountering these conditions for the first time and might not have equipped their cars in an adequate way.

Filed under: Expat life

Where to Live in Spain as a Young Rich Expat

Published: October 07, 2022Leave a Comment

If you’re thinking of moving to Spain as a young and rich expat, you’ll probably be looking at a few shortlisted locations. Now the word “rich” can mean many things, but I’m using it to define young entrepreneurs, investors, and professionals who have a relatively high income or net worth.

Here’s my view on where to live in Spain if you fit that description, based on what I’ve seen during my time in Spain.

In my experience, people tend to consider the following locations:

  • Barcelona (Catalonia)
  • Madrid (Comunidad de Madrid)
  • Costa del Sol (Andalucia)
  • Costa Blanca (Comunidad Valenciana)
  • Balearic islands (Islas Baleares)

First, I will explain why I listed them in this fashion.

For Barcelona and Madrid, they are pretty much the only serious destination within their autonomous regions, so I put down the city names directly.

For the two coasts (del Sol and Blanca), expats tend to be a bit more spread out and refer to the names of the coasts when explaining where they live.

For the islands, most expats will be found on Mallorca or Ibiza.

The autonomous region in brackets is important due to the fact that the tax implications differ between each region.

Housing

The best houses I’ve seen were in Madrid, Costa del Sol (look around the Marbella area as an example) and the Balearic islands. Barcelona also has some decent places, but they tend to be extraordinarily expensive and there are relatively few newer builds.

Young couples and families tend to prefer modern housing and there is a dearth of that type of housing in Barcelona due to bad socialist policies in place, among other factors. The city is also constrained by its geography, meaning the suburbs are actually quite distant compared to other cities. You will find decent housing in suburbs like Sant Cugat and Sitges, but you lose the proximity to the city.

Culture

For year-round cultural activities nothing comes close to Barcelona or Madrid. The difference becomes even more apparent in winter, when the other locations in my list become devoid of activity as tourism wanes.

If you value events, conferences and networking opportunities, then again you will want to stick to one of these two cities.

Expat Community

Barcelona wins this hands-down due to the large size of the expat community and its diversity. Other areas tend to be dominated by expats from certain countries (e.g. Germany/UK) whereas in Barcelona you’ll find a mix of people from all over the world.

Madrid is good too from this aspect but the expat community is smaller, especially when considering the type of person I have in mind in this article.

Politics & Taxation

In my opinion, Madrid and Andalucia are the two regions that are doing things the right way politically. They are trying to reduce taxation and encourage investment in the regions, while Barcelona is stuck in socialist hell.

Everyone has their opinion on politics, but regarding taxation the numbers speak for themselves, and show that Madrid and Andalucia are the best places for lower taxation in Spain, although it remains quite high in any case.

Education

If you have kids, and want to find a top international school, but also give your kids a holistic education in terms of sports activities and mixing with many other nationalities and locals, then you want to stick to either Barcelona and Madrid.

You can find some decent schools in the other areas, but you will miss out on the better availability of extra curricular activities and social life that the two biggest cities of Spain offer.

Keep in mind that once your kids turn eighteen and start looking at Universities, they will probably leave Spain and further their education in the US, UK, or the Netherlands. You might want to plan around that if you value living close to your children.

Travel

If you intend to travel a lot, then the best options are clearly Madrid and Barcelona, both of which have highly trafficked international airport. I particularly like the airport in Barcelona, but both are pretty good.

Travel between the two cities is also very convenient via the high speed train connection, which is important if you plan to conduct business in both cities. Madrid is better connected to the rest of Spain through both road and rail, so that’s another consideration if you want to explore Spain or have business all over.

Weather

If weather is very high on your priority list, then Madrid loses out due to its more extreme temperature highs and lows. It also lacks having the sea and the summer lifestyle one associates with coastal areas.

All other cities and areas I mentioned are great, but I would have to put Barcelona top due to its great and balanced weather. Summertime is always great in Barcelona and the Costa Brava, while the winter is not too cold and very pleasant for excursions. You also have several locations for good skiing within 2 hours drive from Barcelona.

The Balearic islands and southern coast of Spain are not my favorite because they tend to be more deserted in wintertime.

Some expats move to the Canary islands due to the great weather in winter, given their location, but in my opinion you would lose out on too many other things to make this a top destination.

Time to Move to Spain?

