3 Reasons Japanese Women don't get old or fat

3 Reasons Japanese Women Don’t Get Fat Or Old

Let’s be clear… This is an outrageous statement. However, did you know that Japan has one of the longest life expectancies of any population?  On top of that… they have the longest health expectancy!

WHO
Many know that Japan boasts a very healthy population. One of the worlds healthiest. The Japanese healthcare system according to the World Health Organization consistenly ranks around the 10th spot in the world. While the USA & Canada are down around 37 & 30 respectively.  But don’t let the WHO global report bring you down as there are those that are skeptical as to just how accurate and relevant it’s rankings really are.

Okinawa Centenarian StudyDid you know that in Okinawa, Japan, there were so many centenarian’s (people who live to be at least 100 years of age or more) that, in 1975, an ongoing study began and is still ongoing?

Not only are these people living to 100 (or beyond) they also have a history of aging slowly and delaying or sometimes escaping, the chronic diseases of aging that have be ravaging, in ever increasing numbers, the populations here in North America including dementia, cardiovascular disease (such as coronary heart disease and stroke) and cancer.

The goal of the Okinawa Centenarian Study is to uncover the genetic and lifestyle factors responsible for this remarkably successful aging phenomenon so that they can better the health and quality of life for the rest of us.

How to Stay Healthy & Live to 100Of course living to 100 if you’re struck with serious disease and lack of vitality is a miserable thought. What if you could live to 100, be healthy, clear minded and full of vigor and vitality?

Well, it looks as if both science and anecdotal evidence are saying that there is a lot we can learn from the Japanese people and their way of life… especially their diet.

We cover diet a lot here on FOHN. It turns out, as the old expression goes, we really are what we eat. Many of our featured expert interviews cover diet and just how important it is when acheiving our health and wellness goals.

Our title for this blog post was inspired by this blog post. It mentions some pretty interesting points about the Japanese diet and lifestyle.

Here are 3 reasons that describe exactly why Japanese women do not get as fat on average as the populations here in North America. Many of these below factors also could possibly promote the long life & health span mentioned in the Okinawa study.

1. The ingredients simmering in a Japanese kitchen are a simple variety of foods eaten on a consistent and daily basis:

• Fish
• Sea Vegetables
• Land Vegetables
• Soy (I’ll add that there are also many fermented soy products consumed in Japan which we don’t see much of here in North America)
• Rice
• Fruit
• Green Tea

2. The Japanese enjoy home cooked meals on a daily basis. A traditional meal consists of grilled fish, a bowl of rice, simmered vegetables, miso soup, sliced fruit for dessert and green tea. The Japanese consume almost 10 percent of the world’s fish, although they make up about 2 percent of the world’s population. That’s 150 pounds per year, per person compared to the world average of 35 pounds. And this daily dose of omega-3 fatty acids may well explain why they live long and healthy lives. That, and the fact they consume 5 times the amount of cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, kale, cauliflower and brussel sprouts) than Americans do.

3. The emphasis of Japanese cooking is to use what is fresh and in season. According to author Moriyama, “Japanese supermarkets are cathedrals of freshness. Food is not only dated, it’s timed—Japanese women buy fish, meat, vegetables, or prepared meals that are timed by the half hour they were packed that day.”

Although anecdotal, it seems to reason we could all benefit from eating more fresh local organic foods and produce.

Fermented Foods – Gross but Good?

Finally lets touch on one food that is supposed to be provide numerous health benefits from heart health to potentially helping suppress tumors in breast cancer studies. Natto is apparently the same consistency of mucous and tastes just about the same. However somehow the Japanese apparently consume this super food regularly and it may very well be a major contributor to their health as well.

There are many other soy products that the Japanese consume regularly as well, many of them fermented; Nama Shoyu is one of them. It’s important to note that many of the soy products consumed here in North America are processed/refined/cooked and therefore do not contain the many health properties listed in the above raw/live/fermented (cultured with good bacteria and enzymes) products.

What Do You Think?

Do the Japanese really have it all figured out? Is it really reasonable to assume that just eating a simple diet of fresh and local produce (getting away from processed and refined foods) can be the answer to staying thin and healthy for a really long time?

Please let us know your opinion in the “comments” section below and share, link, tweet and plus this post for your friends!

Be Well!

- Erai Beckmann

Article from The Future of Health Now

http://www.thefutureofhealthnow.com/3-reasons-japanese-women-dont-get-fat-or-old/