Photo: sxc.hu

If America could choose a diet, what do you think it would be? Low-carb? Low GI? High protein? Or maybe just fast food and soda. Americans might not have a traditional diet to fall back on, but other cultures rely on time-tested foods and patterns of eating that not only keep their weight in check, but appear to prevent disease as well. Forbes as a few examples:

• Okinawa, Japan: In Okinawa, people don't stuff themselves. Instead, they practice portion control and load up on seasonal vegetables, tofu, fish and green tea. Breast and prostate cancer levels are significantly lower in Okinawa.
• Cameroon, West Africa: Eating a mostly vegetarian diet that's rich in fiber and includes fermented foods -- like pickles and yogurt -- means Cameroon has a lower colon cancer rate.
• Iceland: Icelanders, naturally, dine on plenty of fish, but also grass-fed lamb and wild game. These types of meat are rich in omega-3s, which might be why Icelanders -- despite their long winters -- are protected from Seasonal Affective Disorder, a type of depression.
• Crete, Greece: Here's the classic Mediterranean diet -- legumes, nuts, olive oil, fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains. They make for a heart-healthy diet, which is probably why heart disease is so low in Crete.

While Americans might find it easy to adopt some of these eating practices, researchers say that we're unlikely to see the benefits unless we understand the diet and stick to it. For that reason, most diet experts recommend the Mediterranean diet, which is most familiar to Westerners.

Even if you don't eat like an Okinawan, you can still practice their portion control strategy of only eating until you're 80 percent full!

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What's so special about Okinawa? Besides being surrounded by some of the most stunning coral reefs in the world, there's something special about this island's citizens -- they are both lean and long-lived. Part of the reason for their good health is that the practice a tradition called hara hachi bu, which means eat until you are 80% full. The idea is that you eat until you're almost satisfied, ensuring that you don't over stuff yourself. You also allow your body time to sense that you are full, since that usually takes about 20 minutes.

Okinawans who eat a traditional diet are so healthy, that a diet plan has been created around their healthy habits. Called the Okinawan Diet, it focuses on eating fish, whole grains, legumes, and fruits and vegetables, and of course, practicing hara hachi bu at every meal.

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Americans have a long lifespan, on average, but as this article points out, that's more down to fancy medicines than actual healthy living. There seems to be this worldwide cliche of Americans being unhealthy and generally obese, and if you travel often, you'll know that it's kind of true -- we do eat more and we are lazier.

So maybe it's time that we look to other countries for healthy living inspiration. Here's where we can find it, according to Dr. Oz:

• In Costa Rica, they eat fruit ever day
• In Sardinia, the wine has 10 times more antioxidants than other wines
• In India, curry spices ward off dementia and Alzheimer's
• In Okinawa, Japan, they drink tea instead of coffee. And they only ever eat until they're 80% full
• In Turkey, Kefir (a form of yogurt) is a regular par of the diet, providing lots of healthy antibiotics.
  

What healthy habits have you learned from other cultures?

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Martha Edwards here -- the newest addition to the That's Fit blogging team. For my first post, I'm going to bend your ear with a story about a group of people who inspired me to live better – the Okinawans, a community of people living on an island in southern.

I first heard about this group in a psychology class, where we studied the physiological and psychological aspects of aging. At the time, I was a busy university student who lived on fast food, massive amounts of caffeine, and, oh yeah, beer. That class caused me to cast a critical eye on my then lifestyle.

When I first heard of the Okinawans, it was recently discovered that this group, in general, has an amazingly high life expectancy -- the highest in the world in fact. They also have a remarkable number of Centenarians (people who live to be 100 or older), and have few instances of the serious diseases that have plagued us in the west, namely cancer and heart disease. The Okinawa Centenarian Study (OCS) set out to figure out just what made these people live longer. Was it their diet? Exercise? Spirituality? Good genes?

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