What I wish I had more of is the carefreeness of Tobago culture. People hear Caribbean music and assume everyone is chill because of the weather. Actually summer weather is scorching and on the beach, even all the local Trini people were slathering on sunscreen and hiding under umbrellas. It was the people themselves… and my hypothesis is that they live in the tempo of the surrounding waves, and it feels like Caribbean music is even resonant with the waves. People in the inland are often hearing cars, trains, and all different and competing music (literally competing to drown out other people’s music) unless you’re living in a resort in the woods.
I love your ideas and voice. I’m 53 years young but back and knee bothering me w perimenopause so trying to take care of my body in this stage of life. Live in a smallish agriculture town w a 2 year old lab and part time work makes outside activity easy but I need to be mindful of my days. Kids are grown but hubby and pets keep me busy and happy😊
Please stop talking your bullshit, dutch people are not healthy, more than 1 million diabetes, almost 2 million hartproblemen and more than 10 million people with chronic disease. You really think I am going to take on of your advise if you talk so much about things that are not true!
As a Dutchie: From Ireland, the social cohesion: friends, colleagues and family aren't just islands, they're an intricate web. (Con: it can be suffocating). From Belgium: being in the backseat is OK. You don't have to shout and be in front to achieve great things. From Thailand: treat others with kindness and compassion. (All not directly physical health things, but they do allow me to be overall a healthy person)
Niet luisteren naar hippe diëten is erg goed voor je gezondheid. Steeds als ze een nieuw dieet verzinnen staat er een paar maanden later een wanhopige huisarts in de krant die de problemen van influencers op mag lossen.😂 (Ondervoeding, een overdosis vitaminepillen enz. Enz.)
I did a charity bike ride from Brighton, England to Amsterdam a few years ago. As to be expected, it was a joyless nightmare cycling in England - so many aggressive motorists. Sadly, France wasn't that much better, but Belgium was a wonderful place to cycle through. As soon as we got into the Netherlands - wow, it was like a utopia. Pretty much everyone I saw was radiating health. People from 3 to 93 were on bikes. Motorists stopped for us, and didn't hurl abuse. It honestly was the most wonderful experience, and made my return to the UK an unwanted one. The Dutch should hold their way of life close to their hearts (healthy hearts!) and never relent to the junk and car culture of the US and UK.
I lived in the UK all around and in the US. Man I dread driving in the US.Now here, as you pointed out, I feel so safe with my biking. Life is cleaner. Best place to be honest. And yes Niksen!
So in other words: things picked up for you as a cyclist as soon as you hit what are probably the 2 most bike-friendly countries on earth? That shouldn’t be too surprising. Sorry but you can make any country look good or bad if you choose to focus on one of its strengths and compare it to another country that doesn’t value the thing you happen to value. Just saying! Greetings from Antwerp, Belgium 🙂
I live in the US and unless you live in an urban area it is very difficult not to have a car. I would love to walk everywhere but everything is to far away. My nearest food store is ten miles away. I think it is unfair to compare the US to small villages throughout Europe where everything is accessible by walking. Our country is so vast we need a car to get places. It’s really comparing apples to oranges, imo. However, I wish so much it would be possible to walk to the stores,school and work bc we would be much healthier. I agree about portions being large here in the US and it was not always this way. I wonder why that changed. Our biggest issue is the chemicals and processed foods here. It literally is poison. I know many people who wish they could afford organic healthy food and pastured meat but just cannot afford it.
@@ChristineSmith-x6w the total size of the country doesn't really matter when it comes to how far apart homes and supermarkets are built from each other.
@ChristineSmith-x6w The fact that things are too far to walk or cycle doesn't really have anything to do with the size of your country. It's because of your zoning laws. Get rid of those, and for example supermarkets could be build where people also live.
One more thing. People in the Netherlands like to be outside. We don't sit in our homes. Even if it's cold and wet and the wind blows, people go out. Somebody else wrote about the saying 'you're not made of sugar'. That's what my mom said to get us out of the warm kitchen. I believe that being outside in all circumstances makes you strong and hard.
Quite right. Research on aging has shown that exposure to slight physiological stresses like chillyness, heat, exercise, hunger increases autophagy, the cellular repair mechanism. Freezing a bit is also common in winter in the Mediterranean, since people go out everyday, and the houses are not well heated. May contribute to the observed longevity on Sicilia etc. And hills making walking an exercise of middle strength. Thus when I go out in winter in the Alps for sports, I don't cloth myself to perfect attenuation of influences. Cold does not make you sick.
@@HansGrob Very true. Other exposures like molds and germs, bacterias, viruses that you pick up on the way from animals, mud or plants do their best too. In the long run. But there is only one - you mentioned it - that really expands life and stops aging right from the get go. And that is hunger. If you give rats half portions, they live a third longer. That's a 25 year gain.
@@hardyvonwinterstein5445 Lack of early (one year old) exposure leads often to chronic autoimmunity diseases. Fortunately, I was exposed to cows, cats, rabbits, ... But we were happy about the appearance of vaccines against terrible infectious diseases like poliomyelitis, rabies, tuberculosis, tetanus. So I don't understand the fuss about covid vaccinations. The result on rats is not completely transferable to humans. One day of their fasting seems to correspond three days with us. I only manage 24 hours, but it's good enough beneath the usual 18/6 hours. I am known not to fight constantly against thirst on some sporty endeavours, and if cycling in tropical countries. We are by evolution adapted to some thirst, imagine our forestfathers as hunter-gatherers in East Africa, or in freezy winter in the north. It is just another physiological stressor, and it seems that dry fasting increases autophagy. David Sinclair, Harvard, recommends more than only fasting.
I am Dutch, and I also lived and worked for a few years in Norway. It was in Norway that I discovered hiking and walking in nature. Going out there, walking longer and shorter distances, the quiet and the discovery, getting to that mountain top. Now I am back in the Netherlands and I continue hiking. There is no real raw nature here, nor mountains, but there are lots of beautiful urban areas, parks, dunes, hills and small nature preserves that provide near infinite opportunities. I find it nourishes both my body and my soul.
It can´t be more perfect than it is already. You can´t have it all. Imagine you have less rain and raw nature in The Netherlands it would be heaven on earth
@@piecia66 This country has plenty of limitations, both among its people and among its natural and cultured landscapes. But, it is a good country and people in many ways, for sure.
@@terraincognita3749 I hope the housing crisis is just a temporary thing, immigration I will not call a crisis because I don't know if it is a thing or just not accurate tv news. About good things one can keep talking till tomorrow.
@@piecia66 Illegal immigration is a real thing and a massive problem. TV news is not accurate because it doesn't show just how bad it is and how bad it has gotten. It is literally destroying cultures and countries all over the world.
Well, Limburg is not so bad. It's also mostly farms, but it's outstanding. Not to mention some lambiek breweries that you may find if you stroll into Belgium. Which is an advantage if you want to go light of luggage. I pal on doing the Pietenpad as an ultra, The only ultra run on the planet where you can plan your routes from AH to AH 😅
Nice video! As 100% Dutch, but with a daughter who just returned from 4 years university in Philadelphia (I shared this video with her), I would like add that the habit eating together as a family will not only have social benefits, it will also let you eat freshly cooked and less processed food.
About the kale mashed with potato's, these are part of a cooking branch called "stamppotten" (literaly mashed pot). It is very practical food, which mostly people could also grow in their own gardens (when having your own vegetable patch was quite normal, this was until the late 80s). Next to practical, the tastes are very basic, yes, but that also means that often it's not that offensive for children. Also because you have a plate of hot/warm mess, it really warms up the body in the winter.
@@VoornaamAchternaam-kr4vkwell, we can, still. And I do. The alternative is just as bad. Local organic produce is contaminated the same as the stuff in my garden. That leaves either vegetables hauled across countries or continents. Or from greenhouses and/or soaked in poison. Same with my own chickens: my eggs are polluted with PFAS and the honey from my bees has spores of neonicitinoids and glyfosaat. We've allowed the agro and industry to ruin a country. But that means that everything from that country is equally ruined.
Great video, but one tiny remark: in the part on the importance of social relationships you, very understandably/inevitably, use stock images. However, they, equally inevitably, are typically made from an American viewpoint. We see people euphoric, emotional peak moments, exalted, excited, where general it's just the more subdued being together that forms these social bonds and ties. The images shape our expectations about what being together should be, intense celebrations of explicit and condensed euphoria. A friend of mine told me once he went to a party, where everyone showed up at about the same time, then shot picture of euphoric Togetherness, to return home within less than an hour, and he then saw all these pictures showing them having a good time. To him it felt rather fabricated. Here we see the effect of social media, creating an event, togetherness as an achievement. The essence of social relationships is not raising the glasses, not the hugging, not the exalted laughter. all this excitement wears the brain out and results in depression. It's the more enduring, but less photogenic feeling of belonging. But these stock images suggest otherwise. Again, detailed remark.
@@FrankDijkstra I heard that in Ireland, to get the nationality, they make a urine test to see if you have drunk any Guinness during the past 5 years. If any trace is detected, you are denied nationality. If it's more than 300 ml you are unceremoniously put on a plane to Rwanda.
Thank you so much! This makes me super happy to hear. ❤️ I’m working on further refining my audio / microphone setup so hopefully my videos sound even better in the future! xo Robin
We have a saying here (NL😊) Je bent wat je eet, you are what you eat. Which one can take quite literally cause making sure you eat healthy makes sure your metabolism functions best.
@erics320 that we are made of meat doesn't mean we need to eat it to maintain it. Our metabolism has evolved to eat meat & fish about 2 or 3x a week. The idea of the recent past to eat meat every day, is a form of overcomsumption and one of the causes of health problems. E.g. our problems with blood pressure, cholesterol and heart problems.
The Dutch are known for their health due to cycling, but the trend of electric bikes is undermining this tradition, leading to increased laziness. Nowadays, teenagers yearn for electric scooters and subsequently electric bikes. During my school days, my friends and I had to bike for 30 to 40 minutes each morning to get to school and then back home. After school, we would ride our bikes to the park to play soccer, swim, or, in the winter, go ice skating or walk on thin ice for the thrill. We were always active! However, today's kids zip past you on the sidewalks with those scooters, barely walking or cycling anywhere. ! When this new generation grows up, they may not be as active as any generation before them.A positive trend is that smoking is becoming increasingly difficult and costly each year as the number of locations permitted to sell tobacco diminishes.
