Can you imagine a Japanese girl with obesity? If so, congratulations – you have a great imagination! In fact, the percentage of obese people in Japan is one of the lowest in the world – only 3.5%.
Let’s see what Japanese women eat and what kind of lifestyle they have to stay slim – these simple rules will be useful for you too.
What do Japanese women eat?
Rice
You probably know that rice is the basis of Asian cuisine and the most important element in the nutrition of any Japanese. It is not only the main side dish, but also a substitute for bread. Despite the fact that rice is a product with high carbohydrate content, it is considered to be the main element of the Japanese diet. However, the Japanese cook their rice not the way we are accustomed to: it is not salted, not seasoned with butter and, most interestingly, soaked rather than boiled in water. By the way, the beneficial properties of rice are not applied to rolls that are served in restaurants all over the world – these analogs of Japanese dishes have nothing to do with diet products!
Fish
Japanese women almost do not eat fatty meat, but they cannot imagine a day without fresh fish and seafood. It is next to impossible to gain weight if you eat a lot of fish, but you can easily saturate your body with useful substances! You probably know that seafood is a source of iodine and omega-3, which reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, as well as the problems with the thyroid gland.
Small servings
The servings are relatively small even in not traditional Japanese restaurants in different countries – in fact, this does not result from the greed of the restaurant owners; this is dictated by the real attitude of the Japanese to food. They never eat a lot – only modest servings. Even a traditional Japanese lunch box – bento – would seem ridiculous to us. Is this the whole dinner? Ha! Thus, the Japanese are accustomed to one of the basic principles of a healthy diet from childhood – to eat very small servings more often.
Cooking methods
Fried foods are clearly not about the Japanese cuisine. The Japanese are generally not accustomed to eating this! Of course, you can find something cooked in breadcrumbs or fried in oil on the menu, but Japanese girls eat steamed or boiled food in their everyday life. Do we have to tell you in detail why it is much better and why it does not provoke overweight?
Green tea
Green tea is not only a source of antioxidants, which slow down the aging process; it is also a loyal assistant in the process of losing weight: it is a diuretic, which means that it removes excess fluid from the body. And now try to guess the main drink in the life of the Japanese people. No, it is not sake. It is green tea! Traditional tea ceremonies that have existed for centuries are still popular. Of course, Japanese people do not spend two hours with a tea kettle, but green tea can be drunk several times a day. Follow this example!
Soybeans
Rich in protein, low in fat and calories, soy accompanies each meal in Japan: whether it is the sauce, soy milk or tofu. Thus, there is no deficit of vegetable protein in the Japanese diet, and this material is required for building muscles.
Vegetables
Every Japanese person is very careful when choosing vegetables: no dinner or supper can be imagined without them! The Japanese love daikon, leeks, cabbage, and even such exotic dishes as bamboo shoots and lotus roots… But the most important thing in the Land of the Rising Sun is that they cook only simple and fresh salads without fancy dressings and, of course, without mayonnaise which many of us love.
Only fresh products
The Japanese try to use only fresh ingredients to cook their food; they must be cooked “here and now”. Such a notion as “shelf life” is almost non-existent for them. In short, our favorite way of frying cutlets for 3 days ahead does not work in Japan. However, the very Japanese cuisine greatly facilitates people’s lives in this respect: fish is always raw, rice is soaked in water, and vegetables are not cooked… Actually, one should hardly cook anything!
Sweets? Unheard of!
Of course, the Japanese people are human beings (though they seem to be from another planet!). They love sweets too. But their idea of desserts is very different from ours: there are no biscuits, fat cream, and chocolate cakes… The Japanese even manage to make ice cream of rice (mochi)! In general, Japanese desserts are low-calorie, not very sweet, and perhaps not the most delicious for Europeans. But they do not lead to belly fat! Brownies will seem terribly sweet for the Japanese.
Zen Buddhist attitude towards food
In Japan, there is such a thing as “temple food,” which has been practiced by the Japanese monks for 800 years. This approach to nutrition is still popular among many residents. According to Zen Buddhism, food should be the basis for spiritual growth. Thus, there is a complete rejection of meat and asceticism. You will not believe, but many Japanese women stick to this rule! They eat only small portions of food exclusively from vegetable products that may be exposed only to minimal heat treatment. This, of course, is quite a harsh way of eating, but this is a trifle for the real samurai! For instance, let us recall the Japanese method of weight loss, Tabata, which is considered the fastest and toughest. That’s all we have to know about the secrets of slim Japanese women! Shall we try?
