The Japanese are slim, live long, and retain a flourishing appearance, good memory, and energy well into old age. So is the Japanese diet the secret to health and longevity? Not everything is so rosy: we solve it together.
history of the japanese diet
Lose 7-8 kilos in 14 days: that's what the Japanese diet promises. Which, to be honest, has a very indirect relationship to Japanese cuisine and the food system. In any case, its observance requires the iron will of the samurai.
There is no traditional Japanese seafood in the diet, just fish. It includes a lot of unsweetened coffee, which is not a very popular way to serve the drink in Japan. Food is recommended to be cooked not only without salt, but also without seasoning, which is generally unknown to the Japanese.
The traditional Japanese food system actually has many advantages:
- One study showed that a diet based on grains and vegetables with a small amount of soy and animal products reduced the chance of dying from a heart attack or stroke.
- Japan has the lowest obesity rate in the world.
- Okinawa, in southern Japan, has the largest number of people in the world who are over 100 years old.
- Japanese food, especially Okinawan food, is rich in antioxidants and flavonoids from vegetables and fruits of different colors and plant estrogens, which help prevent the development of hormone-dependent cancers (such as breast cancer).
- The Japanese rituals related to the presentation and aesthetics of the presentation of food and drinks are as good for physical and mental health as the habits associated with another healthy diet, the Mediterranean - eating fresh, sharing family meals, eating lots of fruit and fish, allow pleasure, enjoy food.
But the traditional Japanese diet has the same relationship to the two-week weight-loss diet called the "Japanese diet" as it does to a roller coaster ride to the United States.
Principles of the Japanese diet
The Japanese diet is very strict and does not allow deviations. The main principle of its action is the gradual restructuring of attitudes towards nutrition in general and the reduction of the total caloric content of the diet. Light proteins become the basis of the menu, and carbohydrates are reduced. The fiber in fruits and vegetables helps keep you feeling full.
The diet is claimed to help rebuild and normalize digestion and metabolism, but there is no scientific evidence for this. However, giving up sugar, salt, baked goods, and alcohol changes your body and brain. But it is important that the refusal is long-term, 14 days is not enough. And the reduction in portions really returns the stomach stretched out in large portions to a normal state. But it does not reduce: this elastic organ cannot be reduced to a state below the physiological norm.
The Japanese diet allows only 3 meals, 4, 5 to 5 hours before bedtime, the last meal must be scheduled. Snacking is unacceptable, which can be a difficult test: physiologically, a person experiences hunger every 3-4 hours, and meals divided into small portions give him more energy than three meals a day.
During the day, according to the Japanese diet, you should drink at least two liters of water. Vegetable oils should be kept to a minimum. A cup of green tea is the only indulgence for hunger.
Nutritionists warn: It's best to prepare for any diet in advance, and you should start smoothly to minimize the inevitable stress. For 2-5 days, lighten your diet as much as possible. You can even buy Japanese chopsticks to eat more slowly and more mindfully. Try to drink and sleep more, be less nervous.
List of forbidden foods in the Japanese diet
- Salt, because it delays the elimination of fluids from the body and raises blood pressure.
- Sugar, because it is a source of simple carbohydrates, which are quickly deposited in the body as excess weight.
- Alcohol in any form and quantity, because it slows down the metabolism and prevents the elimination of toxins from the body.
- Bread made with wheat flour.
- Semi-finished products, fast foods, any sweet dessert and fatty dairy products.
Foods allowed in the Japanese diet
The basis of nutrition in the Japanese diet is vegetables and fruits (except for sweet bananas, figs, grapes), cheeses, kefir, fish and meat, eggs. Meat and fish can be fried in vegetable oil. You can choose sunflower, olive, corn, sesame oil - the variety helps to withstand strict restrictions.
Protein is the main nutrient in the diet, and this is what the Japanese diet has in common with other high-protein diets such as the ketogenic diet and the paleo diet in its advantages and disadvantages. Fiber is the second most important nutrient for satiety. It is found in cereals, vegetables and fruits.