That conforms exactly to my lifestyle in Switzerland 50 years ago. Cycling to school, football, swimming, skating on the pool. Additionally hiking in forest, on hills, and tobogganing. Now I see that pupils take the train to the school, 1 km away. Ridiculous.
Food quality in the Netherlands is also a huge factor. The EU in general is so strict with chemicals, colourings and all other processing ingredients in foods. They're usually very normal in the US and other Americanised-societies. That and a lot of the produce here actually come from closer areas so that means foods are fresher and retain their nutritional value etc etc. It's so normal to see Dutchies eating their lunch while walking around the city during lunchtime 🤭 Was happy to have found your channel BUT felt heartbroken that you're now back in the US ;-;
Only when you eat organic food, the rest is full of chemicals, including the veggies and fruit. I lived next to an apple orchard in de Betuwe, the fruit region in the middle of Holland and I have seen them spraying this one orchard more than 10 times in a season.
@@truusvdkraats3260 Yes. Fruit especially apples, pears are spoiled with chemicals and grapes even with grow enhancers. The next fruits I do not eat anymore: Grapes red or white, strawberries, apples, pears. I try to buy only fruit from organic origin, when possible. Most fruits I wash them in a solution of baking soda and rinse them afterwards. A lot of fruits is imported from countries with bad habits when it comes to chemical usage. I always check the country of origin. I eat only EU grown fruit.
Really good insights! I lived in NL for 3 years and now live in US for 5+, could definitely agree and relate to all your observations - especially when it comes to seemingly 'care-free' health (cycling and therefore staying fit is a huge part of Dutch culture!) and social relationships.
Americans seem (and are often) friendlier (forget big cities) during a first connection. However, to allow a deeper investment in friends in the US seems hard. Why so? Dutch though are rather direct (NYC style) up to a level that many feel rude (except New Yorkers - they understand, started out as New Amsterdam!). Ok, that is a first interaction. Dutch also have to work hard - but also on home cooking, cleaning, kids-time, sports - a Dutch agenda fits work into life but still busy. An American agenda fits life into work .... how is that? Good night! ;)
I'm Spanish, I lived in the UK and I could draw many of the comparisons you mention between those too, and it sounds like the Dutch perspective/lifestyle is common with most of its neighbour countries, including mine!
Yet again, your fresh, original perspective gives me so much to think about. As important as my friendships are, I realize I don’t prioritize them like I should. Thank you, Robin! Well done once again!
Interesting! The "sleeping in too much = lazy" social pressure in the USA reminded me of a video I saw where a US lady had a theory of why the French are so slim. She said the French WILL put plenty of social pressure if start to get a bit chubby. She said she never got it at all in "fat friendly" USA. But in France, people constantly pointed out she was a little over weight and "do you really need to eat that, best watch your weight" - was said to her a lot from different people in her circles while she lived there. I found that very interesting! So in the US - they do not like people lying in and can shame them. And they are fine with people being fat, no shame there. No wonder unhealthy. Also look at all the addictive food additives etc in US food that is banned in Europe. EDIT - just saw your point 7- where you make exactly the same point. I feel here in the UK we are more like the US these days.
As a Swede it was very interesting to watch this video, we share many similiarities with the dutch way of living. But perhaps not so much the directness in communication, quite the opposite. And biking everywhere is not the norm even though it's something to strive for. There are a lot of things that makes sense when taking in to account what you described about the ways in the US. USA is still a young country. Perhaps wisdom comes with age.
Sadly don't expect the US learning soon. The corporate lobbies are way too strong. Their foods have ingredients forbidden in the EU. Their culture is toxic. Poverty is so huge that to feel you've eaten many eat fat fast food, and can't afford better. Stress from feeling unsafe is way higher. People avoid the doctor for they can't afford bills. Etc.
sweden is different. the land is different. the climate is a little bit different so the culture is a little bit different. that's the joy of life. adapt and overcome. do you Sweden.. love you.😘
These are such important observations, and likely more important than anything uploaded by a self-care/wellness/nutrition/fitness content creator this week. I know we throw around words like work-life balance and the dreadfulness of the rat race, but, by the numbers, Americans live in dysfunction. It is the dysfunction that we choose, however. The depleted state our bodies are in, the strife we accept as normal in our encounters with others, the constant medicating of our discontent. How much healthier we would be to live in harmony, in home, at work, and in the broader community.
another bonus of Dutch food simplicity is that it doesn't require you to cook for 30 minutes to 2+ hours *twice* every day for both lunch and dinner that other cultures often prefer. We don't have that time in our day-to-day life except on the weekends, and it makes for more dishwashing in the end because of all the pots and pans needed.
You are so right about food being more functional. But yes Dutch people really seem to care about healthy food. The normal bread is actually whole wheat bread. White bread is considered more like a treat. Fast food is not normal to eat daily and i love that
Because we are a bike country, there are no large supermarkets with loads of ultra processed foods, we are active (bike, walk), eat lots of fruits, no fastfood on every corner of the street, no extreme consumerism, and drink good beer😊
"no fastfood on every corner of the street" ? Ha, we must live in a different countries then. Because where I live there is a cafetaria on every block. 😅
In brabant, heb je de jumbo met veel ultra processed food en veel. Fritures en mac donalds veel bavaria en natuurlijk ook veel auto’s Supermarkt 8 km verderop dus geen fiets als je voor 5 mensen inkoopt. Beperkt wereldbeeld
I absolutely love the directness of Dutch people and how laid-back the people I met there were. However, if one is not used to it, I can see how many might find this directness unsettling. Congrats on your wedding!
It also has to do with being taught to not have a big ego. From a very early age Dutch kids are told to "get over yourself" when upset about something someone else told them or did to them. It's bad in many ways too because that also leads to us taking abuse for far too long without taking action, and not going to the doctor until we're already very sick. But it does make society very efficient.
@@richardhltrp1791 You must live in a big city then. There has been a constant migration from small towns into big cities but not many more medical facilities have opened. In the countryside you have the opposite.
Nice video. I'm a Yank, married to a Dutchman, living in NL for 40 years. Two facts you missed was that this tiny country is the world's 2nd largest food exporter after America. So food is also regarded as an economic pillar. Dutch pigs, cucumbers, tomatoes, are world famous (reputation for taste is another issue) 2ndly, it is normal to talk about politics & controversial issues during social gatherings without it becoming a war zone. It's healthy, creates a bigger sense of understanding friends point of view.
As a Brit expat living in Rotterdam I would agree with everything Robin so expertly describes - with one caveat - the Dutch are getting less healthy.- and that is because of the infestation of American fast food places and the availabilty of food all day. Hard to believe that when I first moved to Rotterdam in 1991 the shops were all closed on Sundays ! And obesity was correspondingly rare.
American??? WE invented fast food! FEBO is 100% Dutch, we invented the Frikandel and the Capsalon. And we are not "getting unhealthy", half of our population is obese. Mayne not much for US standards, but not exactly an example of good health. These venues exist since at least the 1950s
@@VFella According to the World Health Organization the obesity rate in the Netherlands is about 17%. 17% is not "half of our population". For reference, the United States is at almost 43% in the same WHO study.
I think if you were to take a short dive in the Flemish Belgian culture, you'll find alot of things and habbits that were common in the Netherlands of the 1990s. Less American fast food chains, shops closed on sundays;....
I’ve been commuting to work using public transit for over a year and a half now. Mainly because it saves me an absolute ton money not needing to own a car but also because it’s so active. When I tell people about it, all they take away from it is how long it takes me. Walking is inherently slow and almost half of my commute time is walking. You can travel so far in a car in 10 minutes but not that far by foot. I can count my commute towards my daily exercise but someone who hops in their car can’t say the same. Recently I started biking part of my commute when the weather allows so that is also upping my daily activity level.
Robin, you forgot the final an most important reason for why our fellow Dutch people are so healthy. They must remain fit for the everlasting war against the ocean! love the video, I found it very... practical
I really think it's a bit funny when you people call it an "ocean", it isn't, it's just a small sea. Counties like France, Portugal, Ireland, and the UK, they border the ocean. They get the rough weather and big storms. The North Sea is just a shallow sheltered sea and pretty calm compared to the ocean. We are very much sheltered from the elements by the other European counties. Yes, we have to build dikes to keep the water out, and of course, sometimes we get a storm, but still... we are very well off here. ❤
@@Alicia-rd5oj 😅 it's all the same to someone like me from a landlocked state. That was just something I found humorous while reading some Dutch literature
Congratulations for your wedding.!🎉 I agree with you 100%! I am a Portuguese living in the USA and see the same differences, the biggest one in the social interactions, unfortunately I feel somewhat isolated and feel it's very hard to find deep friendships like I still have back home! I work for a large grocery store chain and we are encouraged to keep employee interaction at a minimum, we watch sexual harassment training videos and are more than encouraged to basically just interact if the subject is work related which to me is very strange being that I m not used to this!
I feel the UK from what you're describing had a culture more like Dutch culture but is shifting toward American culture. I don't know why but I don't think the UK has a strong identity. I'm 42 and I think we are shifting all the time, often away from the values I was raised with.
There's a problem with a treadmill desk. You may get exercise, but if you're combining it with other tasks it's just a chore. Walking or biking somewhere is nice!
For us Dutchies walking or cycling is just the most efficient way to get to our destination a lot of the time. But we also drive or take public transport.
I found your insight about the nature and importance of social relations (US vs NL) very interesting. I've never realised that in the Netherlands one's social live is an important part of your identity (and your professional live to a much lesser degree). But I think you are right.
Ha, I didn't know you were Dutch American! I also have a Dutch mom and an American dad and also moved to Europe almost 10 years ago in my early 20s o_O Unfortunately I haven't been able to spend much time in the Netherlands despite living close... but I've observed similar things in Germany and France, especially #3 of course (movement is inevitable), but also many difference between the Dutch/Germans and the French, who definitely NOT the type to think of food as just a fuel source.
I was born and raised in Canada lived in the UK for 5 years, lived in few other countries for less time and lived in Holland for 15 years. Most of what you've stated I agree with, with one exception, I found the Dutch very closed. I have zero long term friends after 15 years living in Holland whereas even after being back in Canada for 10 years now I'm still in contact with my friends in other countries. I learned the language BTW.
