Japanese Diet

The Japanese are have the longest life in the world, which many attribute to the Japanese diet. But what is less well known is that Japanese women have the lowest rates of obesity (only 2.9 per cent) in modern world.

In Japanese Women Don’t Get Old or Fat the author shares with readers the basic elements of the Japanese approach to eating stating that her book is “not a diet plan but a whole new way of falling in love with food”.

The Japanese Diet Basics

The expressiveness is on small portions of fresh seasonal food. Dieters are advised to value quality over quantity and to eat slowly so as to appreciate the taste of the food and reach a feeling of satisfaction with less food.

A major factor of the Japanese way of eating is to eat until 80 per cent full. In addition a great deal of expressiveness is placed on presentation and making the food look beautiful and appealing to the eye.

Dairy and bread are not part of the diet and when beef and chicken are included in meals they are regarded more as condiments rather than the main focus of the meal. Fresh fruit is the preferred dessert however if a richer dessert is eaten it is in very small amount.

In Japan breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day and is often the largest.The Japanese power breakfast, consists of miso soup, rice, egg or fish, vegetables, fruit and green tea.

Recommended Foods:

Fish such as salmon and mackerel.
Rice (preferably brown).
Vegetables including daikon radish and sea vegetables.
Noodles (soba, udon, ramen, somen).
Soy (tofu, miso, soy sauce, endamame).
Tea preferably green.
Fruit such as Fuji apples, tangerines, and persimmons.


Sample Diet Plan:

Breakfast
Miso Soup
1 cup white rice
1 egg
Nori seaweed strips
Green tea

Lunch
Teriyaki fish
Rice
Asian greens
Green tea

Snack
Fuji Apple

Dinner
Chicken
Rice
Miso soup
Sea vegetables with tofu

Evening Snack
Tangerine


Exercise Recommendations

It is not enough to eat like a Japanese woman but it is necessary to adopt similar lifestyle habits. The Japanese achieve a lot of physical activity by simple actions such as walking, climbing stairs and using a bicycle to run errands rather than relying on taxi.


Summary:
No calorie counting.
Encourages freshly prepared meals based on whole foods.
Provides clear instructions on how to prepare the Japanese foods that are the foundation of the diet.
Encourages a balanced breakfast every day, which will reduce the likelihood of cravings or overeating later in the day.
Good for dieters who like to experiment with different flavors and cuisines.

Disadvantages
Very restrictive. Some dieters may be intimidated by the prospect of such a dramatic change in dietary style compared to a Western diet.
Will require more time to be spent on meal preparation.
May be difficult to get all the recommended ingredients.
Lacking specific guidelines for meal planning. Need to watch portion sizes.
Some dieters may not do well with the high amounts of carbohydrates from rice and noodles that are mostly based on refined wheat flour.
Difficult to follow for those who are on a sodium restricted diet.
Largely addressed towards women even though the plan is suitable for men as well.
Conclusions

This is a healthy and balanced approach to eating particularly if brown rice is selected as the major source of complex carbohydrates in the diet and if generous portions of vegetables and fruit are included in the daily diet.

However, it is important to be aware that there is no magic to Japanese foods and if dieters are to be successful it will be necessary to pay attention to portion sizes and limit calorie rich foods in the diet.