Spain is a wonderful country to live in as an expat, and has very few rivals worldwide if you seek overall quality of life. It might not be the top in anything, but it does have a bit of everything you need to live a happy life.

The biggest downside is inept politicians and a high level of taxation. This is why many expats are now choosing to move to Portugal instead of Spain. I have noted my thoughts on Barcelona vs Lisbon in a separate article, but in a nutshell, if tax optimisation and English-speaking locals is high on your priorities list, you will want to look at Portugal. For everything else, Spain wins out.

Have you moved to Spain as an expat? Do you agree with my assessment? Happy to continue the discussion in the comments section below.

Filed under: Expat life

Day Trips Around Barcelona

Last updated: September 12, 2023Leave a Comment

These are just a few links I use to find attractive day trips and activities in the area around Barcelona and beyond.

Meetups

These are meetup groups that organize one-day trips, and can serve as inspiration if you want to do your own trip with a rented car, or if you have your own transport.

  • Plan B
  • Enjoy Catalonia
  • SMexperiences
  • Yepalo
  • Descubridores de Barcelona
  • Nature & Friends
  • Back to Nature

With Kids

  • Sortir amb nens
  • Mammaproof
  • Totnens

Around Girona

  • Turisme Girones

My Favorite Trips

For adults or the whole family:

  • Sitges
  • Cardona Muntanya de Sal
  • Hiking in Montserrat (or just visiting)
  • Catalunya en Miniatura
  • Wine tasting (there are many similar options)

For Kids:

  • Toboganes Can Matas in Sant Cugat
  • Parc de la Costeta in Begues (3 great slides)
  • Granja D’Aventura Park (or other similar farms)
  • Minilandia
  • Cycling in El Prat

Filed under: Expat life

Where to Buy and Sell Used Luxury Items in Europe

Last updated: June 30, 2023Leave a Comment

luxury used fashion items in europe

If you’re interested in purchasing expensive fashion items as an investment or simply as a hobby, one effective strategy to make this more accessible is to find the items on a used goods website.

Not only does this approach make luxury items more affordable, but it also allows you to participate in a thriving market for pre-owned high-end goods, where items often retain their value and can even appreciate over time.

Understanding the Luxury Resale Market

The luxury resale market has experienced significant growth in recent years, driven by factors such as increasing awareness about sustainability and the desire for unique, high-quality items.

The luxury resale market is a thriving industry that is gaining momentum across the globe. Already sizable at an estimated $25–30 billion in 2020, industry watchers predict an annual growth rate of 10–15 percent over the next decade. This surge is thanks in part to the success of specialized digital trading platforms, as well as changes in consumer behavior​.

The Main Players: Vestiaire Collective and TheRealReal

Two of the leading platforms in the used luxury fashion space in Europe are Vestiaire Collective and TheRealReal.

Vestiaire Collective

Vestiaire Collective is a global marketplace for pre-owned luxury and designer fashion. With international offices located in Paris, London, New York, Berlin, Milan, and Hong Kong, it caters to fashionistas who adore the hunt for a good bargain but never sacrifice quality and style. The brand was motivated by the question, “Could there be a way to extend luxury pieces’ lifespan by bringing them back into circulation?” and voila, Vestiaire Collective was here. Their goal is to promote fashion sustainability by keeping clothes out of landfills by increasing the number of times they are worn​.

Pros: Vestiaire Collective offers a wide selection of pre-owned luxury fashion items from a variety of designer brands, including unique and rare pieces that may not be available elsewhere. The platform guarantees the authenticity of the items being sold, employing a team of experts who examine each item for signs of counterfeiting. Quality control measures ensure that items are accurately described and in good condition. By buying pre-owned items from Vestiaire Collective, you participate in sustainable fashion practices​.

Cons: Prices can vary significantly due to the peer-to-peer nature of the marketplace. Depending on your location and the seller’s location, you may incur shipping fees and potential import duties or taxes. The return process can sometimes be complex, and it may take longer to receive a refund compared to other online retailers. Sizing and fit can be challenging with pre-owned items online, and returns due to sizing issues may be more difficult.

Features: Vestiaire Collective provides robust search and filtering capabilities, allowing you to narrow down your options and discover items that match your preferences. The platform also has a rigorous authentication process in place to verify the authenticity of items listed on the platform, giving buyers confidence in their purchases​.

