Three Japanese secrets of harmony

To eat in Japanese, you need to follow only three rules. Parisian nutritionist Sophie Ortega talks about them in detail in her new book, Secrets of Health and Slimness from Japan.

Eat less

A low-calorie diet helps keep the body slim and healthy. “Historically, the Japanese eat almost no sugar, cheese, dairy products, fried foods and sweets,” explains the nutritionist.

80% of the diet is vegetables, soy, greens and other plant foods. The remaining 20% ​​is fish, shellfish and algae, as well as lean meat and poultry, rice, rapeseed oil and sesame oil. Sweets and desserts are not eaten every day, but rather on exceptional occasions.

The Japanese drink plenty of fluids – water, antioxidant-rich green tea, and doggy drink. This is an infusion of roasted buckwheat, which cleanses the body and promotes fat burning.

The Japanese do not count calories, but adhere to the “hara hachi bu” rule. They say this phrase every time they sit down at the table. You can translate it like this: “The stomach is 80% full.” In this way, you can remind yourself that overeating is harmful, and you need to get up from the table when you are not yet completely satiated.

To eat less, Sophie Ortega recommends eating without being distracted by other activities, in silence or in a friendly atmosphere. Sitting at the dinner table, not at the worker, and not on the run. “It is important to slowly chew, look, smell, feel and enjoy the dish in order to feel full in time and not overeat,” the expert explains.

It is better to put food in a Japanese bowl-bowl, which holds about 150 g of food. It does seem to be much more. Another trick is to eat with chopsticks. They slow down the process and make you concentrate on it. In addition, chopsticks force us to eat in small pieces, which sets us up for a meditative mood.

Prepare simply and quickly

Japanese cuisine is always very simple, but made from fresh, high-quality and predominantly seasonal ingredients.

“High temperature during prolonged frying or stewing changes the structure of products, kills vitamins and useful trace elements,” Sophie Ortega explains. In Japan, fish and vegetables are most commonly eaten raw or wok-fried quickly. On it, vegetables are cooked to al dente and seasoned with rice vinegar or soy sauce. It turns out quickly and tasty.

An important rule of Japanese cuisine is seasonality. Even the menu in restaurants changes at least four times a year. Imported, which means specially processed against decay, vegetables and fruits are not held in high esteem here.

Find Zen

“Like Westerners, the Japanese are constantly under stress,” Sophie Ortega recalls. – And stress is one of the main enemies of weight loss. After all, it provokes the synthesis of hormones that make you eat more. This leads to completely unnecessary “nervous snacking”, the abuse of sweet and fatty foods. In addition, the Japanese are sure that food eaten in a bad mood can only do harm.

Physical activity helps the Japanese to defeat stress – walking, cycling, martial arts. But nothing debilitating. Most residents of the Land of the Rising Sun choose the so-called “natural and spontaneous” activity, which keeps the muscles in good shape and strengthens the cardiovascular system.

“A simple walk in the park, gardening or breathing exercises fill you with energy and help you find harmony,” the nutritionist continues. Relaxation is promoted by meditation and massage, as well as hobbies such as origami, calligraphy or bonsai. All this helps to find Zen.

In addition, the Japanese honor the principle of “yuimaru”, which means “circle of the united.” People live by the rule “everyone helps everyone” and are always ready to help each other, which inspires confidence in the future and optimism.