Let's say straight away. Most "Japanese" diets on the net have nothing to do with Asian cuisine or the diet discussed below.. Typically, these pseudo-Japanese dietsthey suggest you eat portions of boiled cabbage the size of a bird, a few eggs and 100 grams of meat or fish per day, reduce the number of meals to three and live in this mode for up to 2 weeks. Not! Such a lean diet is not suitable for an active person.
Why is the Japanese theme and everything in it so popular?
The Land of the Rising Sun will always be attractive and incomprehensible to a European. This may be because Japan has long been a closed state for Western civilization. What are the Japanese in our traditional view? They are technological but believe in spirits; conservative, but invented the "Ganguro" style; restrained, but capable of wild detachment; enjoy life even in a tiny stalk, but have historically elevated suicide to an honorable ritual. The islanders have given the world the most beautiful prints and wonderful Pokémon. In addition, they are thin and long-lived. Why?
You can talk about genetics and physiology, or you can answer like this: we are what we eat. .
The article is based on the book The Japanese Diet by Elisa Tanaka.
Traditional components of Japanese cuisine
I lay down in the shade
My rice grows for me
Mountain stream.
Rice
For the Japanese, rice, like bread for us, is "the head of everything". It is a healthy source of carbohydrates that does not containgluten free. Residents of Japan eat various varieties of rice, but prefer to eat brown rice cooked with sesame oil.
Fish and seafood
Fish dishes take the second place by volume in the daily diet of the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun. The protein structures of fish meat are complete, easily digestible and contain essential amino acids necessary for a person. However, the Japanese do not eat smoked or salted fish - only fresh sea or fresh water. The fat in fish is fusible and will not settle on your thighs with vile cellulite, but it will give the body full-fledged polyunsaturated fatty acids.
seaweed
Seaweed (aka kelp, brown seaweed) is used a lot in Japanese cuisine: it is added to rice, fish dishes or soy dishes. Laminaria is a good preventative of thyroid disease, atherosclerosis and heart attacks, rich in iodine, minerals and macronutrients. Also, Japanese islanders use dry kelp instead of the usual table salt.
Vegetables and legumes
True Japanese cuisine is impossible without vegetables. This, of course, all kinds of cabbage, radishes, garlic, green onions, cucumbers and tomatoes, eggplant, carrots, peppers, legumes, asparagus, spinach, celery and all kinds of lettuce.
Sprouts and shoots
Valuable sources of nutrients, since the sprouts are consumed in a "live" form, that is, their benefits are not killed by heat treatment. In addition, sprouted grain is more useful than "sleeping" grain, since all vital processes are activated in it.
Tips: sprouts can be purchased at any large hypermarket, or you can sprout the grains yourself on your window. Take 2 tablespoons of seeds or grains, put them in a container and fill with room temperature water so that the liquid level is 6 cm above the surface of the grains. Leave for 7 to 12 hours, covering the container with gauze. Then drain the water and rinse the beans thoroughly. The sprouts should be kept in the dark and can be eaten with salads, soups and as a substitute for green vegetables for second courses. Just don't stock up big for future use.
Fruits and berries
Instead of traditional pastries and confectionery for us, Asians eat fruit for dessert. At the same time, it is important to eat seasonal fruits and berries, that is, not strawberries in winter.
Spices and seasonings
Curry, black, red and cayenne peppers, anise, turmeric, garlic, horseradish, dill, ginger (fresh and pickled), basil, mustard seeds, coriander, cinnamon are commonly added to many dishes. But bay leaf, on the contrary, is not used. Salt is also not held in high regard, instead dry kelp powder (as we have already mentioned), soy sauce or sesame oil is used.
Green tea
Tea is believed to have many medicinal properties: strengthens teeth, soothes the soul, treats heart disease, neutralizes poisons and helps achieve longevity. The basic principle of Japanese tea drinking is: "Drink - share, fill - drink". The second cup of tea is considered the most valuable (especially if you brew tea in the cup itself).
Tips: in order for the tea to be fragrant and as useful as possible, first rinse the teapot with boiling water and close the lid to warm it. Then rinse the tea leaves with warm water and put them in a teapot at the rate of 1-2 tbsp. for a cup of tea, fill the tea leaves with water no higher than 80°C. First, pour water into a third of the teapot and steep for 3-5 minutes. After, fill half and leave again, but for 1 min. Then add as much water as needed to drink tea and steep for one minute. The tea is ready.
