Let's say right away. Most of the "Japanese" diets online have nothing to do with Asian cuisine or the diet that will be discussed below.. Typically, these pseudo-Japanese dietsthey suggest you eat "bird size" portions of boiled cabbage, a few eggs and 100 grams of meat or fish a day, reduce the number of meals to three and live in this state as much as 2 weeks. Does not! Such a lean diet is not suitable for an active working person.
Why is the Japanese theme and everything that cuts under it so popular?
The land of the rising sun will always be attractive and incomprehensible to a European. Perhaps this is because Japan was for a long time a closed state to Western civilization. What are they, 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; value life even in a small stalk but historically elevated suicide to the rank of an honorable ritual. The islanders gave the world the finest wonderful engravings and Pokémon. In addition, they are slim and live long. Why?
One can talk about genetics and physiology, or one can answer like this: we are what we eat.
The article is based on the book The Japanese Diet by Elisa Tanaka.
Traditional components in Japanese cuisine
I lay down in the shade
My rice pushes 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 different varieties of rice, but prefer to eat brown rice cooked with sesame oil.
Fish and shellfish
Fish dishes are in second place in terms of 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 that are necessary for a person. However, the Japanese do not eat smoked or salted fish - only fresh sea or fresh water. The fat in the fish is digestible and will not be deposited on your thighs with disgusting cellulite, but it will give the body full polyunsaturated fatty acids.
seaweed
Seaweed (aka seaweed, brown seaweed) is very common in Japanese cuisine: it is added to rice, fish dishes or soy dishes. Laminaria is a good prevention of thyroid disease, atherosclerosis and heart attack, rich in iodine, minerals and macronutrients. Also, the inhabitants of the Japanese islands use dry seaweed instead of the usual table salt.
Vegetables and legumes
Real Japanese cuisine is impossible without vegetables. This is of course all kinds of cabbage, radish, 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, as sprouts are eaten in a "living" form - that is, their benefits are not killed by heat treatment. In addition, germinated grains are more useful than "sleeping" grains because all life processes are activated in it.
Fruits and berries
Instead of traditional cakes and confectionery for us, Asians eat fruit as dessert. At the same time, it is important to eat fruits and berries in season, that is, no strawberries in winter.
Spices and condiments
Curry, black, red and cayenne pepper, anise, turmeric, garlic, horseradish, dill, ginger (fresh and pickled), basil, mustard seeds, coriander, cinnamon are commonly added to many dishes. But the bay leaf, on the contrary, is not used. Salt is also not highly valued, instead dry seaweed powder (as we have already mentioned), soy sauce or sesame oil is used.
Green tea
It is believed that tea has many medicinal properties: strengthens the teeth, pacifies the soul, treats heart disease, neutralizes toxins and helps to achieve longevity. The basic principle of Japanese tea to drink is: "Drink - share, replenish - drink. " The second cup of tea is considered to be the most valuable (especially if you brew tea in the cup itself).
Tofu (bean paste)
It is bean mass that gives Asian vegetarians a complete protein: 240 g of tofu contains as much protein as it contains in two chicken eggs. 100 g of tofu is 20% richer in calcium than 100 g of cow's milk. Soy protein is digested by 95%, it is rich in lysine, calcium, iron, vitamins B, E and K. Tofu is an excellent diet product and despite its high nutritional value, curd is very low in calories. It has sufferedcarbohydratesand no cholesterol. Unlike meat, which is sour, tofu is alkaline. And nutritionists say an alkaline environment is more beneficial than an acidic environment and advises eating at least 25 grams of soy protein daily.
Benefits of the Japanese diet
Many people can not tolerate a diet, simply because diets are very restrictive in taste, sometimes too restrictive for what we eat. The enjoyment of the taste of food is the joy that can not be given up for a long time and without harm to well-being or mood. The real Japanese diet consists of delicious dishes made from products that are healthy for the body and have a low calorie content.
Disadvantages of the Japanese diet
The diet presupposes that you have to master some recipes for Asian dishes, and also requires certain adjustments. This diet is technically more complicated than many others, where you just take a few foods and eat for a while, or until you get tired of them.
The study of Japanese cooking techniques can be considered as another skill in your arsenal, as the ability to sit on a twine - it may be surprising, one can be proud of it.
So from the kitchen inventory you need:
- Wok, or wok for rapid frying or stewing;
- Pans with non-stick coating;
- Double kettle (instead of a double kettle you can insert a metal colander in the pot);
- Food processor, mixer;
- Wooden utensils made of beech, cherry or maple for stirring cooked food: wood does not absorb odors and lasts a long time;
- Wooden spear or spear.
For cooking you need:
- Various varieties of rice;
- noodles;
- Mushrooms;
- Spices and herbs;
- Sauces: soy, teriyaki, fish, oysters.
Japanese foods should not be a big issue for you, now you can buy them in any hypermarket or you can easily replace them with some of our ingredients. Do not be afraid to experiment.
Japanese diet: basic principles
The Japanese diet menu includes many soups and vegetable dishes.. This is a great weight loss strategy because such 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 feel unbearable bouts of hunger.
