“You are what you eat” is the famous quote that we all have heard several times in our lives. Japanese people seem to understand the importance and value of this priceless quote. Japanese people have least obesity issues, high longevity rate and exceptional health statistics. The secret to this is their diet.
Japanese Diet
The diet relies heavily on some common foods. Rice is the main source of carb intake among people of Japan. They seem to consume it in every meal. Japanese Diet also emphasizes on eating fish regularly. An individual in Japan is estimated to eat 190g of fish daily. The combination of fish and rice is vital.
The combination of fish and rice is superior than the American combination of potato and meat, European combination of little everything and Russian combination of mayonnaise, potato and pork.
Japanese Diet gives immense importance to soy products and Miso. It is a fermented soy product. A delicious soup is made from Miso which is easy to digest. Soy sauce is an inclusion while preparing majority of the meals. Japanese people consume 200g of soy products daily on average.
The reason for Japanese people to stay slim and healthy is that they consume low amount of sugar. A Japanese individual consumes only 20 kilos of sugar annually as compared to an American individual’s 71 kilos sugar intake annually. Cereals are known to be a common inclusion in daily diet.
Fried foods are usually ignored by the people of Japan. The diet is based on small portion meals. The key is to eat less and slowly by enjoying the food. Eating with chopsticks allows an individual to eat slowly which makes the digestive system work more efficiently.
The diet considers breakfast as the most important meal. Steamed rice, green tea, miso soup with tofu, omelet, grilled fish and spring onions are some of the foods to include in the breakfast.