TheRealReal

TheRealReal is a luxury consignment store established in 2011. It’s an online platform that turns pre-owned luxury goods into sellable items, extending the lifecycle of these products, similar to Vestiaire Collective’s mission​. TheRealReal offers a broad range of product categories, from clothing and accessories to jewelry, home décor, and fine art, and offers these luxury items at discounts of up to 90% off​​.

The Appeal of Luxury Goods as Investments

Many people are surprised by the high price tags of luxury designer bags or vintage cars, but the truth is that these items can increase in value over time, making them a great investment. The factors that contribute to the appreciation of luxury goods include brand reputation, rarity, and condition. For example, handbags are one of the most popular classes of alternative investments worldwide. The same goes for vintage cars and certain prestigious sports cars. These items not only retain their value but can appreciate, making them a worthwhile investment.

The Impact of Luxury Goods on Lifestyle and Mindset

I strongly believe that surrounding myself with elite people and products significantly helps me raise my own game. Surrounding yourself with amazing quality is a perfect complement to having a growth mindset. Luxury goods, because of their high quality and the prestige associated with them, can contribute positively to one’s self-image and status. They can serve as a source of inspiration, pushing individuals to strive for greater personal and professional success.

The Contrast with Mass-Market Items

Whenever possible, I buy the best products available on the market, which are normally the most expensive. The reasoning behind that is that you get to actually enjoy an amazing product, plus you know that there is the possibility to resell it at a good price. The latter point is important to me as an investor.

In contrast to luxury goods, mass-market items typically do not hold their value and can rarely be resold for a significant amount. This is often due to factors such as overproduction, lower-quality materials, and rapid changes in trends. While mass-market items may be more accessible and affordable, their resale value is often minimal compared to luxury goods. This highlights the potential economic benefits of investing in luxury items over mass-market items.

I’ll be experimenting with both of these websites and will expand on this article based on my experiences. In the meantime, if you have your own experience to share or have other suggestions please leave a comment below.

Filed under: Expat life

Best Healthy Food Meal Plan Delivery in Barcelona

Last updated: April 16, 2024Leave a Comment

If you’re an athlete or you take your diet and training seriously, you should take a look at the rising trend of healthy meal plan deliveries in Barcelona. It’s incredible how many options we have in this city, although I would say only a few of them are really high quality.

Here are the best healthy meal plan delivery options in Barcelona. I’ll keep updating this list as I discover more places. Please leave a comment with your favorites if you know of any more that fit the bill.

We have three categories of healthy food delivery services in Barcelona:

Fully Customized

In this case, a chef will cook for you on a daily basis, according to your needs (calories, allergies, diets etc).

This is something of a rarity in Barcelona, in fact, I don’t know of any place that offers this service via a web or mobile-based interface. However, it’s by far the best option there is.

I kind of created this service for myself as I have a friend of mine who is a top chef, and I asked him if he could start cooking for me. He took up the offer and it’s been more than two years now that we’ve got this going.

Whenever I mention this to my friends they are typically amazed that such a service exists, especially at affordable prices, so I eventually got many friends on board as well, and now I am opening it up for anyone who visits my site.

Just fill in the form below, which will go to me and the chef, and he will get back to you with a proposal for you. Keep in mind that this sort of arrangement works best if you are doing it on a long-term basis as the chef can then really get to know your needs as well as bring down the costs. If it’s a one-off thing then you’d be better served using a normal healthy restaurant from the list further down below.

As a general guide, if you go on a weekly plan (5-7 days a week), the cost would be between €25-35 per day depending on your needs. This covers all your daily nutrition including breakfast, snacks, lunch and dinner. Delivery is done in the morning between 7:30 and 9:00 or in the afternoon between 18:30 and 20:00.

If you’re just starting out with meal plans and nutrition, I highly recommend that you consult a nutritionist who can prepare a plan for you that the chef can then follow. Just tick the box in the form if you need a nutritionist as well and I’ll connect you to mine.

Calorie-based meal plans

These are purely focused on fitness enthusiasts and provide meal plans and specific nutrition information:

  • Miplato
  • Menudiet (€40 discount if you use this link)

Meal Ingredient Delivery

These companies send you the ingredients for cooking dishes according to the recipes provided. It’s a convenient way of eating healthy food without the hassle of shopping for different ingredients and finding recipes. And you get to enjoy cooking your own food.