Tofu (bean curd)
It is bean curd that provides Asian vegetarians with complete protein: 240 g of tofu contain as much protein as two chicken eggs. 100 g of tofu are 20% richer in calcium than 100 g of cow's milk. Soy protein is 95% digested, it is rich in lysine, calcium, iron, vitamins B, E and K. Tofu is an excellent dietary product, and despite its high nutritional value, tofu is very low in calories. He has littlecarbohydratesand no cholesterol. Unlike meat, which is acidic, tofu is alkaline. And nutritionists say an alkaline environment is more beneficial than an acidic environment and advise eating at least 25 grams of soy protein a day.
Benefits of the Japanese diet
Many people cannot tolerate dieting simply because diets are very restrictive in taste, sometimes too restrictive in what we eat. Pleasure from the taste of food is that joy that cannot be abandoned for a long time and without harming well-being or mood. The real Japanese diet consists of delicious dishes based on products that are healthy for the body and low in calories.
Disadvantages of the Japanese Diet
The diet assumes that you have to master certain Asian food recipes, and also requires some adaptations. This diet is technically more complicated than many others, where you only take a few foods and eat for a while or until you are fed up.
Studying Japanese cooking techniques can be considered another skill in your arsenal, like the ability to sit on a string - it can be surprising, it can be proud.
So, from the kitchen inventory, you will need:
- Wok, or wok for frying or stewing quickly;
- Pans with non-stick coating;
- Bain-marie (instead of a bain-marie, you can insert a metal colander into the pan);
- Food processor, blender;
- Utensils in beech, cherry or maple wood for stirring cooked food: the wood does not absorb odors and lasts a long time;
- Skewers or wooden skewers.
To cook you will need:
- Various varieties of rice;
- noodles;
- Mushrooms;
- Spices and herbs;
- Sauces: soy, teriyaki, fish, oyster.
Japanese food products shouldn't be a big deal for you, now you can buy them at any superstore or you can easily substitute some of our ingredients. Don't be afraid to experiment.
Japanese diet: basic principles
The Japanese dietary menu includes many soups and vegetable dishes. . It's a great weight loss strategy because these dishes are low in calories and good for digestion. And vegetable dietary fiber in the composition of vegetables will give your stomach the necessary saturation, so you will not experience excruciating hunger pangs.
The number of calories on the menuindicated without adding sugar or cream to drinks. Therefore, do not forget to add 16 kcal per 1 teaspoon to your daily calorie intake. sugar and 36 kcal per tablespoon of cream (if using). In other words - sweet coffee - reduce the volume of the main portion of food. Instead of cow's milk, it is recommended to use soy.
The optimal number of calories consumed per day should be 1200-1400 kcal (for women). It is this number of calories that is sufficient for the life of the body at rest, before eating and at average room temperature. On the one hand, reducing calories to 1200-1400 does not cause pathological changes in metabolism, on the other hand, it allows you to fully live your day (without feeling a breakdown), and fitness classes will be energizedby burning your own fat stores.
The danger of diets that reduce calories below 1200:
- With rapid weight loss, you will also quickly gain the lost kilograms or even more;
- An impoverished diet will negatively affect the condition of the skin, hair and nails, and lead to loss of muscle mass;
- The more muscle you lose, the more your metabolic rate slows, making it harder to lose or maintain weight.
The main rules of the Japanese diet
- Do not try to artificially speed up the weight loss process, reducing the number of calories (we wrote about the consequences above). You should not lose more than 1 kg per week.
- Stay in the range of 1200 to 1400 calories per day. Be sure to supplement with vitamins and minerals.
- Maintain energy balancebetween the energy received and consumed. From food we get calories, with the help of fitness we expend. Violation of this balance, unfortunately, leads to excess weight.
- The key to weight loss in the Japanese diet is a variety of foodsand small portions, the shift from fatty meat dishes to a healthy diet based on fruits, vegetables and seafood.
Asian nutritionists have developed a healthy food pyramid that can be used as a guide when planning your diet and the ratio of certain foods in it.
