Photo by Ella Jardim on Unsplash
In short: Every culture has its own ways of staying well, and many of them have little to do with food. A walk among trees, a coffee break with a friend, a short rest after lunch, a candle on the windowsill, a soak in warm water: these simple traditions feed the parts of life that keep us healthy. You don’t need to travel to try them. Choose one that appeals to you and make room for it this week.
You come back from a holiday and what stays with you isn’t the monument or the museum. It’s the way people sat down for their coffee instead of carrying it along the street. The way the shops closed after lunch and the whole town went quiet. The way families were out walking on a Sunday, whatever the weather. You think: why don’t we do that at home?
We can learn a great deal about a healthy and balanced life simply by looking at how other people live. In my work as a holistic nutrition health coach, I often say that health is about much more than the food on your plate. That’s what I call secondary food. Your wellbeing is just as closely linked to rewarding relationships, work that fulfils you, regular movement and some kind of spiritual practice: primary food, the things that nourish you beyond the plate.
So here is a little tour, country by country. Of course not everyone in a country lives this way, and none of these practices is a cure for anything. They’re traditions that people have valued for a long time, and each one has something to offer.
What can we learn from Asia?
Tibet: singing bowls
Tibetan singing bowls are used for sound healing. When the bowl is struck or circled with a mallet, it produces a long, deep tone that many people find calming, and that is traditionally used to ease stress, tension and discomfort. You sit or lie still, you listen, and the mind gradually quietens.
Music works in a similar way, and it’s available to all of us. Try this: make a playlist of songs that make you feel good. When you feel stressed or out of sorts during the week, put it on.
China: tai chi
Tai chi is a centuries-old tradition, a way of exercising the mind as much as the body. With its slow, flowing movement, it’s the opposite of the high-impact workouts many of us have put ourselves through. It’s a series of standing postures and the movements that link them, and it asks for balance, calm breathing, fluid muscles and quiet concentration. No special clothes needed.
Try this: look for a beginners’ class near you, or simply slow down one thing you already do. Walk across the garden at half your usual speed and follow your breath as you go.
China: acupuncture
Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese treatment in which very fine needles are placed at particular points of the body to balance its energy. People turn to it for things like headaches, back and neck pain, or allergies. It should only ever be done by a trained professional.
Try this: if you’re curious, find a qualified acupuncturist, make an appointment and talk about what you hope to get from it. If you have a health condition, mention it to your doctor first.
Japan: hara hachi bu
The Japanese have a saying, hara hachi bu, which means: eat until you’re about eight-tenths full. In other words, stop when you’re no longer hungry, before you feel stuffed.
Chopsticks help with this. They naturally slow you down, and when you eat more slowly, you notice sooner that you’ve had enough, and your digestion thanks you for it. Try this: at your next meal, put your fork down between mouthfuls and pause halfway through to ask yourself how hungry you still are. I explain more in how to recognise your body’s hunger and fullness cues.
Japan: shinrin yoku, or forest bathing
Shinrin yoku, forest bathing, was introduced in Japan in the 1980s as a way of looking after public health. The idea is very simple: you sit, stroll and relax among the trees. No destination, no pace to keep.
Time among trees is known to calm the body and ease stress, and people often say they come back with a clearer head, more energy and a lighter mood. Shared with a friend, it deepens the friendship too.
Try this: make it your aim to be out in nature at least once a week. If you live near woodland, pack a basket and have a picnic among the trees. If you don’t, find a park or a garden where you can sit and read. And if Japan inspires you, you might also enjoy the story of senbazuru, the thousand origami cranes.
What do the Nordic countries know about wellbeing?
Norway: friluftsliv
Norwegians have a similar respect for nature. Friluftsliv (say “free-loofts-leev”) means “life in the open air”. The idea, shared with their Swedish neighbours, covers any activity that puts you in touch with nature, from sleeping under the stars to a walk in the park.
It doesn’t mean giving up modern life and technology. It simply means spending more time outdoors. Fishing, walking and climbing trees are all ways in, but the heart of friluftsliv is just to be present in nature and to feel part of it.
The documentary below gives you a feeling for it.
Try this: plan a hike. Gather a few friends and go out for the day. Notice what’s around you. Make outings like this a regular thing, and leave every place as you found it.
Denmark: hygge
You know that warm, comfortable feeling when you curl up near a fire with a good book and someone you love beside you. The Danes call it hygge, and many say it helps them through the dark winters. It’s simply about enjoying the good things in life with good people: the best primary food there is.
There’s no direct English translation. It’s a kind of cosiness and easy togetherness that leaves you feeling content. The word is thought to be related to the English “hug”, which doesn’t surprise me: hygge is a hug of sorts. In The Book of Hygge, Louisa Thomsen Brits describes it like this:
“as simple as a candle, lit and placed on a windowsill to welcome someone home. It is both an inner and outer condition of simplicity; a clarity of presence and intention, and an honest, uncomplicated practice.”
This attention to the present moment and to what your senses take in makes hygge a close cousin of mindfulness, which many people find helpful for their peace of mind.
Try this: on a dark evening, switch off the big light, light a candle, make something warm to drink and sit down with someone you like, or with a book.
Sweden: fika
Fika is the Swedish coffee break, and it’s quite different from a cup gulped down at your desk. It’s a moment to slow down and appreciate the good things in life. Coffee or tea is served with biscuits or a pastry, and you sit together and talk, with no agenda at all. It’s a lovely example of primary and secondary food at the same table.
