Dear Chutzpanim,

It's been a while since I've posted about a trip to Israel-- I've been on a trip to China, eating delicious/strange things.





One thing I missed while in China was my daily bike ride from Tel Aviv to Bar Ilan University each day, which is roughly 8 km each way. It's a great way to ensure that I exercise each and every day. In fact, I've lost ~11 kg (~24.2 lbs) since I've gotten to Israel from the US, over the past year. A part of that is certainly a conscious effort, eating less, exercising more, etc., but it is also caused by the unconscious constraints imposed by Israeli society.





Of course there is the greater amount of exercise I am required here in Israel. In the US, we can drive everywhere-- here it is prohibitively expensive to own a car, plus it would be truly horrible in Tel Aviv where parking can be a nightmare. Even if a person weren't to cycle every day, you are forced to walk more, if only to the corner grocer or bus stop. These little journey's certainly add up.





I really enjoy biking in Israel. It's not so unsafe as people fret about-- wear a helmet, and stay on the road if you are going too fast. Unfortunately the bike paths they have made in Tel Aviv are often behind parked cars or on the sidewalk, where you are asking to get hit. Here's a video I recorded of me biking down from Ramat Gan (Marom Neve Mall) to Tel Aviv.









Of course, nice weather at nearly all times helps get you out ;pAnother reason life is healthier here is the price of food. In the US, processed pre-cooked food like breaded chicken is very cheap, and fast foods can compete with veggies and whole foods, i.e. unprocessed foods. In Tel Aviv, the reverse is true-- veggies and fruits are super cheap compared to the US, along with healthy whole foods. It really helps you make the right choice when buying food.On top of cheap veggies, eating out in Tel Aviv can be extremely expensive, ~60 ILS for a cheaper sit down meal (of course there are the good, cheaper places to go once you know where to go-- don't blow up at me r/israel!). In midwestern US, a 1000 Cal. burger and fries can be less than 10 $ at a sit down place! Here to get a nice, non-kosher, inch thick cheese & pepperoni pizza, you really have to splurge-- and when you do, you actually had to force yourself to wait a bit for it!So in general, life in Israel forces you to make the right health decisions. Instead of being rewarded with cheap prices, you have to splurge a bit to be the fat, lazy American.May you stay healthy and wealthy,Sauce