Tips for Effective Weight Loss on the Japanese Diet
- Keep track of your physical activity and diet (calorie count). This makes it easier to see progress;
- Strictly stick to the chosen meal plan and portion size;
- Don't regard food as 'good' or 'bad', enjoy the process of eating;
- If at some point you allowed yourself to eat high-calorie foods, be sure to reduce the calorie content of your diet the next day;
- Do aerobic exercise.
You can initially lose more than the recommended kilogram per week. This is due to the loss of fluid in the body. Then the weight loss will slow down, but don't despair - it's a completely normal healthy weight loss process.
Sample Japanese diet menu for 14 days (table)
| Day | Menu of the day | |||
| Breakfast | Lunch | To taste | Lunch dinner) | |
| a |
|
|
Apple. Calories: 80. |
|
| Total Daily Calorie Intake1428 calories | ||||
| 2 |
|
|
1 cup of coffee without sugar. Calories: 5. |
|
| Total Daily Calorie Intake1386 calories | ||||
| 3 |
|
|
1 glass of soy milk. Calories: 150. |
|
| Total Daily Calorie Intake1334 calories | ||||
| four |
|
|
Calories: 30. |
|
| Total Daily Calorie Intake1424 calories | ||||
| 5 |
|
|
1 orange (fruit salad) Calories: 141. |
|
| Total Daily Calorie Intake1443 calories | ||||
| 6 |
|
|
|
|
| Total Daily Calorie Intake1433 calories | ||||
| seven |
|
|
1 glass of soy milk. Calories: 150. |
|
| Total Daily Calorie Intake1392 calories | ||||
| eight |
|
|
1 glass of vegetable juice. Calories: about 70. |
Calories: 576. |
| Total Daily Calorie Intake1424 calories | ||||
| 9 |
|
|
120 g fruit yoghurt. Calories: 60. |
|
| Total Daily Calorie Intake1440 calories | ||||
| Ten |
|
|
10 young carrots. Calories: 38. |
|
| Total Daily Calorie Intake1303 calories | ||||
| Eleven |
|
|
|
|
| Total Daily Calorie Intake1290 calories | ||||
| 12 |
|
|
|
|
| Total Daily Calorie Intake1441 calories | ||||
| 13 |
|
|
1 bowl of cherry. Calories: 31. |
|
| Total Daily Calorie Intake1430 calories | ||||
| Fourteen |
|
|
10 young carrots. Calories: 38. |
|
| Total Daily Calorie Intake1272 calories |
If you're a bit scared by the names of dishes (which you've probably never cooked) - then don't worry, there are recipes for all the dishes that appear in the Japanese diet.
We save the results
You should exit the diet by gradually increasing the number of calories to a level at which you can maintain your weight unchanged. Just add 100 calories to your diet for 14 days. At the same time, the weight should be controlled. If the scale continues to show weight loss, add an additional 100 calories over the next 2 weeks and check the scale again. Once the weight has stabilized, you yourself determine the number of calories needed to maintain a constant weight.
100 calories is:
- pork, beef - 80 g;
- 1 boiled chicken breast;
- 150 g of fish;
- one egg or 2 yolks, or 5-6 proteins;
- a glass of milk;
- yogurt - 125 g;
- a glass of kefir;
- a small slice of bread;
- beans - 25 g (3-4 tablespoons);
- fresh cabbage - 1 kg;
- fresh cucumber - 750 g;
- 3-4 large carrots;
- a large potato tuber;
- 590 g of tomatoes;
- 625g sauerkraut;
- banana - less than 1 pc. ;
- apricots - 210 g;
- fresh strawberries - 325 g;
- 1 large apple;
- 1 large orange;
- 2 kiwis;
- peaches - 250 g;
- 4 tangerines;
- plum - 200 g;
- 1 grapefruit;
- watermelon - 285 g;
- 1 large pear;
- melon - 190 g;
- 15-20 large grapes;
- all nuts (2 tablespoons) - 15 g;
- noodles - a portion the size of a palm tree;
- muesli, oatmeal - 1/3 cup;
- porridge on the water - 5-6 tbsp. I. per serving.
We hope you succeed! Good luck!