The Japanese Diet
Have you ever seen a fat Japanese man, besides sumo wrestlers? Along with their great silhouette, it is a proven fact that Japanese people suffer from less heart diseases than other nations world wide. One of the secret is in their diet. Today we’re going to explore the Japanese diet step-by-step. It seems that Japanese people have the same cholesterol level, the same blood pressure and they suffer from type 2 diabetes but the risk of heart illness is still 50% lower compared to American people. What’s their secret?
A recent study shows that Japanese health success comes from eating fish and sea fruits along with a consistent consumption of vegetables, fruits, tofu. They eat in smaller portions and they find a pleasure in sitting at the table and eating. They aren’t familiar with concepts such as “fast food” or “eat on the run” because they eat slowly enjoying every flavor in their meal.
Naomi Moriyama author of the book “Japanese women don’t get old or fat” calls the Japanese diet as “The iPod of foods.”
The fish: Omega-3
Because they are the world’s top fish consumers, the Japanese people have twice as much omega-3 in their body than any average American. Omega-3 is found especially in fat fish (tune fish, salmon and mackerel) and it’s effective against high cholesterol deposits (which cause cardiovascular diseases).
The average Japanese man eats about 85 grams of fish everyday while an average American eats hardly a fish meal per week (that’s the minimum recommended portion).
Other omega-3 sources: linseeds, Canola oil (or Lear oil), soy, tofu or walnuts.
The look
There is a trick to make a better meal: the look. The Japanese give great importance to how the food looks and the way you serve it. Just look at a sushi meal, don’t tell me that’s not a food masterpiece.
The speed
As I said before, the Japanese eat slower. They eat with their eyes paying attention to every detail: the type of plate, the way the food is carefully placed and so on. All these actions take time and you’ll find out you’re satiated before eating too much.
The portion
In Japan every type of food is been served in a different bowl which makes you believe that there is a lot of food on the table (about 5-6 bowls and plates) but Americans gather all the food in one single plateau. Eating smaller portions is one of the success keys of losing weight.
Rice
The Japanese diet includes a considerable amount of rice (one small bowl of rice is present at each meal). If you want to eat rice the Japanese way enjoying all its benefits, then try cooking it without oil or butter and always choose the hulled rice (brown rice).
Vegetables
With vegetables, the Japanese prepare all sorts of traditional meals and sometimes the vegetable soup or the salad is been served for breakfast. In USA it is recommended to eat 5 portions of vegetables per day while the Japanese it the 5 portions in a single meal.
Recommended vegetables: green pepper, eggplant, dwarf bean, onion, celery, bamboo, potatoes.
Soy and tofu
In Japan most meals include soy or tofu. When it’s consumed moderately the soy is a perfect alternative for red meat.
The dessert
Most of the Japanese eat for dessert just a plain simple portion of fruits and as a special tip for you finishing a meal with a cup of green tea it’s another success key for losing weight and a healthier body.
Tags: japanese eat, japanese people, the japanese diet