All desserts are prohibited in the Japanese diet. The sweetest food in the diet is fruit.
They can | is prohibited |
---|---|
|
|
Sample menu for 14 days
Breakfast.Almost every 14 days of the Japanese diet for breakfast, you should only drink a cup of black coffee without sugar. It can sometimes be supplemented with crackers or replaced with green tea. Organic coffee is a staple of the Japanese diet because it contains beneficial natural antioxidants.
Dinner.For lunch, you can eat lean fish, chicken, or meat with vegetables. You can prepare salads with fresh vegetables, fry vegetables together with the main course, or eat salads with grated carrots, chopped cabbage and cucumbers. There are no calorie restrictions, but you do need a small portion.
DinnerIt is the most varied part of the Japanese diet. You can eat fruits, boiled eggs, kefir, hard cheeses. If you wish, the Japanese diet allows you to eat fish or meat with vegetables for dinner, as for lunch, but the portion should be smaller.
First day |
|
Second day |
|
The third day |
|
Fourth day |
|
Fifth day |
|
Sixth day |
|
Seventh day |
|
eighth day |
|
ninth day |
|
Tenth day |
|
eleventh day |
|
twelfth day |
|
thirteenth day |
|
fourteenth day |
|
Follower Comments
- "I am always losing weight, I am 167 cm, and the minimum weight was 56, the maximum 73 after childbirth. So I tried many diets: Dukan, Protasov, etc. The Japanese is more effective, on it I throw 5-7 kg . Used 4 times.
- "Well, I can say that the results of the diet, of course, pleased me a little. I really lost weight, you can see it both in clothes and in the comments of others. But I do not want to repeat this experience. Once again I became convinced that there is nothing good about crash diets, and as soon as I started eating in a more or less familiar way, the weight gradually increased.
- "This diet helped me lose weight and start to change, but I can't recommend it to anyone, because any diet is stressful for the body and can bring sad consequences, it is much better to listen to your body and change your attitude towards meal. . "
- "The most important and valuable effect for me was that I didn't want to eat sweets and all kinds of unpleasant things like chips, crackers, etc. , but I always loved it! I also liked that I started to feel the taste of food from very sharp way, getting much more pleasure from food.
- "They say that this diet was developed in a Japanese clinic, the name of which is different in different sources. There is also an opinion that there is no Japanese diet, and the name was simply invented for advertising purposes to attract attention. In fact, among The Japanese rarely find a well-nourished person, we also hear a lot about Japanese longevity. Conclusion: we trust the Japanese. "
The effectiveness and benefits of the Japanese diet
Avoiding sugar and alcohol are perhaps the only healthy ideas of the Japanese diet. Even salt should not be completely abandoned.
Many note that the diet actually helps with weight loss by limiting calories and, more importantly, changing taste preferences and stopping the love of some unhealthy foods. But it is difficult to talk about a change in internal processes - no serious studies have been conducted, there are only subjective sensations.
The diet is clearly contraindicated in children, pregnant women, lactating women, people suffering from gastritis and ulcers, heart disease, eating disorders and other chronic diseases. It is recommended to consult a doctor before starting a diet.
Japanese Diet Harm
The harm is the same as with other fad diets: a sharp reduction in calories can cause stress for the body and vitamin deficiencies. The high protein content increases the load on the liver and kidneys.
In addition, nutritionists and those who are losing weight note additional difficulties:
- Not everyone will appreciate coffee with minimal additions for breakfast. With stomach problems, this is fraught with bloating and heartburn. Breakfast should give you energy for the whole day and a good mood, and not make you dream about lunch.
- Dry food without salt, spices, oils and sauces. It is physically difficult to eat this, and eating without pleasure leads to impaired nutrient absorption.
- Food prohibitions and restrictions. In order not to let go, you will need an iron will, and weight gain after the end of the diet is almost inevitable.
- Sports incompatibility. Activity on an empty stomach is not a good idea, and a bad mood does not help to tune into an active load.