Thanks for your thoughtful and insightful comment. ❤️ Yes, I also recognize this element of Dutch culture. I think Dutch people make many of their friends in their youth or through school or clubs, so it can be really hard to be social as an expat. I’ve observed that many expats inevitably end up becoming friends with other expats. I personally have a lot of family living across the Netherlands and also went to university there so I think this helped me integrate more easily than someone who is not Dutch. Anywhoo, I hope you are loving life back in Canada! My impression is the Canada is a nice mix of many North American and European qualities. Seems like a great country to live in!
It's probably my age, but I don't need that much sleep. If Ingo to sleep fasted (blood sugar down to fasted -- not eating carbs after 5pm or if I do it is because I eat it after training workout) I have wonderful sleeps. I only feel guilty waking up early because people tell you need right hours sleep.
to be honest, the average resident of the usa does little to move more, they think it is fine but complain that they have to drive far to do their shopping. And that is the problem of the architects who design the infrastructure there, ''if it can be reached by car it is fine'' but do not think about pedestrians, cyclists, other types of neighborhoods with a shopping center in the middle as you know yourself after 10 years in the netherlands, and even playgrounds have to go or are completely removed from what I see in all those videos. Notjustbikes has very nice reports about how bad it is in america (and canada)
I would dare to say that it is because of the Dutch focus on social relationships they have often ranked high on the list of happiest countries in the world.
Lol, as a dutchie living now in Portugal I can tell you that dutches are really complaining and moaning about everything. And the stress is also very high, exspecially in the cities. I know lots of dutches who cannot wait to leave the Netherlands.
Thank you for making this video that shines light on our Dutch culture compared to the USA. I have a question for you more related to you being halfbloed Dutch and halfbloed American (half weed and half hamburger as we prefer to call it), but I was wondering about which language of the two you've been raised with (Dutch and English) you would say is your main language and why?
Dutchy here. I developed back problems that aren't fixable. So I'm in bed a lot. I grew fat. Blood pressure ridiculously high. Yet I changed my diet up to the point I mainly consumed water, meat, beans, 1 average potato and a bit of gravy. Some different veggies and fruit too. Weight stabilized. Blood pressure did F all. Yeah, going up instead of down. 227 over 119 is the highest I ever measured. Anyway, I've always lived around farms and polders, rivers, long stretches of water and land so I used to move a lot, on top of being a busy bee and doing fitness or martial arts too. But of course that all is a no go now. So I got an elliptical trainer. Every hour I get in it for a few minutes, quite intensively, if even only 4 minutes per time I go. Mostly around ten though. Since I started doing that, in combination with my diet, my weight has started to plummet and my blood pressure is going down accordingly. So having had this experience while being healthy except for my back issues, I'm going to have to stress the importance of even tiny bits of exercise in combo with diet. Good sleep is next on my list. Which likely will have to do with sleep apnea since I grew fat, so that should start to improve also over the next few months. But yes, those all are included normally in the Dutch way of life, if you're not bed-ridden. Is that a word? So it makes sense those factors are the main reasons we're quite healthy on average.
I stream series, TH-cam and movies on some device while exercising. When in bed I return to programming etc. so... No reason nit yo. Especially if you're in the US and never get on a bike due to car culture.
Health differences between US Americans and Western Europeans (EU population) largely has to do with regulations. In the EU, the population is much more kept from chronic intoxication because the food & cookware contain much less harmful preservatives or chemicals. The EU population ages better and healthier, without anything particular about the Netherlands.
Spot on! It is that, but also the food tradition prior to the EU. Look at the ingredients of bread and cheese in the US and in the EU and you will see a HUGE difference. Apart from that, in the EU there is also a lot of ultra processed food in the supermarket and at every street corner. So if you want, you can get obese here too!
You are 💯correct! You are so fortunate to have laws against putting essentially poison in your food. Not so here in the US. It is causing metabolic damage and autoimmune disease and the list goes on and on. My family who have traveled to Italy are amazed that they can eat pasta without consequences. They actually feel better and lost weight while there. It’s all about profit for these corporations and they lobby heavily with congress so they get away with it.
The problem with "friendships" in the US, as I see it, is that everybody you speak with, even if it is just a 5 minutes, are immediately considered to be a friend. For me, a friend is someone who stands by you when your having a hard time, who not immediately flees
One thing that worked very well for me was starting Kung Fu training. I was born on the skinny side of life and by 18, I was 1m90 / 6'3" and 73 kg / 160lb. by 25 I got up in weight a bit but still underweight compared to length. In my 30's my weight raised to 84 kg / 185 which is still on the low side of good. When I started to train in Wing Chun kung fu, I went to the 105kg / 230lb my body wants to weigh. And most of the mass was muscles and organs, maybe a bit of bone density. Changed nothing else, didn't eat more but gained what I could not gain ever before. That's stable for eight years now. It brought me a better balance and more energy. Living more from my center, the "I am" and "I feel" took room away from the "I overthink" or too rational way of life.
Love all the comparisons you mentioned! Thanks for sharing, your video really made me think. I'm from NYC- born and raised. After traveling around the world and making it my mission to travel across the U.S. to see as MANY states as I could, I've learned that the U.S. is VAST. No, really. You don't know until you travel across the U.S. SO many landscapes, cultures, subgroups of people with different values and beliefs. The U.S. is hard to describe in terms of culture-- sure, there's the way we are portrayed in media and most people see the U.S. that way and I won't doubt that we embody capitalism above anything else-- but traveling to so many different states in the U.S. from East to West, North and South I've realized we don't really fit in a box. Like you mentioned, it is so nuanced. I guess that's what happens when a country is built by Indigenous peoples, immigrants (and the institution of slavery!)
We will only invest in relations that will last for long. Basis should be common goals, attitute, physical and cultural equal thinking etc. Friends are the people who will help eachother in good and bad, not only for their own benefit. This means trust in eachother. Never betray a person you want to become friends with.
I'm curious where and how Dutch folks develop their social networks? I am 28 years sober in AA, and we talk a lot about isolating and becoming a part of the fellowship. Very similar to what people experience when they are active members of a church. How do they do it in the Netherlands?
Many people are in sportclubs (which you participate in the evenings or weekends), which enrolls you in a social club because many of these include teamsports or competition (so you have opponents to socialize with). Also many people outside work meet like friends on an occasional basis to have a drink or something. Also when you have kids in school, they play outside school times with friends so you end up befriending those parents etc.
Love the idea of sharing meals at restaurants. My husband and I do that. But I do hate food waste so I will continue to bring home leftovers but pair it with a nice salad rather than another big rich meal.
As a Ukrainian immigrant living in the US, I can 100% testify to all points. 15 years living here, and one thing I could never get used to is the lack of daily moving and walking... I spent two weeks in Kyiv and Lviv recently eating oh so so much, and yet I still managed to lose 3 pounds 🤯
As Dutch person who lived some time in the US, I found it very confusing to be expected to leave ASAP after finishing a meal. Going out for dinner is a social thing for us where you stay have a drink and talk together.
As a dutchie (sorry for grammer mistakes), it depends where you were born. Even if its a small country. Better to say: are your parents rich or high educated. The middle class is disapearing. People having trouble to get by. Have trouble to buy food, to pay the bills, can't even put the heater on when its cold. I know you mean well with your video, but things changed after 2020 here. I normaly never give a comment, but, i felt that I had to speak for the people who are not getting by, who are not able to pay the bills, who can't even go to the dentist. And its getting worser. I wish we all would live, the way you discribed. That would be great. ❤❤❤
Hey 👋 Thank you so much for sharing this! I really appreciate you taking the time to speak on behalf of Dutch people who are not getting by. I think it’s so important to honor different perspectives and experiences. I debated whether to make this video because no matter what, I would be excluding many versions of reality for both Dutch and American people. I try to share things I think will be useful to others-my videos are never going to be about objective truths because that’s not possible in exploring self-care. If my content can start nuanced discussions about healthy living or different cultures in the comments, I personally consider that such a positive outcome. So thank you for contributing to this element of TH-cam! I love that we can explore different and even contradictory ideas here. And I hope these sorts of topics get people thinking. You’ve raised a great point: wealth disparities across the globe are increasing, even in social economies. I’m certainly reminded of the many privileges in my life-even the opportunity to live in these two, well-developed countries is an incredible gift. Thanks again for sharing and making me think. ❤️❤️❤️ with love, Robin
Hai Robin, thanks for your words, I know your video came from a good and kind heart. I felt that, and that's what matters. If there are 100 people seeing this, there are 100 different opinions. All of them have a way of seeing the world, build on their lives, their expierences (hope I write it correct). Don't let less good reactions take away your light, always remember that a person reacts to what he or she has delt with in their lives. Its a reflection of what they feel and been trough, and that is okay, they can have a opiniun (definitly wrong written, but you know what I meen). As a eldery woman, I can only say: never take things personly in life, always stay grounded, better to have a few good and honest friends, its the quality not the quantity that matters. Don't doubt yourself. You wanted to make a video about something that is good (or positive) in this world (or country). And with these words I say goodbye, giving you a big hug❤❤❤
I’ve never been in a country where people can be more themselves then the Netherlands. I don’t feel people get critized for how they look at all, maybe except being really unhealthy fat. Because for Dutch it looks concerning but its not like Dutch people pressure each other to look good. The women hardly wear make up or care about brands. Dutch culture is so relaxed and effortless its refreshing. People can just be themselves, Dutch are the most open minded people I know
I am Dutch and have lived in the USA for 14 years before returning to the Netherlands due to health reasons. I learned after my Gastric bypass the best thing to do in the States is to basically ask for a box before I get my meal, I grew up with the clean your plate syndrome, which led to the Gastric bypass in the first place. In the Netherlands we work to live rather than live to work, we enjoy time off, we take off when sick. Not keep going and making everyone sick around you. Our bread goes bad after about a week, unlike the US bread. As for the air quality, I don't agree: I lived in North Carolina those 14 years and ended up in ER several times a year with uncontrollable asthma. I used to have my own nebulizer at home as well as inhalers. Since getting back to the Netherlands I have been to the ER once... in 14 years(!) I don't have a nebulizer here and am able to do with inhalers. Yes, still have a respiratory infection at least once a year, but had more of them in NC. So while in NY the air quality may be better than in Amsterdam that's not enough to state that the air quality in the Netherlands is worse than in the States in general. I love the States, it feels like home to me as well, I miss the country and beautiful landscape. The ocean as well, but with my health problems, it's better for me to stay in the Netherlands to live as healthcare is more affordable for me.