  • HelloFresh
  • LetsCookNow (25% off with the coupon JEANGALEA25)
  • Foodinthebox

My Experience with LetsCookNow

LetsCookNow

Having sampled the offerings of LetsCookNow, which is a service dedicated to the Spanish market, I found it to be a delightful fusion of convenience and culinary adventure. Right from the ordering process to the actual cooking, the LetsCookNow experience has been designed to simplify home cooking without sacrificing the joy of it.

Understanding that their audience in Spain is diverse, the website is thoughtfully designed to be accessible in English, Catalan, and Spanish. This multilingual feature ensures that language doesn’t become a barrier to enjoying their service. Users can easily switch between languages at their convenience, facilitating a smoother, more personalized browsing experience.

When my first LetsCookNow box arrived, it was neatly packed with fresh ingredients, all carefully portioned to minimize waste. LetsCookNow does not provide printed instructions (unlike HelloFresh), but you can watch a video and the step-by-step process online. I used my iPad for following along. It’s perhaps less wasteful to not print all those recipes, but I do enjoy having a printed paper I can throw about in my tiny kitchen without being too bothered if it gets dirty during the process.

As someone who has struggled with portion sizes and complex recipes, LetsCookNow’s approach to healthy cooking at home was a breath of fresh air.

The meals themselves were a mix of local Spanish flavors and globally-inspired dishes. Each ingredient was of good quality, and the recipe was easy to follow, leading to a delicious meal that brought the distinct taste of international cuisines to my home kitchen.

Indeed, LetsCookNow introduced me to various global flavors – from the spices of Moroccan cuisine to the tangy, savory notes of Asian dishes. This wide range of meals catered to different moods and preferences, providing flexibility and excitement that’s often missing in daily cooking.

One thing that stood out about LetsCookNow was their commitment to sustainability. The packaging was primarily made of recyclable materials, and there were clear instructions on how to properly dispose of it.

The delivery process of LetsCookNow was nothing short of exceptional. The service demonstrated meticulous attention to detail, from the thoughtful packaging to ensure ingredients remained fresh, to the punctuality of the delivery itself. My box arrived right on schedule, within the selected time slot, eliminating any concerns about waiting or rescheduling. Each ingredient was carefully packed to prevent damage or mixing during transit.

In terms of cost, the service offered good value for money. Considering the high quality of ingredients, the variety of meals available each week, and the sheer convenience of having everything delivered to your doorstep, the pricing was justifiable.

In a nutshell, my experience with LetsCookNow was more than just about convenience. It was about rediscovering the joy of cooking and tasting new cuisines, all from the comfort of my own kitchen. Whether you’re a busy professional, a food enthusiast, or someone just learning to cook, LetsCookNow offers a service that caters to your needs while bringing a world of flavors to your table.

I’ve liked the service so much that I’ve asked the guys at LetsCookNow to provide a discount to my readers, as I’d like you to try them out as well and let me know what you think.

By using the code JEANGALEA25 you will get 25% off your order from LetsCookNow.

Healthy food delivery

These are restaurants that consistently churn out high-quality food without being as strict as the previous ones:

  • Tres a la Cuina
  • Coco Kitchen
  • Fish & Greens
  • The Healthiest Choice

If there are days when you feel like cooking at home, I highly recommend the FitMenCook app for its recipes and fantastic dishes. Video instructions are also included, and it is available in both English and Spanish.

Here are some similar services that operate in the US and Canada. We might be seeing more of them opening up in Europe in the future if their models prove to be successful.

  • Sun Basket
  • Blue Apron
  • EveryPlate

Why We Don’t Cook Anymore

Before we had children, we used to cook at home a lot and also eat out very frequently. In Barcelona, you can find lots of great options for lunch since most restaurants have a menu del dia, which means a set menu for a fixed price that is usually excellent value for money.

Given that we both worked from home, it was a nice break from work to go out and have a nice lunch somewhere before getting back to work.

However, once we had children, our free time was much more constrained and we preferred to outsource our diets to the experts and thus eat healthier and better.

In 2020, the COVID crisis accelerated the trend of healthy food meal plan deliveries in Barcelona. Basically, many kitchens opened up, and they cook dishes and concentrate on selling them via delivery apps or by customers picking up their orders at the kitchen. This minimizes the costs of having tables and staff serving those tables, not to mention not being troubled by the COVID restrictions.

