Swiss women have scored the best body mass index in Europe. Globally people have been getting heavier since 1975, but Swiss women have achieved an almost perfect weight score in a global BMI survey. How is this possible when the Swiss consume more chocolate than any country in the world?
They also eat 21.49 kg of cheese per capita each year. Not as much cheese as the French, but when Fondue and Raclette are national dishes chances are you’re going to eat some cheese.
Of course with all that cheese and chocolate comes fresh mountain air. It’s easy to fall into a world of cliché but the Swiss do like to walk up mountains. In fact they really like to walk. The Swiss take on average 9,650 steps a day. Those are numbers that would make any Fitbit proud. With all this physical activity it’s not surprising that even though the exercise ball was invented in Italy it`s original name was the Swiss Ball.
That’s because Switzerland has long been associated with health and healing. The Bircher Muesli the Swiss eat for breakfast, and sometimes even for dinner, is rooted in this history of sanatoriums and the search for wellness. Invented by a Swiss Doctor, Maximilian Bircher-Benner, it`s originally a combination of rolled oats soaked in water, sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, apples and hazelnuts or almonds. Created for the patients at his sanatorium, Dr. Bircher-Benner was an early believer in the health benefits of raw fruits and vegetables, and the original recipe was meant to be more apple than oats, in the hope that his patients would be encouraged to eat more raw fruit. An apple a day, as they say.
Whatever the reasons, whether it’s fresh mountain air or cheese, Swiss women have the best BMI figures in Europe. What’s the secret? I have no idea. But I’m going to say it has something to do with the Bircher Muesli. Here`s my recipe drawing from the original with a little help from the awarding wining combination from the Hotel Kempinski in Geneva.
Click here for what (I think) is The Best Bircher Muesli Recipe