Thank you so much for sharing this personal and thoughtful account! Especially about air quality: you’re right that this can vary SO greatly across the US. I probably should not have added this as it’s difficult to compare. I’ve just been surprised that European cities can have quite poor air. But regarding the other details you shared: I think you’re so right that lifestyle balance is a huge part of what makes life a little healthier in the Netherlands. The life stress seems to be intense less on the whole. These soft societal qualities are so difficult to quantify, which is why I value when people contribute their first hand experience. I appreciate you adding to the discussion! ❤️🙏 wishing you the best in your health journey. X Robin
Stores are closer so you can walk to them but Amsterdam isn't like the rest of the Netherlands and it's easier to take your car to do a big shop and we certainly don't walk that much. Sleep is so different in the Netherlands that kids sleep way more than in all other countries. So they start out in life being less stressed and parents will make sure kids go to bed on time year round. The food may be fuel but it's a misunderstanding to then assume it's not tasty. Kalemash is one of my favorite foods and has been since I was a little kid and it's not because my mom didn't know how to cook with spices,she was Indo, I just loved dutch food too. And if you look at research the way we eat a ton of kale is the best way to eat it, cooked so all the nutrients are available, with fats and milk to bind to any of the less positive ones in kale, your potatoes for energy but on the whole it's a dish that keeps you warm with slow release energy and is delicious. Bread too, it's not just healthier than american bread, it tastes better, so that classic bread and cheese usually with butter on it is also tasty and we don't need to make a hot meal for lunch to feel satisfied. You just grab some bread and you don't need crisps on the side or 5 slices of an inferior cheese and ham, one is enough. Fries are sold by large portions and many people eat that to replace a meal, with deepfried snacks and mayo. We don't worry about it, you'd probably not eat it on a diet but unlike McDonalds it keeps you full so it's not so bad.
Congratulations on your wedding! 👰😍💖 I like this reflexion. I wonder about the habit of eating fruits and desserts after meals most countries have (I think so)... what is the science behind 🍒🍓🍨
I think you might have misread the Air Quality indicator - I think the lower number is much better than a higher number? Eg. The reason it says Good for New York and Moderate in Amsterdam is because it’s comparing to other days in New York when it’s worse and others days in Amsterdam when its better? Right now the air pollution indicator tells me it is 2 where I live in Edinburgh in Scotland, and 53 where I used to live in Los Angeles. Let me know if I’m wrong,but I definitely feel like the air quality is better over here because of EU regulations. Ps. Congratulations on your wedding! 🤍
Hi Zohra, you are actually completely right. This is a grave oversight on my part. I’m going to amend this video! Thank you so much for this correction. This is something I added in at the last second, which is often when mistakes are made. I had been reading about the poor air quality in European cities so I think I was primed in the wrong direction. Just did more research and in the air quality index (AQI) which ranges from 0-500, lower numbers are better. I’ll amend this video later today. Thank you so so much!!!!! X Robin
I so appreciate it! As a one woman show I definitely can miss things. Working on getting someone to fact check and review the videos before they publish 🙏 have a great Sunday as well! xo
I am German and we always saw the dutch food as sooo unehalthy. 🙂 French Fries. Poffertjes. White bread. Kip salad + more white bread. Funny to see a different point of view on this. Now I am living in Italy and I see how the German food is so much richer so much more processed and how in fact there are nearly no overweight people on the street in Italy.
In general you nailed the differences. The only thing I don't agree with is the Dutch way of commenting about somebody's weight. You only do this when someone is your friend and you are concerned about them or they are complaining about their health. We (the Dutchies) are practical people so the logical way to response is 'well, eat healthier, get some excercise, stop drinking. It is blunt but it's coming from a place of love. I also think that it has to do with the way our health system works. We all pay health insurance with the idea that it is a basic human right to receive medical care. This also means that I (with a healthy lifestyle) pay the same as somebody with an unhealthy lifestyle. If more people are healty, the costs in general are less, so I profit when more people are healthy. In a way it's a shared responsability. (Sorry for my bad English, it's not my first language.)
My grandfather was Dutch and I remember him eating tomatoes as you described, just like an apple. He also used to put meat gravy on his pie. For example, at Thanksgiving he would put turkey gravy on a slice of pumpkin pie. My mom always said it was the Dutch in him. I'm curious. Have you ever seen this?
We build a dike on the piece of food, and then we poor gravy in the basin we just created. Even in our foods we want to control the water (joking, but not joking)
@wendyamsterdam8482 I think it's a boomer thing, too. 😂 My husband's parents do it too, they both grew up on a farm. People used to do hard labour and lived in poorly heated homes. They needed the energy and fat. When living conditions got better, they still kept eating the same way. I never eat gravy, and I dont even think my 7 year old daughter knows what it is. 😂
I'm Dutch, living in France. France has everything the US has, but closer together. To compare the US to the Netherlands is comparing New York city to half of the Netherlands, size wise.
One must not forget that all food in the USA is known to be genetically modified and contains chemicals and other harmful ingredients that are completely banned in Europe. The negative thing is that Americans are forced to buy this food. The high proportion of fast food also contributes to this. Many diseases and obesity in the USA are the result. Cycling here is not only about doing something for the environment, but also about exercising your body.
I don't think this is a specifically Dutch thing, but a general European lifestyle. As a German, I live a similar lifestyle and I have friends in other EU countries who also live a similar lifestyle.
Biggest difference is probably that healthy food is readily available. And the processed variants arent nearly as sugary as in the US. What I personally noticed is the portions that are served in the US... Who drinks 1 liter of any kind of fluid during dinner?! I typed it and immediately had to correct myself thinking of 2 kinds in europe, beer and wine 😂
Im gonna be honest as a dutch american who spent 21 years in holland 10 of which in amsterdam, and now living in PA for 2 years. While dutch culture is definitely much better in the sense of healthy living with movement the dutch culture is slowly shifting to american with diet and consumerism. People are spending more time chronically online, the weather is so god damn depressing, and drug and alcohol culture is insane, i was a literal alcoholic and drug addict and people didnt seem to think it was bad. Living in the US there are bigger portions, more fastfood and car lifestyle but if you just stay healthy with exercise and diet for me personally i enjoy the US more
You are more describing general differences between the US and Europe, not the Netherlands per se. Except for the small portions of food, one of the reasons they are considered being cheap
Just recently they found a shark that was 512 years old. Without ever seeing a doctor. Upon asked how come, he or she or it said: never thought of it really, just kept swimming.
My guess is your experience with nl is mainly Amsterdam, the West. Not so much east and south... I was born in adam , it feels like a country on its own.
I liked everything you shared here, it seems like sensible, useful information. What I'd like to see in the future is no mic in front of your face, being passed from hand to hand, and really messing with the volume. Your volume would increase suddenly and dramatically, it was jarring. Also, the mic itself was a distraction. One minute it was covering half your face, then it would be in your right hand, then your left hand. I've NEVER seen a talking head hold their mic. It's ALWAYS, 100% of the time, in a stand or on a lapel. Unless you are a rock star, or giving a speech without a podium, like a TEDTalk, you should have that mic in a stand. The video was still worth listening to, though!
Great feedback! Thanks for a constructive and kindly delivered point for improvement!! I’ll definitely think about how I can do the audio better in future videos. 🙏❤️
What health habits / norms have you embraced from another culture (or your own)?? Share with us!
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What I wish I had more of is the carefreeness of Tobago culture. People hear Caribbean music and assume everyone is chill because of the weather. Actually summer weather is scorching and on the beach, even all the local Trini people were slathering on sunscreen and hiding under umbrellas. It was the people themselves… and my hypothesis is that they live in the tempo of the surrounding waves, and it feels like Caribbean music is even resonant with the waves. People in the inland are often hearing cars, trains, and all different and competing music (literally competing to drown out other people’s music) unless you’re living in a resort in the woods.
I love your ideas and voice. I’m 53 years young but back and knee bothering me w perimenopause so trying to take care of my body in this stage of life. Live in a smallish agriculture town w a 2 year old lab and part time work makes outside activity easy but I need to be mindful of my days. Kids are grown but hubby and pets keep me busy and happy😊
Please stop talking your bullshit, dutch people are not healthy, more than 1 million diabetes, almost 2 million hartproblemen and more than 10 million people with chronic disease. You really think I am going to take on of your advise if you talk so much about things that are not true!
As a Dutchie: From Ireland, the social cohesion: friends, colleagues and family aren't just islands, they're an intricate web. (Con: it can be suffocating).
From Belgium: being in the backseat is OK. You don't have to shout and be in front to achieve great things.
From Thailand: treat others with kindness and compassion.
(All not directly physical health things, but they do allow me to be overall a healthy person)
Niet luisteren naar hippe diëten is erg goed voor je gezondheid. Steeds als ze een nieuw dieet verzinnen staat er een paar maanden later een wanhopige huisarts in de krant die de problemen van influencers op mag lossen.😂
(Ondervoeding, een overdosis vitaminepillen enz. Enz.)
I did a charity bike ride from Brighton, England to Amsterdam a few years ago. As to be expected, it was a joyless nightmare cycling in England - so many aggressive motorists. Sadly, France wasn't that much better, but Belgium was a wonderful place to cycle through. As soon as we got into the Netherlands - wow, it was like a utopia. Pretty much everyone I saw was radiating health. People from 3 to 93 were on bikes. Motorists stopped for us, and didn't hurl abuse. It honestly was the most wonderful experience, and made my return to the UK an unwanted one. The Dutch should hold their way of life close to their hearts (healthy hearts!) and never relent to the junk and car culture of the US and UK.
I lived in the UK all around and in the US. Man I dread driving in the US.Now here, as you pointed out, I feel so safe with my biking. Life is cleaner. Best place to be honest. And yes Niksen!