The number of calories on the menuindicated without the addition of sugar or cream to beverages. Therefore, do not forget to add 16 kcal per. 1 teaspoon for your daily calorie intake. sugar and 36 kcal per. tablespoons cream (if using them). In other words - sweetened coffee - reduce the volume of the main serving of food. Instead of cow's milk, it is recommended to use soy.
The optimal number of calories consumed per day should be in the range of 1200-1400 kcal (for women). It is this number of calories that is sufficient for the body's life at rest before eating and at an average ambient temperature. On the one hand, reducing calories to 1200-1400 does not cause pathological changes in the metabolism, on the other hand, it allows you to fully live your day (do not feel a breakdown), and fitness classes will be provided with energy by burningyour own fat reserves.
The danger of diets that reduce calories to below 1200:
- With fast weight loss, you will also quickly gain the lost pounds or even more;
- An exhausted diet will adversely affect the condition of the skin, hair and nails and lead to loss of muscle mass;
- The more muscle you lose, the more your metabolism will slow down, making it harder to lose or maintain weight.
The main rules of the Japanese diet
- Do not try to artificially speed up the process of losing weight, to reduce 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 1200-1400 calories per. day. Be sure to supplement with vitamins and minerals.
- Maintain the energy balancebetween received and consumed energy. From food we get calories, using the fitness we use. Violation of this balance unfortunately leads to obesity.
- The key to weight loss in the Japanese diet is a variety of foodsand small portions, the transition from fatty meat dishes to a healthy diet based on fruits, vegetables and seafood.
Asian nutritionists have developed a healthy diet pyramid that can be used as a guide when planning your diet and the relationship between 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;
- Carefully adhere to the chosen meal plan and serving sizes;
- Do not think of food as "good" or "bad", enjoy the process of eating;
- If on any of the days you allowed yourself calorie-dense foods, be sure to cut down on 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 loss of fluid in the body. Then the weight loss will be slower, but do not despair - it is a completely normal healthy weight loss process.
Try Japanese diet menu for 14 days (table)
Day | Menu for the day | |||
Breakfast | Lunch | Snack | Lunch dinner) | |
one |
|
|
Apple. Calories: 80. |
|
Total daily calorie intake1428 kcal | ||||
2 |
|
|
1 cup of coffee without sugar. Calories: 5. |
|
Total daily calorie intake1386 kcal | ||||
3 |
|
|
1 glass of soy milk. Calories: 150. |
|
Total daily calorie intake1334 kcal | ||||
fire |
|
|
Calories: 30. |
|
Total daily calorie intake1424 kcal | ||||
5 |
|
|
1 orange (fruit salad) Calories: 141. |
|
Total daily calorie intake1443 kcal | ||||
6 |
|
|
|
|
Total daily calorie intake1433 kcal | ||||
7 |
|
|
1 glass of soy milk. Calories: 150. |
|
Total daily calorie intake1392 kcal | ||||
eight |
|
|
1 glass of vegetable juice. Calories: about 70. |
Calories: 576. |
Total daily calorie intake1424 kcal | ||||
9 |
|
|
120 g of fruit yogurt. Calories: 60. |
|
Total daily calorie intake1440 kcal | ||||
ten |
|
|
10 young carrots. Calories: 38. |
|
Total daily calorie intake1303 kcal | ||||
eleven |
|
|
|
|
Total daily calorie intake1290 kcal | ||||
12 |
|
|
|
|
Total daily calorie intake1441 kcal | ||||
13 |
|
|
1 bowl of cherries. Calories: 31. |
|
Total daily calorie intake1430 kcal | ||||
fourteen |
|
|
10 young carrots. Calories: 38. |
|
Total daily calorie intake1272 kcal |
If you're a little scared of the names of dishes (which you most likely have never made) - then don’t worry, there are recipes for all the dishes that appear in the Japanese diet.
We save the results
You need to leave the diet and gradually increase the number of calories to a level where you can keep your weight unchanged. Just add 100 calories to your diet for 14 days. At the same time, the weight must be checked. If the weight continues to show weight loss, add another 100 calories over the next 2 weeks and check the weight again. Once the weight has stabilized, you decide for yourself the number of calories needed to maintain a constant weight.
100 calories are:
- pork, beef - 80 g;
- 1 boiled chicken breast;
- 150 g fish;
- an egg or 2 egg 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 tomatoes;
- 625 g sauerkraut;
- banana - less than 1 pc. ;
- apricots - 210 g;
- fresh strawberries - 325 g;
- 1 large apple;
- 1 large orange;
- 2 kiwi;
- peaches - 250 g;
- 4 mandarins;
- flower - 200 g;
- 1 grapefruit;
- watermelon - 285 g;
- 1 large bulb;
- melon - 190 g;
- 15-20 large grapes;
- any nuts (2 tablespoons) - 15 g;
- noodles - a serving the size of a palm tree;
- muesli, oatmeal - 1/3 cup;
- porridge on the water - 5-6 tbsp. l. per serving.
We hope you succeed! Good luck!