Try this: instead of pouring your coffee into a flask and rushing out, sit down with your cup and a little something sweet. If mornings are impossible, take your break later in the day. Do it a few times a week, with a colleague or a friend when you can, and see what difference it makes. Friendship is one of the best things for our health, as I wrote in the power of friendship.
Iceland: hot springs
Iceland is known as the land of fire and ice, with its glaciers and its volcanoes. The heat under the ground warms the water and creates natural hot springs. And when life gives you a land of fire and ice, you go and soak in the warm water. The early settlers noticed it too: you can still hear it in the place names, with words such as varm (warm), reyk (steam) and laug (pool).
Families, teenagers and older people meet in the local pools all year round, summer and winter. Stepping out of the icy air and sinking into hot water is a pleasure in itself, and the pools are also where people chat and catch up. Warm water relaxes tired muscles, eases aches and leaves you feeling calm and well.
Try this: look for a natural spring or a thermal bath in your region. There are many around the world, and not only in cold places. If there’s none nearby, run a warm bath with natural bath salts and take your time.
Which traditions come from warmer countries?
Argentina and Uruguay: mate
Yerba mate has become popular in many places in recent years, but in Argentina and Uruguay it has been at the centre of a ritual of friendship for centuries. Tomando mate, simply “drinking mate”, stands for community and hospitality. Friends and family pass round a gourd of this energising tea, made from the dried leaves of a plant that grows in Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil. You could compare it to Italians meeting for an espresso at the café, or to the Japanese tea ritual.
Many people drink it in place of coffee and find that it gives them a steady kind of energy.
Try this: swap your morning coffee for a cup of mate and see how you feel through the day. It does contain caffeine, so if caffeine doesn’t agree with you, this one may not be for you. Better still, share it with someone.
Spain: the siesta
The siesta, the afternoon nap, began as a way for people working in the fields to escape the hottest part of the day. It’s no longer observed everywhere, but we can all learn from the idea. A short rest after lunch helps your body start afresh, lowers stress and leaves you more alert. Even fifteen minutes is useful. Sleep is one of my favourite forms of primary food, so count me in!
Try this: close your eyes for a quarter of an hour after lunch at the weekend. If you can’t sleep in the daytime, or your workplace doesn’t allow it, take mini breaks: a few minutes away from the screen, eyes closed, doing nothing. For the night-time side of things, see my simple habits for better nights.
Egypt, Morocco and Turkey: the hammam
The hammam, which many of us know as the Turkish bath, has its origins in rituals of purification. A traditional hammam has three connecting rooms: a large, hot, domed room with a marble slab in the centre and running water, a warm room and a cool room. There are separate areas for men and women. You begin with a full body scrub, wash your hair and body in the second room, and finish in the cool room with a glass of tea and a rest.
Today people go to relax and to feel thoroughly clean. The warmth and the steam make you perspire, loosen your muscles and leave your skin soft.
Try this: if there’s a hammam or a steam room near you, book an hour, and drink water before and after. At home, a warm shower, a gentle scrub with a rough mitt and a cup of mint tea afterwards will give you a taste of it.
How do you bring one of these home?
Don’t try them all at once. Read back through the list and notice which one you felt drawn to. That’s usually the one you need. Then give it a place in your week: a time, a day, perhaps a person to share it with.
And think about your own roots. What were the health and wellbeing traditions you grew up with? The Sunday walk, the soup your grandmother made, the rest after lunch in summer? Some of them may be worth bringing back. Share them with your friends and family, too: these practices are at their best in company, because happy relationships are primary food.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to travel to try these traditions?
No. Almost all of them can be done at home or close to it: a walk among trees, a candle and a book, a proper coffee break with a friend, a short rest after lunch, a warm bath. What matters is the spirit of the practice, not the place.
Which one should I start with?
Start with the one that made you smile as you read. If you are tired, try the short rest after lunch. If you feel cooped up, go outside among trees. If you feel lonely, invite someone for coffee and cake. One is enough to begin.
What are primary food and secondary food?
Secondary food is what is on your plate. Primary food is everything else that nourishes you: your relationships, work that means something to you, movement, rest and a spiritual practice of some kind. Most of the traditions in this article are primary food.
Is mate a good replacement for coffee?
It can be a pleasant change, and many people enjoy the ritual of sharing it. It does contain caffeine, so if coffee makes you jittery or keeps you awake, mate may do the same. Try a small cup in the morning and see how you feel.
When should I talk to my doctor?
Talk to your doctor before trying acupuncture, a hammam, hot springs or very hot baths if you are pregnant, have a heart condition, high or low blood pressure, or any ongoing health problem. See your doctor too if pain, low mood, poor sleep or tiredness goes on for more than a couple of weeks. These traditions are lovely additions to a healthy life. They do not replace medical care.
Would you like some help?
Looking at the whole of your life, and not only at your plate, is at the heart of my group programmes in nutrition and health, such as Six Tuesdays in Montignac. If you’d like to know when the next group begins, write to me at hello@catherinepolet.coach.
Would you rather work one to one? I also coach online. Book a free 20-minute call, and tell me which of these traditions you’d most like to make your own.
About Catherine
I’m Catherine Polet, a holistic nutrition health coach, yoga and autogenic training teacher for more than 30 years, author and speaker. I help people find a way of eating and living that suits their own body, online in English, French, Spanish and German, and in person in Southwest France.