So in other words: things picked up for you as a cyclist as soon as you hit what are probably the 2 most bike-friendly countries on earth? That shouldn’t be too surprising. Sorry but you can make any country look good or bad if you choose to focus on one of its strengths and compare it to another country that doesn’t value the thing you happen to value. Just saying! Greetings from Antwerp, Belgium 🙂
I live in the US and unless you live in an urban area it is very difficult not to have a car. I would love to walk everywhere but everything is to far away. My nearest food store is ten miles away. I think it is unfair to compare the US to small villages throughout Europe where everything is accessible by walking. Our country is so vast we need a car to get places. It’s really comparing apples to oranges, imo. However, I wish so much it would be possible to walk to the stores,school and work bc we would be much healthier. I agree about portions being large here in the US and it was not always this way. I wonder why that changed. Our biggest issue is the chemicals and processed foods here. It literally is poison. I know many people who wish they could afford organic healthy food and pastured meat but just cannot afford it.
@@ChristineSmith-x6w the total size of the country doesn't really matter when it comes to how far apart homes and supermarkets are built from each other.
@ChristineSmith-x6w The fact that things are too far to walk or cycle doesn't really have anything to do with the size of your country. It's because of your zoning laws. Get rid of those, and for example supermarkets could be build where people also live.
One more thing. People in the Netherlands like to be outside. We don't sit in our homes. Even if it's cold and wet and the wind blows, people go out. Somebody else wrote about the saying 'you're not made of sugar'. That's what my mom said to get us out of the warm kitchen. I believe that being outside in all circumstances makes you strong and hard.
Quite right. Research on aging has shown that exposure to slight physiological stresses like chillyness, heat, exercise, hunger increases autophagy, the cellular repair mechanism. Freezing a bit is also common in winter in the Mediterranean, since people go out everyday, and the houses are not well heated. May contribute to the observed longevity on Sicilia etc. And hills making walking an exercise of middle strength. Thus when I go out in winter in the Alps for sports, I don't cloth myself to perfect attenuation of influences. Cold does not make you sick.
@@HansGrob Very true. Other exposures like molds and germs, bacterias, viruses that you pick up on the way from animals, mud or plants do their best too. In the long run.
But there is only one - you mentioned it - that really expands life and stops aging right from the get go. And that is hunger. If you give rats half portions, they live a third longer. That's a 25 year gain.
@@hardyvonwinterstein5445 Lack of early (one year old) exposure leads often to chronic autoimmunity diseases. Fortunately, I was
exposed to cows, cats, rabbits, ... But we were happy about the appearance of vaccines against terrible infectious diseases like poliomyelitis, rabies, tuberculosis, tetanus. So I don't understand the fuss about covid vaccinations. The result on rats is not completely transferable to humans. One day of their fasting seems to correspond three days with us. I only manage 24 hours, but it's good enough beneath the usual 18/6 hours. I am known not to fight constantly against thirst on some sporty endeavours, and if cycling in tropical countries. We are by evolution adapted to some thirst, imagine our forestfathers as hunter-gatherers in East Africa, or in freezy winter in the north. It is just another physiological stressor, and it seems that dry fasting increases autophagy. David Sinclair, Harvard, recommends more than only fasting.
What a bunch of nonsense. People everywhere in the world like being outside. Ihave been and lived around the world so I should know
@@exeuropean i know I am Dutch, but I think in many countries people go outside alot
I am Dutch, and I also lived and worked for a few years in Norway. It was in Norway that I discovered hiking and walking in nature. Going out there, walking longer and shorter distances, the quiet and the discovery, getting to that mountain top. Now I am back in the Netherlands and I continue hiking. There is no real raw nature here, nor mountains, but there are lots of beautiful urban areas, parks, dunes, hills and small nature preserves that provide near infinite opportunities. I find it nourishes both my body and my soul.
It can´t be more perfect than it is already. You can´t have it all. Imagine you have less rain and raw nature in The Netherlands it would be heaven on earth
@@piecia66 This country has plenty of limitations, both among its people and among its natural and cultured landscapes. But, it is a good country and people in many ways, for sure.
@@terraincognita3749 I hope the housing crisis is just a temporary thing, immigration I will not call a crisis because I don't know if it is a thing or just not accurate tv news. About good things one can keep talking till tomorrow.
@@piecia66 Illegal immigration is a real thing and a massive problem. TV news is not accurate because it doesn't show just how bad it is and how bad it has gotten. It is literally destroying cultures and countries all over the world.
Well, Limburg is not so bad. It's also mostly farms, but it's outstanding. Not to mention some lambiek breweries that you may find if you stroll into Belgium. Which is an advantage if you want to go light of luggage. I pal on doing the Pietenpad as an ultra, The only ultra run on the planet where you can plan your routes from AH to AH 😅
Nice video! As 100% Dutch, but with a daughter who just returned from 4 years university in Philadelphia (I shared this video with her), I would like add that the habit eating together as a family will not only have social benefits, it will also let you eat freshly cooked and less processed food.
Congrats on your wedding!! ❤
Thank you so much! 🥰 It was very special to be back in the Netherlands with so many loved ones ❤️
About the kale mashed with potato's, these are part of a cooking branch called "stamppotten" (literaly mashed pot). It is very practical food, which mostly people could also grow in their own gardens (when having your own vegetable patch was quite normal, this was until the late 80s). Next to practical, the tastes are very basic, yes, but that also means that often it's not that offensive for children. Also because you have a plate of hot/warm mess, it really warms up the body in the winter.
@@VoornaamAchternaam-kr4vkwell, we can, still. And I do. The alternative is just as bad. Local organic produce is contaminated the same as the stuff in my garden. That leaves either vegetables hauled across countries or continents. Or from greenhouses and/or soaked in poison.
Same with my own chickens: my eggs are polluted with PFAS and the honey from my bees has spores of neonicitinoids and glyfosaat.
We've allowed the agro and industry to ruin a country. But that means that everything from that country is equally ruined.
I was raised by an American biological mom and a Dutch stepmom so I experienced the differences firsthand. You’re spot on.
Great video, but one tiny remark: in the part on the importance of social relationships you, very understandably/inevitably, use stock images. However, they, equally inevitably, are typically made from an American viewpoint. We see people euphoric, emotional peak moments, exalted, excited, where general it's just the more subdued being together that forms these social bonds and ties. The images shape our expectations about what being together should be, intense celebrations of explicit and condensed euphoria. A friend of mine told me once he went to a party, where everyone showed up at about the same time, then shot picture of euphoric Togetherness, to return home within less than an hour, and he then saw all these pictures showing them having a good time. To him it felt rather fabricated. Here we see the effect of social media, creating an event, togetherness as an achievement. The essence of social relationships is not raising the glasses, not the hugging, not the exalted laughter. all this excitement wears the brain out and results in depression. It's the more enduring, but less photogenic feeling of belonging. But these stock images suggest otherwise. Again, detailed remark.
From Ireland via my mom: Get some fresh air. Tea. Don’t work too hard. Tea. Friends. Tea. Family. Tea. Laugh!
And Guinness, lots of Guinness!😉
😉😂😂😉
@@FrankDijkstra I heard that in Ireland, to get the nationality, they make a urine test to see if you have drunk any Guinness during the past 5 years. If any trace is detected, you are denied nationality. If it's more than 300 ml you are unceremoniously put on a plane to Rwanda.
I can listen to you speak all day. Your voice has a very calming effect.
Thank you so much! This makes me super happy to hear. ❤️
I’m working on further refining my audio / microphone setup so hopefully my videos sound even better in the future!
xo Robin
We have a saying here (NL😊) Je bent wat je eet, you are what you eat. Which one can take quite literally cause making sure you eat healthy makes sure your metabolism functions best.
Yes, and we are made out of water and meat. But somehow we are being told again and again we should eat less meat?
Haha perhaps another Dutch/German saying (for rain) can also apply here: we are not made of sugar!
@erics320 that we are made of meat doesn't mean we need to eat it to maintain it.
Our metabolism has evolved to eat meat & fish about 2 or 3x a week. The idea of the recent past to eat meat every day, is a form of overcomsumption and one of the causes of health problems. E.g. our problems with blood pressure, cholesterol and heart problems.
@@canwejustnot I will not say you are wrong, but take a look at the carnivore community and be amazed by the health improvemend on eating meat only.
That saying exists in english too
The Dutch are known for their health due to cycling, but the trend of electric bikes is undermining this tradition, leading to increased laziness. Nowadays, teenagers yearn for electric scooters and subsequently electric bikes. During my school days, my friends and I had to bike for 30 to 40 minutes each morning to get to school and then back home. After school, we would ride our bikes to the park to play soccer, swim, or, in the winter, go ice skating or walk on thin ice for the thrill. We were always active! However, today's kids zip past you on the sidewalks with those scooters, barely walking or cycling anywhere. ! When this new generation grows up, they may not be as active as any generation before them.A positive trend is that smoking is becoming increasingly difficult and costly each year as the number of locations permitted to sell tobacco diminishes.
As a 42 year old Dutchie I agree with most of what you said, but I do still see a lot of kids doing sports, so they're active in that way.
That conforms exactly to my lifestyle in Switzerland 50 years ago. Cycling to school, football, swimming, skating on the pool. Additionally hiking in forest, on hills, and tobogganing. Now I see that pupils take the train to the school, 1 km away. Ridiculous.
Spot on: verwende nesten en watjes zijn het.
@@ppmroberts-t5r echt hè
Food quality in the Netherlands is also a huge factor. The EU in general is so strict with chemicals, colourings and all other processing ingredients in foods.
They're usually very normal in the US and other Americanised-societies. That and a lot of the produce here actually come from closer areas so that means foods are fresher and retain their nutritional value etc etc. It's so normal to see Dutchies eating their lunch while walking around the city during lunchtime 🤭 Was happy to have found your channel BUT felt heartbroken that you're now back in the US ;-;
Only when you eat organic food, the rest is full of chemicals, including the veggies and fruit. I lived next to an apple orchard in de Betuwe, the fruit region in the middle of Holland and I have seen them spraying this one orchard more than 10 times in a season.
@@truusvdkraats3260 Yes. Fruit especially apples, pears are spoiled with chemicals and grapes even with grow enhancers. The next fruits I do not eat anymore: Grapes red or white, strawberries, apples, pears. I try to buy only fruit from organic origin, when possible. Most fruits I wash them in a solution of baking soda and rinse them afterwards. A lot of fruits is imported from countries with bad habits when it comes to chemical usage. I always check the country of origin. I eat only EU grown fruit.
They aren’t nearly as stressed or terrified 24/7 as Americans are culturally. And, their society isn’t toxic to the point of being radioactive.
