The objective during the 'fredagmys' is not to worry
Yes, they will sound strange to you, but you may want to apply their meaning to your life. Let's see, note: lördagsgodis, fredagsmys and fika.
We are basically talking about three Swedish customs designed to be a tribute , and allow yourself everything that you normally forbid yourself to eat and do, without feeling guilty.
LÖRDAGGODIS , SATURDAY'S SWEETS
The first, the lördagsgodis, is the saturday tradition to fill paper bags with a assortment of sweets to gobble them up one sitting . And as Linnea Dunne assures in Lagom, the Swedish recipe to achieve balance in your life (Libros Cúpula, 2017), the custom "has nothing of lagom".
Each Swede consumes about 316 buns a year
We recently ** told you about this concept **, which is the philosophy that governs Swedish day-to-day life and is characterized by the maxim "Not too little and not too much: right on ".
However, the lördagsgodis could be the exception that proves the rule. "In many ways, it is the very definition of eat like a pig , and the Swedes love it," writes Dunne.
For her part, Lola A. Åkerström points out in Lagom, the Swedish secret of the good life (Urano, 2017) , which the average Swedish family consumes approximately 1.2 kilos of sweets per week , and she reminds us that the tradition of the lördagsgodis goes back to the 50's , when a direct relationship between the intake of products with sugar and the tooth decay. In view of the investigations, the Swedish Medical Council proposed that its compatriots eat these foods only once a week.
"After several decades, this tradition of moderation is still present in many Swedish homes, and children have been taught to accept this self-discipline : they crave sweets, but not as something they devour without fail on a daily basis, but as something they can afford from time to time Åkerström points out.
The objective during the 'fredagmys' is not to worry
FREDAGSMYS, THE CAREFREE FRIDAY
This other word, fredagsmys, alludes to the custom of eating pre-cooked food or basic vs. the TV Fridays.
The purpose, Dunne explains, is " enjoy free time with the people you love " and combines the "Friday feeling" with "the weekly commitment of make yourself comfortable next to yours ".
The author also points out that nys means something like 'warmth' or 'comfort' in Swedish ("suck that, hygge", she jokes), and that it has become a sacred concept in the culture of the country. "Get ready for a night of chips and sweatpants , whose sole objective is to disconnect and put their feet up".
Thus, this tradition consists exactly in "doing simply what one wants " to get away from the ironclad routine of day to day and, in Dunne's words, "it serves as an excuse to almost everything, as long as it doesn't involve a lot of effort ".
The writer also advises, to achieve the desired nys, decorate the room with candles of all sizes and be done with dipping sauces and prepared taco kits , for instance.
"No food is too basic or too precooked for the fredagmys; no tv show is too deadly superficial. If you are comfortable and you have forgotten your worries you're doing it right."
The important thing is to have a good time
FIKA, THE DAILY SNACK
Åkerström jokes that fika is among the first three words that she learns the newcomer to Sweden, along with hej ('hello') and tack ('thank you').
For her part, Dunne says: "In a culture that is generally biased toward balanced meals and a healthy diet, fika provides the friendly face ".
The concept refers to the different breaks that are made during the day to be related with friends, loved ones and co-workers around a cup of coffee and a sweet.
Sweet is often a cinnamon bun, the quintessential Swedish pastry, although on special occasions -during the weekend or at a gathering with friends-, there may be various cakes, cookies and sandwiches on the table, a bit like the afternoon tea English. Only that the fika is taken up to three times a day.
The reason for this repetition, according to Åkerström, is " center ourselves and reconnect with our selves ". "It's about giving a break for the brain and reach a Balance between thoughts and emotions, establishing a fellowship on a human level with our friends, our colleagues and our family. In lives as busy as ours, it's the social opportunity to step back and breathe while satisfying our palate".
Dunne, for his part, alludes to another lagom characteristic of fika. "You can catch a cookie of each, but not two cakes, and never the last no problem. Those who clear the plates in a typical fika session can only be children or foreigners . Otherwise, the last cookie will stay there."
The 'fika' serves to connect with others and with oneself
ARE THESE CUSTOMS HEALTHY?
It must be recognized that tempting, they are a bit But are they really healthy these traditions? According to both authors, the three, despite their apparent excess, have something of balanced , some of lagom.
"Swedes eat a lot of sweets, but within the reasonable ", writes Åkerström. "Otherwise, eating cinnamon buns several times a day would quickly accumulate overweight in our bodies."
According to the Swedish Institute, every Swede eats an average of 316 buns a year . Even so, according to the most recent OECD obesity report, the percentage of the adult population affected in the United Kingdom is 24.7, compared to 11.87 in Sweden".
"The idea is to continue realistic diets, that can be maintained without discomfort: enjoy a piece of chocolate, but not take several Åkerström continues.
However, Lucía Martínez, the nutritionist behind ** Tell me what you eat **, does not see it exactly that way: "The concept of fika is not really very different from our concept of breakfast or snack , which very often consists of sweetened latte and pastries . Obviously, neither of the two options is healthy and of course there are plenty alternatives top like fruit, nuts, whole-wheat toast, or a porridge," she argues.
The typical Swedish cinnamon buns
"In the same way that we do not advise having breakfast or a snack pastries or cookies every day, we would not advise that fika with buns every day and, obviously, consumption so often is not consumption 'moderate'. In this context, it could be considered moderate if one or two weekends a month, and that as long as the rest of the diet was free of sweets and buns", explains the professional.
Regarding the other two traditions, Martínez believes that " there is no need to make that over intake, much less in children; with a single candy is more than enough, and we should reserve them for special occasions, such as birthdays or parties. Furthermore, this concept of binge punctuates l doesn't seem very conducive to a healthy relationship with food, and would never be a behavior to encourage (binge eating, and then, restriction )", she tells us.
"It seems to me much smarter to enjoy the weekend of meals than maybe take more time but they are healthy, can be cooked and enjoy with family and even precede them with a visit to some local market. We will be transmitting to the children a food education much better," she concludes.
Now, it is up to you to decide whether or not to adopt these eye-catching traditions in your daily life. Maybe it's worth if we do it alone from time to time...?
On Fridays, all sweets are allowed