Holland - Bicycles and Herring

Frits, Mary and Dirk (who Joan and Christiana adopted as an orphan after the war) each planned a day for us to see Holland.

They took us to a concert on a canal in The Hague and we visited the Mauritshuis Royal Gallery (Rembrandt – Portrait of an Elderly Man, Vermeer – Girl with a Pearl Earring, among other gems).

We drove east to see the polder – a huge area of land reclaimed from the sea and now used for agriculture. We also visited Urk, a traditional, but still thriving, fishing village.

In Amsterdam we visited the Portuguese Synagogue and the Jewish Historical Museum before getting a personal canal tour from Dirk, an urban planner by profession.

Although I won't make generalizations about health and nutrition in Holland, here are some of my impressions.

It seems like they're growing most of their produce. (Country of origin is listed with the price of every fresh item in the produce department.) Not surprising given the abundance of farmland. Family farming seems to be alive and well, and organically-grown produce is gaining in popularity.

What do people eat? Cheese, bread, butter and milk were abundant. To my surprise, buttermilk was served in tall glasses along with orange juice, apple juice and water at the Yad Vashem reception. The white bread sandwiches (at least the kosher ones) were filled with either cheese or egg salad.

Why aren't more of the Dutch obese? What about cholesterol?

Well, a lot of people are on bicycles rather than in cars. And they seem to be sitting down to three meals a day. I didn't notice much in the way of between-meal snacking. Portion sizes are reasonable.

And they eat a lot of heart-healthy fatty fish. The new crop of herring had just arrived. It's eaten raw, with chopped onions. Marie-Ann Kalff introduced us to her fish monger, who was happy to say that he sold Israeli pond-raised fish in addition to many local varieties.

Then there's life style. Our Dutch family is fairly laid-back. They retired early, but are busier than ever in choral groups, church and civic activities. They spend time with their extended family and friends. They enjoy walking and gardening. (Their huge wooded yard was impeccably tended by just the two of them.) At the age of 75, Frits Kalff plays tennis weekly. One of his partners is in his 90's.

I know that genetics plays a role in good health too. But there's always something to learn from other people's diet and exercise habits.

Pass the herring please!