We are working on it. It's item #3 in our new far-right government's planning, just behind "annoying the EU" and "making promises we won't uphold"
Really good insights! I lived in NL for 3 years and now live in US for 5+, could definitely agree and relate to all your observations - especially when it comes to seemingly 'care-free' health (cycling and therefore staying fit is a huge part of Dutch culture!) and social relationships.
Gezond.. Het zullen de uitjes zijn op mijn frikandel speciaal ;-)
Proost y'all 🥃✌️
Americans seem (and are often) friendlier (forget big cities) during a first connection. However, to allow a deeper investment in friends in the US seems hard. Why so? Dutch though are rather direct (NYC style) up to a level that many feel rude (except New Yorkers - they understand, started out as New Amsterdam!). Ok, that is a first interaction. Dutch also have to work hard - but also on home cooking, cleaning, kids-time, sports - a Dutch agenda fits work into life but still busy. An American agenda fits life into work .... how is that? Good night! ;)
I'm Spanish, I lived in the UK and I could draw many of the comparisons you mention between those too, and it sounds like the Dutch perspective/lifestyle is common with most of its neighbour countries, including mine!
Yeah, The Netherlands isn't that special. But when your compare it to the US it seems pretty special I guess.
As a dutchie living in Canada I couldn't agree more! I love how tastefully you delivered your observations. Congrats on your wedding!
Yet again, your fresh, original perspective gives me so much to think about. As important as my friendships are, I realize I don’t prioritize them like I should. Thank you, Robin! Well done once again!
Thank you, Rachel ❤️ I can relate! Let’s work on prioritizing friendship together? ;);)
Interesting! The "sleeping in too much = lazy" social pressure in the USA reminded me of a video I saw where a US lady had a theory of why the French are so slim. She said the French WILL put plenty of social pressure if start to get a bit chubby. She said she never got it at all in "fat friendly" USA. But in France, people constantly pointed out she was a little over weight and "do you really need to eat that, best watch your weight" - was said to her a lot from different people in her circles while she lived there. I found that very interesting! So in the US - they do not like people lying in and can shame them. And they are fine with people being fat, no shame there. No wonder unhealthy. Also look at all the addictive food additives etc in US food that is banned in Europe. EDIT - just saw your point 7- where you make exactly the same point. I feel here in the UK we are more like the US these days.
So glad you are back and Congratulations on your marriage! Great video!!
As a Swede it was very interesting to watch this video, we share many similiarities with the dutch way of living. But perhaps not so much the directness in communication, quite the opposite. And biking everywhere is not the norm even though it's something to strive for. There are a lot of things that makes sense when taking in to account what you described about the ways in the US. USA is still a young country. Perhaps wisdom comes with age.
Sadly don't expect the US learning soon. The corporate lobbies are way too strong. Their foods have ingredients forbidden in the EU. Their culture is toxic. Poverty is so huge that to feel you've eaten many eat fat fast food, and can't afford better. Stress from feeling unsafe is way higher. People avoid the doctor for they can't afford bills. Etc.
sweden is different. the land is different. the climate is a little bit different so the culture is a little bit different. that's the joy of life. adapt and overcome. do you Sweden.. love you.😘
‘Wisdom comes with age’… how old do they have to be to become wiser? Haha
Another 1000 years?
These are such important observations, and likely more important than anything uploaded by a self-care/wellness/nutrition/fitness content creator this week. I know we throw around words like work-life balance and the dreadfulness of the rat race, but, by the numbers, Americans live in dysfunction. It is the dysfunction that we choose, however. The depleted state our bodies are in, the strife we accept as normal in our encounters with others, the constant medicating of our discontent. How much healthier we would be to live in harmony, in home, at work, and in the broader community.
another bonus of Dutch food simplicity is that it doesn't require you to cook for 30 minutes to 2+ hours *twice* every day for both lunch and dinner that other cultures often prefer. We don't have that time in our day-to-day life except on the weekends, and it makes for more dishwashing in the end because of all the pots and pans needed.
You are so right about food being more functional. But yes Dutch people really seem to care about healthy food. The normal bread is actually whole wheat bread. White bread is considered more like a treat. Fast food is not normal to eat daily and i love that
Because we are a bike country, there are no large supermarkets with loads of ultra processed foods, we are active (bike, walk), eat lots of fruits, no fastfood on every corner of the street, no extreme consumerism, and drink good beer😊
"no fastfood on every corner of the street" ? Ha, we must live in a different countries then. Because where I live there is a cafetaria on every block. 😅
@@VaQm11 In Drenthe niet hoor 😄
In brabant, heb je de jumbo met veel ultra processed food en veel. Fritures en mac donalds veel bavaria en natuurlijk ook veel auto’s
Supermarkt 8 km verderop dus geen fiets als je voor 5 mensen inkoopt. Beperkt wereldbeeld
@@olavmovig1484 Beperkt wereld beeld klopt, hoor. Ik bedoelde eigenlijk van die super grote winkels (walmart) met gangpaden met alleen kaas of chips.
I absolutely love the directness of Dutch people and how laid-back the people I met there were. However, if one is not used to it, I can see how many might find this directness unsettling.
Congrats on your wedding!
It also has to do with being taught to not have a big ego. From a very early age Dutch kids are told to "get over yourself" when upset about something someone else told them or did to them. It's bad in many ways too because that also leads to us taking abuse for far too long without taking action, and not going to the doctor until we're already very sick. But it does make society very efficient.
@@experimentalcyborg i just wonder why it's alway's buzy at the doctors office when i go there ..... or do i always pick the wrong day for 53 years ??
@@richardhltrp1791 You must live in a big city then. There has been a constant migration from small towns into big cities but not many more medical facilities have opened. In the countryside you have the opposite.
@@richardhltrp1791 I bet you only go on Mondays.
Nice video. I'm a Yank, married to a Dutchman, living in NL for 40 years. Two facts you missed was that this tiny country is the world's 2nd largest food exporter after America. So food is also regarded as an economic pillar. Dutch pigs, cucumbers, tomatoes, are world famous (reputation for taste is another issue)
2ndly, it is normal to talk about politics & controversial issues during social gatherings without it becoming a war zone. It's healthy, creates a bigger sense of understanding friends point of view.
CONGRATULATIONS! I am surprised to see the comment section not spamming this, given the beauty queen you are!
Obsessed with your videos Robin!! ❤ this was a special one as a canadian-dutchie myself 🤘🏻
Aww wat leuk-thank you! I’m so happy you enjoyed this one.🇳🇱
As a Brit expat living in Rotterdam I would agree with everything Robin so expertly describes - with one caveat - the Dutch are getting less healthy.- and that is because of the infestation of American fast food places and the availabilty of food all day. Hard to believe that when I first moved to Rotterdam in 1991 the shops were all closed on Sundays ! And obesity was correspondingly rare.
American??? WE invented fast food!
FEBO is 100% Dutch, we invented the Frikandel and the Capsalon.
And we are not "getting unhealthy", half of our population is obese. Mayne not much for US standards, but not exactly an example of good health.
These venues exist since at least the 1950s
The number of people that doesn't have enough money to buy healthy food and cook has also increased!
@@VFella Comparing FEBO with McDonalds is a little over the top don't you think ?
@@VFella According to the World Health Organization the obesity rate in the Netherlands is about 17%. 17% is not "half of our population". For reference, the United States is at almost 43% in the same WHO study.
I think if you were to take a short dive in the Flemish Belgian culture, you'll find alot of things and habbits that were common in the Netherlands of the 1990s. Less American fast food chains, shops closed on sundays;....
I’ve been commuting to work using public transit for over a year and a half now. Mainly because it saves me an absolute ton money not needing to own a car but also because it’s so active. When I tell people about it, all they take away from it is how long it takes me. Walking is inherently slow and almost half of my commute time is walking. You can travel so far in a car in 10 minutes but not that far by foot. I can count my commute towards my daily exercise but someone who hops in their car can’t say the same. Recently I started biking part of my commute when the weather allows so that is also upping my daily activity level.
Robin, you forgot the final an most important reason for why our fellow Dutch people are so healthy. They must remain fit for the everlasting war against the ocean! love the video, I found it very... practical
I really think it's a bit funny when you people call it an "ocean", it isn't, it's just a small sea. Counties like France, Portugal, Ireland, and the UK, they border the ocean. They get the rough weather and big storms. The North Sea is just a shallow sheltered sea and pretty calm compared to the ocean. We are very much sheltered from the elements by the other European counties.
Yes, we have to build dikes to keep the water out, and of course, sometimes we get a storm, but still... we are very well off here. ❤
@@Alicia-rd5oj 😅 it's all the same to someone like me from a landlocked state. That was just something I found humorous while reading some Dutch literature
Your makeup is really pretty! Very natural looking.
Congratulations for your wedding.!🎉
I agree with you 100%! I am a Portuguese living in the USA and see the same differences, the biggest one in the social interactions,
unfortunately I feel somewhat isolated and feel it's very hard to find deep friendships like I still have back home!
I work for a large grocery store chain and we are encouraged to keep employee interaction at a minimum, we watch sexual harassment training videos and are more than encouraged to basically just interact if the subject is work related which to me is very strange being that I m not used to this!
Congratulations for your marriage. Thank you for the valuable advice and effort. ❤
Thank you so much! 🙏🧡 hope you have a fun week with a few wellness moments sprinkled in. ✨
I feel the UK from what you're describing had a culture more like Dutch culture but is shifting toward American culture. I don't know why but I don't think the UK has a strong identity. I'm 42 and I think we are shifting all the time, often away from the values I was raised with.
Yep, you're changing from little Britain to little America. Blame the tories.
There's a problem with a treadmill desk. You may get exercise, but if you're combining it with other tasks it's just a chore.
Walking or biking somewhere is nice!
For us Dutchies walking or cycling is just the most efficient way to get to our destination a lot of the time.
But we also drive or take public transport.
I give you love from us in holland, the most important thing in life is living whiteout stress.
I found your insight about the nature and importance of social relations (US vs NL) very interesting. I've never realised that in the Netherlands one's social live is an important part of your identity (and your professional live to a much lesser degree). But I think you are right.
Ha, I didn't know you were Dutch American! I also have a Dutch mom and an American dad and also moved to Europe almost 10 years ago in my early 20s o_O Unfortunately I haven't been able to spend much time in the Netherlands despite living close... but I've observed similar things in Germany and France, especially #3 of course (movement is inevitable), but also many difference between the Dutch/Germans and the French, who definitely NOT the type to think of food as just a fuel source.
