All over the world, men and women have a vested interest in remaining slim and fit. Whether it’s to meet societal beauty standards or just a way to keep up with a physically demanding lifestyle, people across the globe have their own tried and true methods of slimming down–and staying that way. Let’s explore the secrets of three countries: Italy, Brazil and Japan.

Slimming Secrets from Italy

Residents of Mediterranean locations, like Italy, are not afraid of fat. In fact, healthy fats–such as those found in olive oils–are the very basis of this region’s secret. The thing is, these healthy fats are not animal based, so they’re low in saturated fat. Better yet, they’re extremely satisfying and filling, so when you eat them both your brain and stomach can stop looking for more sources of food.

The Lowdown on Brazil’s Super Food

Brazilians don’t generally consider a portion of meat to be the main focus of their meals. In fact, what you might call a side dish they literally consider “the foundation” of their diet. Wondering what that could possibly be? It’s beans and rice. Beautifully simple, extremely hardy, lacking in preservatives, and filled with amino acids, fiber and antioxidants. Better still, beans are low in calories and can even help to regulate blood sugar, which can help prevent glucose from storing fat in the body.

Japan’s Secret Weapon of Fat Destruction

What colors are the foods that usually decorate your plate? If you generally have only one or two colors, and mostly browns and whites, then you’re not gaining the benefit of a healthy, low-calorie tasty mix of vegetables like the Japanese would recommend. While you may have thought that the tendency for beautiful food art exhibited on sushi plates and bento boxes was purely coincidental, the truth is that it’s the basis of their number-one stay-slim secret of incorporating at least five different colors in every meal. As an added low-cal punch they also tend to start meals with a filling but low calorie broth. They even eat broth at breakfast!

One thing’s for sure, if you study slimming secrets around the world, you’ll see many different takes on the proper diet with one interesting commonality: avoidance of processed foods. It’s certainly something to consider when creating your own slimming diet.