Everyone in Spain is on the Atkins Diet

If you’ve ever wondered how Spaniards maintain their youthful figures, you need to look no further than the local Spanish mercado.  Most English speakers think mercado is the Spanish word for market.  It’s not.  It’s actually roughly translated to, “Store full of Jamon (ham) and a couple of other things”.  For lunch today we were offered Jamón (ham), Jamón bocadillo (ham sandwich) or Jamón Tortilla (Omlette with ham).  Now, I know that bread isn’t technically part of the Atkins diet, but trust me, no one is fulling up their bellys with bread when there is so much Jamón to be eaten.

Other proof: Spaniards on the street don’t smile.  Normally I would attribute this to a natural sense of reserve, but don’t be fooled.  They’re all grumpy because of a lack of carbs and high ketone levels.  In fact, there are no diabetics in Spain.  They don’t eat enough glucose to trigger an episode.

But don’t despair.  If you get sick of Jamón, you can indulge in some American style junk food.  Like these Lay’s chips (below) which are, naturally, Jamón flavored.  Well, you can’t win them all.