I was born and raised in Canada lived in the UK for 5 years, lived in few other countries for less time and lived in Holland for 15 years. Most of what you've stated I agree with, with one exception, I found the Dutch very closed. I have zero long term friends after 15 years living in Holland whereas even after being back in Canada for 10 years now I'm still in contact with my friends in other countries. I learned the language BTW.
Thanks for your thoughtful and insightful comment. ❤️ Yes, I also recognize this element of Dutch culture.
I think Dutch people make many of their friends in their youth or through school or clubs, so it can be really hard to be social as an expat. I’ve observed that many expats inevitably end up becoming friends with other expats.
I personally have a lot of family living across the Netherlands and also went to university there so I think this helped me integrate more easily than someone who is not Dutch.
Anywhoo, I hope you are loving life back in Canada! My impression is the Canada is a nice mix of many North American and European qualities. Seems like a great country to live in!
Congratulations of your wedding - God bless you both always - Love Rachel
It's probably my age, but I don't need that much sleep. If Ingo to sleep fasted (blood sugar down to fasted -- not eating carbs after 5pm or if I do it is because I eat it after training workout) I have wonderful sleeps. I only feel guilty waking up early because people tell you need right hours sleep.
Robin, you are just beautiful. Come back to the Netherlands ❤
to be honest, the average resident of the usa does little to move more, they think it is fine but complain that they have to drive far to do their shopping. And that is the problem of the architects who design the infrastructure there, ''if it can be reached by car it is fine'' but do not think about pedestrians, cyclists, other types of neighborhoods with a shopping center in the middle as you know yourself after 10 years in the netherlands, and even playgrounds have to go or are completely removed from what I see in all those videos. Notjustbikes has very nice reports about how bad it is in america (and canada)
I would dare to say that it is because of the Dutch focus on social relationships they have often ranked high on the list of happiest countries in the world.
Lol, as a dutchie living now in Portugal I can tell you that dutches are really complaining and moaning about everything. And the stress is also very high, exspecially in the cities. I know lots of dutches who cannot wait to leave the Netherlands.
@@truusvdkraats3260 And then those complainers move to Spain or Portugal and realize that life in the Netherlands wasn't so bad ;)
Thank you for making this video that shines light on our Dutch culture compared to the USA. I have a question for you more related to you being halfbloed Dutch and halfbloed American (half weed and half hamburger as we prefer to call it), but I was wondering about which language of the two you've been raised with (Dutch and English) you would say is your main language and why?
Dutchy here. I developed back problems that aren't fixable. So I'm in bed a lot. I grew fat. Blood pressure ridiculously high. Yet I changed my diet up to the point I mainly consumed water, meat, beans, 1 average potato and a bit of gravy. Some different veggies and fruit too. Weight stabilized. Blood pressure did F all. Yeah, going up instead of down. 227 over 119 is the highest I ever measured. Anyway, I've always lived around farms and polders, rivers, long stretches of water and land so I used to move a lot, on top of being a busy bee and doing fitness or martial arts too. But of course that all is a no go now. So I got an elliptical trainer. Every hour I get in it for a few minutes, quite intensively, if even only 4 minutes per time I go. Mostly around ten though. Since I started doing that, in combination with my diet, my weight has started to plummet and my blood pressure is going down accordingly. So having had this experience while being healthy except for my back issues, I'm going to have to stress the importance of even tiny bits of exercise in combo with diet. Good sleep is next on my list. Which likely will have to do with sleep apnea since I grew fat, so that should start to improve also over the next few months.
But yes, those all are included normally in the Dutch way of life, if you're not bed-ridden. Is that a word? So it makes sense those factors are the main reasons we're quite healthy on average.
I stream series, TH-cam and movies on some device while exercising. When in bed I return to programming etc. so... No reason nit yo. Especially if you're in the US and never get on a bike due to car culture.
*nit yo = not to
Can't edit my response for some reason.
Congrats with your wedding, greetings from the Netherlands
I agree on quite some things but the air quality in the U.S. I really have doubts about that
Health differences between US Americans and Western Europeans (EU population) largely has to do with regulations. In the EU, the population is much more kept from chronic intoxication because the food & cookware contain much less harmful preservatives or chemicals. The EU population ages better and healthier, without anything particular about the Netherlands.
Spot on! It is that, but also the food tradition prior to the EU. Look at the ingredients of bread and cheese in the US and in the EU and you will see a HUGE difference. Apart from that, in the EU there is also a lot of ultra processed food in the supermarket and at every street corner. So if you want, you can get obese here too!
You are 💯correct! You are so fortunate to have laws against putting essentially poison in your food. Not so here in the US. It is causing metabolic damage and autoimmune disease and the list goes on and on. My family who have traveled to Italy are amazed that they can eat pasta without consequences. They actually feel better and lost weight while there. It’s all about profit for these corporations and they lobby heavily with congress so they get away with it.
i live in the NL and i think you are pretty much on point!
The problem with "friendships" in the US, as I see it, is that everybody you speak with, even if it is just a 5 minutes, are immediately considered to be a friend. For me, a friend is someone who stands by you when your having a hard time, who not immediately flees
Congrats on your wedding!
I think it is difficult to find a 'stoep' sidewalk in the us, here almost all roads in city and villages have them.
One thing that worked very well for me was starting Kung Fu training. I was born on the skinny side of life and by 18, I was 1m90 / 6'3" and 73 kg / 160lb. by 25 I got up in weight a bit but still underweight compared to length. In my 30's my weight raised to 84 kg / 185 which is still on the low side of good. When I started to train in Wing Chun kung fu, I went to the 105kg / 230lb my body wants to weigh. And most of the mass was muscles and organs, maybe a bit of bone density. Changed nothing else, didn't eat more but gained what I could not gain ever before. That's stable for eight years now. It brought me a better balance and more energy. Living more from my center, the "I am" and "I feel" took room away from the "I overthink" or too rational way of life.
Love all the comparisons you mentioned! Thanks for sharing, your video really made me think.
I'm from NYC- born and raised. After traveling around the world and making it my mission to travel across the U.S. to see as MANY states as I could, I've learned that the U.S. is VAST. No, really. You don't know until you travel across the U.S. SO many landscapes, cultures, subgroups of people with different values and beliefs. The U.S. is hard to describe in terms of culture-- sure, there's the way we are portrayed in media and most people see the U.S. that way and I won't doubt that we embody capitalism above anything else-- but traveling to so many different states in the U.S. from East to West, North and South I've realized we don't really fit in a box. Like you mentioned, it is so nuanced. I guess that's what happens when a country is built by Indigenous peoples, immigrants (and the institution of slavery!)
We will only invest in relations that will last for long. Basis should be common goals, attitute, physical and cultural equal thinking etc. Friends are the people who will help eachother in good and bad, not only for their own benefit. This means trust in eachother. Never betray a person you want to become friends with.
I'm curious where and how Dutch folks develop their social networks? I am 28 years sober in AA, and we talk a lot about isolating and becoming a part of the fellowship. Very similar to what people experience when they are active members of a church. How do they do it in the Netherlands?
Many people are in sportclubs (which you participate in the evenings or weekends), which enrolls you in a social club because many of these include teamsports or competition (so you have opponents to socialize with). Also many people outside work meet like friends on an occasional basis to have a drink or something. Also when you have kids in school, they play outside school times with friends so you end up befriending those parents etc.
Love the idea of sharing meals at restaurants. My husband and I do that. But I do hate food waste so I will continue to bring home leftovers but pair it with a nice salad rather than another big rich meal.
As a Ukrainian immigrant living in the US, I can 100% testify to all points. 15 years living here, and one thing I could never get used to is the lack of daily moving and walking... I spent two weeks in Kyiv and Lviv recently eating oh so so much, and yet I still managed to lose 3 pounds 🤯
Great vid! thanks.
As Dutch person who lived some time in the US, I found it very confusing to be expected to leave ASAP after finishing a meal. Going out for dinner is a social thing for us where you stay have a drink and talk together.
As a dutchie (sorry for grammer mistakes), it depends where you were born. Even if its a small country. Better to say: are your parents rich or high educated. The middle class is disapearing. People having trouble to get by. Have trouble to buy food, to pay the bills, can't even put the heater on when its cold. I know you mean well with your video, but things changed after 2020 here. I normaly never give a comment, but, i felt that I had to speak for the people who are not getting by, who are not able to pay the bills, who can't even go to the dentist. And its getting worser. I wish we all would live, the way you discribed. That would be great. ❤❤❤
Hey 👋 Thank you so much for sharing this! I really appreciate you taking the time to speak on behalf of Dutch people who are not getting by. I think it’s so important to honor different perspectives and experiences.
I debated whether to make this video because no matter what, I would be excluding many versions of reality for both Dutch and American people. I try to share things I think will be useful to others-my videos are never going to be about objective truths because that’s not possible in exploring self-care.
If my content can start nuanced discussions about healthy living or different cultures in the comments, I personally consider that such a positive outcome. So thank you for contributing to this element of TH-cam! I love that we can explore different and even contradictory ideas here. And I hope these sorts of topics get people thinking. You’ve raised a great point: wealth disparities across the globe are increasing, even in social economies.
I’m certainly reminded of the many privileges in my life-even the opportunity to live in these two, well-developed countries is an incredible gift.
Thanks again for sharing and making me think.
❤️❤️❤️ with love, Robin
Hai Robin, thanks for your words, I know your video came from a good and kind heart.
I felt that, and that's what matters.
If there are 100 people seeing this, there are 100 different opinions.
All of them have a way of seeing the world, build on their lives, their expierences (hope I write it correct).
Don't let less good reactions take away your light, always remember that a person reacts to what he or she has delt with in their lives. Its a reflection of what they feel and been trough, and that is okay, they can have a opiniun (definitly wrong written, but you know what I meen).
As a eldery woman, I can only say: never take things personly in life, always stay grounded, better to have a few good and honest friends, its the quality not the quantity that matters. Don't doubt yourself.
You wanted to make a video about something that is good (or positive) in this world (or country).
And with these words I say goodbye, giving you a big hug❤❤❤
@@lolen3749 I appreciate the love, wise words, and thoughtfulness! Have a beautiful rest of your week. ❤
i really loved you saying broodje met beleg :)
Hahaha 🙈🙊 I do have an American accent.