As a customer, I love the idea. It’s a trend that has been picking up steam in the United States as well. What we’re seeing is essentially the nascent era of cooking as a service. In much the same way as we have outsourced a lot of our daily chores to specialized services, cooking seems to be the next chore that is going to be outsourced in developed nations.

I think cooking will, by 2040, be a niche activity like e.g. gardening or sewing, not something which one would reasonably expect from substantially every household.

It's getting squeezed by a combination of long-running social changes, cultural norms, and…

— Patrick McKenzie (@patio11) May 5, 2019

Cooking has traditionally been the role of the woman, and it takes up quite a lot of time to shop for the ingredients, cook and then clean up after. If you have a family with a few kids, it takes even more time. If you calculate it, it could easily take 4-5 hours a day once you factor in everything. Since more women are heading back to the workplace, it makes sense for them to outsource this chore.

In my opinion, leaving the cooking to a specialized chef will also most likely result in you eating a healthier and more varied diet. A kitchen with a good chef will be churning out many different dishes, while if you cook at home you will most likely eventually stick to a small variety of tried and tested dishes. Unfortunately, we are also living in a period in history where food has become very processed, and good raw materials are not easy to come by. A chef who buys raw material in bulk has the expertise of being able to distinguish between poor and great quality fish, poultry etc, and he can even buy it at a cheaper price due to his contacts and the amounts he is buying.

Even without calculating the monetary value of time spent on cooking, food is easily the biggest monthly expense for my family after rental payments. Since switching to purchasing most of our food from one of the kitchens, our costs have remained equal, but we have gained a lot of extra time and eat way better since we have a professional chef with years of experience cooking for us.

Here are some reasons for giving up cooking your own food:

  • Gaining extra time
  • Spending more time with your partner and kids
  • Letting the pros do the work
  • Better control your portions
  • Protecting yourself from injuries (burns, cuts etc)
  • Less cleaning up
  • No grocery shopping

Another benefit for me specifically as I pursue athletic excellence for the various sports I practice is that I can have my dietician coordinate with my fitness coach and chef to make sure I am getting exactly the right fuel for my workouts and upcoming tournaments. If I had to do this myself I would definitely get it wrong and it would be too time-consuming.

Cooking at home on occasion is of course still a nice idea, especially when it involves all family members and serves as a relationship-building activity. It’s also great to go out for a nice meal at a restaurant every once in a while.

My Guidelines for Eating Well and Maintaining a Healthy Diet

healthy-diet

Over the past few years, I’ve taken a keen interest in nutrition as I realized that overall health and fitness is a result of both training hard and about eating the right foods.

Here are the rules of thumb for the food I eat, whether it’s prepared for me by the chef of whether I’m cooking myself:

  • Whole grains or their derivatives (wholewheat bread, pasta, etc.) in all meals, except those that include potatoes.
  • Legumes every day but in smaller quantities than wholewheat cereals.
  • One or two vegetable types in every dish (for example boiled broccoli).
  • Between one and three fruits per day, preferably local and seasonal products (this doesn’t include packed or bottled fruit juices that are typically full of sugar). Eating fruit is preferable over juicing it, as in the latter process you lose almost all the fiber in the fruit, and the resultant juice has a high concentration of fructose.
  • One lactose product per day, preferably fermented. I go with Greek yogurt for breakfast or as dessert.
  • Fatty foods in moderate quantities, giving preference to vegetables and keeping a healthy balance between omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids.
  • Keep refined foods to an absolute minimum (cereals, oil, sugar, etc).

The image above shows the food portions I aim for in every meal.

Apart from the actual contents of meals, I also try to keep the following two golden rules in mind:

  • Remain frugal, which is easier when the above guidelines are observed as dishes will typically have a high content of fibre which helps one feel full and stay full longer.
  • Chew properly to facilitate digestion and intake of the food’s nutrients.

Keeping these bases covered it’s quite easy for anyone to establish their preferred ingredients/diet based on their location, physical activity, and local supply of products.

P.S. If you can understand Spanish, one of the best books I can recommend is Claude Aubert’s Otra Alimentacion es Posible.

Another great book is Mindless Eating.

Also, do check out these evidence-based nutrition resources and stay away from anything these fake experts have to say.

Filed under: Expat life

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