There aren't many overweight people in Europe, which amazes me after seeing what a lot of Europeans eat.  But although it seems that many Europeans eat a lot of pastries, pies, and meat - I think the difference between them and us Americans is their activity level.  After living without a car for more than a month, walking most everywhere, and staying generally active, we have become more active and happy people.  My legs are stronger, I think I've lost some weight, and I feel great in a bikini.  Over the last month, we have compiled a list of what we have observed to be the keys to a healthy European/Mediterranean Lifestyle.  This isn't rocket science, we've read it in all the health magazinews, but the barriers seem lower now.

1. Walk, walk, walk.  At least 30 minutes every day.  Include as many stairs as possible.  On average, we walked about 2 miles a day in Europe.  In Amsterdam, we stayed in a 4-th floor b&b - we climbed 75 stairs about 3 times a day.

2. Eat a healthy breakfast - a piece of fruit and maybe a croissant to get the day going.

3. Get your olive oil and a square glass of wine in every day - and don't feel guilty about the calories.

4. While eating out with your spouse, split one salad and one entre.  American portions are huge, and this trick will save you some calories and some dough.  And on that salad, skip the ranch dressing (sorry, Texas) and go for oil and vinegar.

5. Drink lots of water - at least 1 liter a day.  Mostly due to the extreme heat, we carried water with us everywhere.  But it made us feel really good to stay so well-hydrated.

6. Take care of your skin - there's no need to look like the leathery Aussies.