I’ve never been in a country where people can be more themselves then the Netherlands. I don’t feel people get critized for how they look at all, maybe except being really unhealthy fat. Because for Dutch it looks concerning but its not like Dutch people pressure each other to look good. The women hardly wear make up or care about brands. Dutch culture is so relaxed and effortless its refreshing. People can just be themselves, Dutch are the most open minded people I know
Good observations.
I am Dutch and have lived in the USA for 14 years before returning to the Netherlands due to health reasons. I learned after my Gastric bypass the best thing to do in the States is to basically ask for a box before I get my meal, I grew up with the clean your plate syndrome, which led to the Gastric bypass in the first place. In the Netherlands we work to live rather than live to work, we enjoy time off, we take off when sick. Not keep going and making everyone sick around you. Our bread goes bad after about a week, unlike the US bread. As for the air quality, I don't agree: I lived in North Carolina those 14 years and ended up in ER several times a year with uncontrollable asthma. I used to have my own nebulizer at home as well as inhalers. Since getting back to the Netherlands I have been to the ER once... in 14 years(!) I don't have a nebulizer here and am able to do with inhalers. Yes, still have a respiratory infection at least once a year, but had more of them in NC. So while in NY the air quality may be better than in Amsterdam that's not enough to state that the air quality in the Netherlands is worse than in the States in general. I love the States, it feels like home to me as well, I miss the country and beautiful landscape. The ocean as well, but with my health problems, it's better for me to stay in the Netherlands to live as healthcare is more affordable for me.
Thank you so much for sharing this personal and thoughtful account! Especially about air quality: you’re right that this can vary SO greatly across the US. I probably should not have added this as it’s difficult to compare. I’ve just been surprised that European cities can have quite poor air.
But regarding the other details you shared: I think you’re so right that lifestyle balance is a huge part of what makes life a little healthier in the Netherlands. The life stress seems to be intense less on the whole. These soft societal qualities are so difficult to quantify, which is why I value when people contribute their first hand experience. I appreciate you adding to the discussion! ❤️🙏 wishing you the best in your health journey. X Robin
Stores are closer so you can walk to them but Amsterdam isn't like the rest of the Netherlands and it's easier to take your car to do a big shop and we certainly don't walk that much. Sleep is so different in the Netherlands that kids sleep way more than in all other countries. So they start out in life being less stressed and parents will make sure kids go to bed on time year round. The food may be fuel but it's a misunderstanding to then assume it's not tasty. Kalemash is one of my favorite foods and has been since I was a little kid and it's not because my mom didn't know how to cook with spices,she was Indo, I just loved dutch food too. And if you look at research the way we eat a ton of kale is the best way to eat it, cooked so all the nutrients are available, with fats and milk to bind to any of the less positive ones in kale, your potatoes for energy but on the whole it's a dish that keeps you warm with slow release energy and is delicious.
Bread too, it's not just healthier than american bread, it tastes better, so that classic bread and cheese usually with butter on it is also tasty and we don't need to make a hot meal for lunch to feel satisfied. You just grab some bread and you don't need crisps on the side or 5 slices of an inferior cheese and ham, one is enough. Fries are sold by large portions and many people eat that to replace a meal, with deepfried snacks and mayo. We don't worry about it, you'd probably not eat it on a diet but unlike McDonalds it keeps you full so it's not so bad.
You look younger than 30.
Thanks for sharing! Perhaps it’s the round cheeks I inherited from my Dutch mama 🥰
True.
@TheScienceofSelfCare yeah that is also true. Some People try to make em bigger to look young. Good Gene 👍
Congratulations on your wedding! 👰😍💖 I like this reflexion. I wonder about the habit of eating fruits and desserts after meals most countries have (I think so)... what is the science behind 🍒🍓🍨
Love it ❤
I think you might have misread the Air Quality indicator - I think the lower number is much better than a higher number? Eg. The reason it says Good for New York and Moderate in Amsterdam is because it’s comparing to other days in New York when it’s worse and others days in Amsterdam when its better? Right now the air pollution indicator tells me it is 2 where I live in Edinburgh in Scotland, and 53 where I used to live in Los Angeles. Let me know if I’m wrong,but I definitely feel like the air quality is better over here because of EU regulations. Ps. Congratulations on your wedding! 🤍
Hi Zohra, you are actually completely right. This is a grave oversight on my part. I’m going to amend this video! Thank you so much for this correction.
This is something I added in at the last second, which is often when mistakes are made. I had been reading about the poor air quality in European cities so I think I was primed in the wrong direction.
Just did more research and in the air quality index (AQI) which ranges from 0-500, lower numbers are better. I’ll amend this video later today.
Thank you so so much!!!!!
X
Robin
@@TheScienceofSelfCare No worries - it happens! A very enjoyable and informative video otherwise. Have a lovely Sunday ☺️
I so appreciate it! As a one woman show I definitely can miss things. Working on getting someone to fact check and review the videos before they publish 🙏 have a great Sunday as well! xo
I am German and we always saw the dutch food as sooo unehalthy. 🙂
French Fries. Poffertjes. White bread. Kip salad + more white bread.
Funny to see a different point of view on this.
Now I am living in Italy and I see how the German food is so much richer so much more processed
and how in fact there are nearly no overweight people on the street in Italy.
Neither in the Netherlands
congratulations!!
Another Jeem banger ! Do things that are real guys. That have an actual impact. Acquire the spirit of peace and thousands around you will be saved
In general you nailed the differences. The only thing I don't agree with is the Dutch way of commenting about somebody's weight. You only do this when someone is your friend and you are concerned about them or they are complaining about their health. We (the Dutchies) are practical people so the logical way to response is 'well, eat healthier, get some excercise, stop drinking. It is blunt but it's coming from a place of love. I also think that it has to do with the way our health system works. We all pay health insurance with the idea that it is a basic human right to receive medical care. This also means that I (with a healthy lifestyle) pay the same as somebody with an unhealthy lifestyle. If more people are healty, the costs in general are less, so I profit when more people are healthy. In a way it's a shared responsability. (Sorry for my bad English, it's not my first language.)
My grandfather was Dutch and I remember him eating tomatoes as you described, just like an apple. He also used to put meat gravy on his pie. For example, at Thanksgiving he would put turkey gravy on a slice of pumpkin pie. My mom always said it was the Dutch in him. I'm curious. Have you ever seen this?
We do put gravy on everything
We build a dike on the piece of food, and then we poor gravy in the basin we just created. Even in our foods we want to control the water (joking, but not joking)
@@housefox92i never eat gravy. It might be a boomer thing
@@wendyamsterdam8482 I'm not a boomer. Raised by boomers though
@wendyamsterdam8482 I think it's a boomer thing, too. 😂 My husband's parents do it too, they both grew up on a farm. People used to do hard labour and lived in poorly heated homes. They needed the energy and fat. When living conditions got better, they still kept eating the same way.
I never eat gravy, and I dont even think my 7 year old daughter knows what it is. 😂
I'm Dutch, living in France. France has everything the US has, but closer together. To compare the US to the Netherlands is comparing New York city to half of the Netherlands, size wise.
Proud to be dutch! ❤
One must not forget that all food in the USA is known to be genetically modified and contains chemicals and other harmful ingredients that are completely banned in Europe. The negative thing is that Americans are forced to buy this food. The high proportion of fast food also contributes to this. Many diseases and obesity in the USA are the result. Cycling here is not only about doing something for the environment, but also about exercising your body.
I don't think this is a specifically Dutch thing, but a general European lifestyle. As a German, I live a similar lifestyle and I have friends in other EU countries who also live a similar lifestyle.
Biggest difference is probably that healthy food is readily available. And the processed variants arent nearly as sugary as in the US.
What I personally noticed is the portions that are served in the US... Who drinks 1 liter of any kind of fluid during dinner?! I typed it and immediately had to correct myself thinking of 2 kinds in europe, beer and wine 😂
amazing view from the two countries. Cheers to YT algoritm 👌
Congrats 🎉🎊
Beste is gewoon gewoon terug naar Nederland verhuizen. Zou me kind niet in Amerika willen opvoeden qua alles eigenlijk.
Im gonna be honest as a dutch american who spent 21 years in holland 10 of which in amsterdam, and now living in PA for 2 years. While dutch culture is definitely much better in the sense of healthy living with movement the dutch culture is slowly shifting to american with diet and consumerism. People are spending more time chronically online, the weather is so god damn depressing, and drug and alcohol culture is insane, i was a literal alcoholic and drug addict and people didnt seem to think it was bad. Living in the US there are bigger portions, more fastfood and car lifestyle but if you just stay healthy with exercise and diet for me personally i enjoy the US more
You are more describing general differences between the US and Europe, not the Netherlands per se. Except for the small portions of food, one of the reasons they are considered being cheap
I seen that country’s , where it is acceptable to call people out for their poor health behaviour , have the best average health
I wish cycling was an integral part of American life like it is in the Ned
Just recently they found a shark that was 512 years old. Without ever seeing a doctor. Upon asked how come, he or she or it said: never thought of it really, just kept swimming.
Well, you managed to exude beauty and sparkling health. 👍
We have healthcare when we need it, not when we can afford it.
My guess is your experience with nl is mainly Amsterdam, the West. Not so much east and south...
I was born in adam , it feels like a country on its own.
People outside of Randstad are way more laid back and friendly. I am from Limburg and always get to know Drenthenaren whenever I travel.
@@ppmroberts-t5r not true i have seen the worst treatment in my life from people outside of amsterdam
Lots of walking and bicycling. Or, as a well known Canadian TH-camr living in Amsterdam describes it, the gym of life.
I love sleeping, definitely 12-8 or 11-7, without a doubt very important
I liked everything you shared here, it seems like sensible, useful information. What I'd like to see in the future is no mic in front of your face, being passed from hand to hand, and really messing with the volume. Your volume would increase suddenly and dramatically, it was jarring. Also, the mic itself was a distraction. One minute it was covering half your face, then it would be in your right hand, then your left hand. I've NEVER seen a talking head hold their mic. It's ALWAYS, 100% of the time, in a stand or on a lapel. Unless you are a rock star, or giving a speech without a podium, like a TEDTalk, you should have that mic in a stand. The video was still worth listening to, though!
Great feedback! Thanks for a constructive and kindly delivered point for improvement!!
I’ll definitely think about how I can do the audio better in future videos. 🙏❤️