It’s no secret that they eat late here in Argentina, but for whatever reason the reality of this fact takes time to sink in…
We hold out for as long as we possibly can, till around 8:30 when the restaurants will actually let you in, and then we’re usually the first or second people there… When we finish dinner at around 9:30-10 we know that things are only just starting to pick up.
It takes some getting used to.
One secret to holding out till so late to eat is maté. We’re always impressed by the feeling of well-being after drinking maté. Also, this yerba tea helps stymie your hunger…
When we were in Salta, a gaucho who worked on the farm we visited would pretty much only drink maté throughout the day and then eat a big dinner… He was slim and trim… He inspired us to invent ‘The Gaucho Diet’, a new and exciting diet craze consisting of drinking maté, horse-back riding, spending many lonely days out under the big open sky, and wearing cool traditional outfits…
Or maybe it’s just the maté. Whatever it is the Argentines eat good food, lots of meats and carbs, things that taste good. They eat late. They do everything that Americans are not supposed to do… yet, it’s very rare to see a fat Argentine…
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July 7, 2007 at 9:40 pm
Ellen Schultz
Hi Will,
Unfortunately, this is what I recently read on a website devoted to eating disorders:
In Argentina the incidence rate of Anorexia and Bulimia is out of control. The percentage of sufferers (based on population) is almost three times greater than that of the United States. Women across Argentina will resort, at all costs, to look their best and are obsessed with their bodies.
I’ve read this before and have wondered about it. I don’t think it’s the mate although I don’t know if men are afflicted in equal numbers.
Regards,
Ellen Schultz
PS By the way, according to a 60 Minutes report I saw some years ago, Argentina is the place where the most plastic surgeries are performed in the entire world. I don’t know if this still is the case, but it might account for so many slim bodies as well.
July 9, 2007 at 11:32 am
Maybe It’s the Maté « ArgentinaBloggers.com
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July 10, 2007 at 10:02 am
venusina
Nice photo Editor.
Reasons of our slimness:
1.- Mass-media’s pressure
2.- Eat lots of meats
3.- Drink mate
(but the first reason is very alarming)
Regards!
July 13, 2007 at 1:10 pm
Frank
The second one is pretty good too. Considering that the meat in Argentina is not as fatty as what I was used to seeing in the States. It is very lean and very tasty. It does not make you feel all heavy after eating it. In fact, I have never eaten so much steak before in my life and I am thinner than when I first got here (and I don’t drink any mate consistently)
August 9, 2007 at 11:59 am
granec
It´s “mate”, no accent involved.
July 24, 2008 at 3:37 am
Jeff
I lose weight every time I spend a season in Argentina. Society does care about looks, and I’m sure eating disorders and plastic surgery are at high levels, but I attribute the weight loss to the following:
1. Walking everywhere.
2. Eating “home-cooked” food rather than high fat, high salt processed fast food.
3. Eating small amounts frequently during the day.
4. Maté (perhaps)