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On this Japanese island, the chances of living to a hundred years and at the same time maintaining vigor are much greater than in other parts of the planet. The secret is healthy and easy food that we can borrow for our plates.
The Japanese are world record holders for longevity. On the island of Okinawa in the southern part of the country, the proportion of centenarians is especially high: for example, it is several times higher than in France, where life expectancy is one of the highest in Europe! And most importantly, these old, old old people are cheerful and full of energy.
Okinawans are less prone to age-related diseases – such as myocardial infarction, high blood pressure, prostate cancer, osteoporosis. They are practically unaware of diabetes and overweight. And it’s not about genetics. It is known that Okinawans who left, say, for Brazil and parted with their usual way of life, overtake both obesity and cardiovascular diseases, and they live an average of 17 years less. It turns out that the standard of healthy eating for the whole world will no longer be the island of Crete, but Okinawa? Researchers from around the world are studying the way of life of the Okinawans, looking especially closely at the contents of their plates.
EASY MENU
The Japanese like to get up from the table without feeling heavy. They eat slowly, enjoying every bite, and stop when the stomach is only three-quarters full, avoiding overeating. As a result, they consume an average of about 1800 calories a day, while Americans consume 2500 calories and Russians 2300. Scientists believe natural calorie restriction is one of the reasons for longevity. But light eating does not mean self-restraint in food. Okinawans eat low-calorie foods (fruits, vegetables in various forms, whole grains, shellfish, white meat, soy yogurt) in large quantities.
Eat slowly, enjoying the taste of every bite.
A traditional Okinawan meal (fried vegetables, whole grain rice, miso soup) contains 280 calories. The same number of calories is contained in 100 g of a hamburger, but at the same time, the total weight of Japanese food is 500 g. It is simply impossible not to get enough, because our body reacts more to the weight of food eaten than to its energy value.
VEGETABLES WITHOUT LIMITS
Sitting down at the table, Okinawans usually start their meal with a fresh salad, vegetable broth, or just raw vegetables. In addition, they always add some vegetable products to all dishes: Chinese cabbage, various mushrooms, crispy young bamboo shoots, heshima (this kind of pumpkin is a bit like the familiar zucchini), cucumbers, carrots, turnips … So that vegetables retain their nutritious properties, they are boiled for only a few minutes, thrown into already boiled water, and eaten almost raw. A favorite dish in Okinawa is sampuru, a mixture of tofu, seasonal vegetables, and bitter melon. Due to their high fiber content, vegetables are easy to satiate; at the same time, they have few calories and many important substances: vitamins, minerals, antioxidants.
SPICES, HERBS AND ALGAE
No matter how you feel about Okinawan cuisine, you can’t call it bland, because seasonings are necessarily used in all dishes. Different types of herbs (shiso from the basil and mint family, coriander, dill) and spices (turmeric, ginger, wasabi, etc.) add flavor to dishes and are also very healthy. Seaweed, on the other hand, is extraordinarily rich in iodine and calcium: it contains 8000 times more iodine (necessary for the functioning of the thyroid gland) than crustaceans, and 10 times more calcium than milk.
SOYA IN ALL ITS FORMS – INSTEAD OF MEAT
When the stomach is not completely full, get up from the table with a feeling of lightness.
In Okinawa, it is eaten at least twice a day: tofu (soybeans soaked in water), shoyu (a sauce made from fermented soybeans and wheat), miso in soup (soybean paste that has also undergone a fermentation process, is rich in probiotics and facilitates digestion). Soy not only protects against heart disease (and possibly helps prevent some cancers), but also serves as an excellent substitute for meat and dairy products, which in large quantities can be not good, but harmful. By the way, on the island they consume 18 times less meat and three times less milk than in Europe.
Live better together
Diet alone cannot explain the incredible life span in Okinawa. A highly developed social life is also important. Friends, neighbors and relatives communicate daily. The spirit of mutual aid has deep roots. People work together in the garden, go for walks and practice the tai chi system of exercises to a very old age. The elderly are never isolated, they continue to work (pensions have never been heard of here) and participate in society.
RICE ON THE TABLE AT EVERY MEAL
It is present at breakfast in the form of morning porridge, along with a small amount of soy sauce accompanies lunch or evening dishes as a side dish and, of course, is part of a variety of sushi and rolls – in general, an Okinawan meal is indispensable without rice. It really has many advantages: it saturates, rich in complex carbohydrates, is a source of energy and does not contain an ounce of fat. It is best to choose whole grain rice, which contains more fiber, which means it is more easily absorbed by the body. When setting the table, Okinawans tend to place a small bowl of rice and a bottle of soy sauce next to each plate…
FISH THREE TIMES A WEEK
Tuna, salmon, mackerel, flounder, sea bream, eel… Okinawans eat fish an average of three times a week and in a wide variety of forms: raw or boiled, in the form of sushi or thin slices of sashimi, steamed or rolled. For the inhabitants of the island, fish is the main source of animal protein. It is low-calorie, rich in minerals and vitamins, and the most fatty species (tuna, salmon and mackerel) supply the body with invaluable omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, which has a beneficial effect on mood and well-being.
GREEN TEA ALL DAY
No wine, no sweet soda, no coffee is drunk in Okinawa – only green tea with jasmine or just water. Green tea, rich in antioxidants and having a diuretic effect, helps to eliminate toxins. Just do not leave it to infuse for too long (longer than 3-5 minutes) to avoid an unpleasant bitter aftertaste.
SALT AND SUGAR IN SMALL QUANTITIES
In Japan, as in Europe, heavily salted dishes are also occasionally eaten. But not in Okinawa: salt consumption per capita here does not exceed the scientifically recommended 10 g per day. They also eat very little sugar: three times less than in Europe, since there are no cakes and pastries in the traditional diet. The sugar the body needs is provided by fruits.
About it
BRADLEY J. WILCOX, D. CRAIG WILCOX, MAKOTO SUZUKI “OKINAWA ISLAND LIFE PROGRAM” RIPOL CLASSIC, 2005.
Studying life on the island for 25 years, the authors came to the conclusion that the principles of life on Okinawa allow anyone to find their own path to longevity and health. The book contains practical recommendations and recipes.