Let's say right away. Most "Japanese" diets on the web have nothing to do with Asian cuisine or the diet discussed below.. Typically these pseudo-Japanese dietsThey suggest that you eat "bird-sized" 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 like this for up to 2 weeks. No! Such a lean diet isnot suitable for an active professional.
Why is the Japanese theme and everything that mows under it so popular?
The Land of the Rising Sun will always be attractive and incomprehensible to a European. Perhaps this is because Japan has long been a closed state to Western civilization. What are they, the Japanese, in our traditional view? They are technological but believe in ghosts; conservative but invented the "ganguro" style; reserved but capable of wild detachment; cherish life even in a tiny stalk, but historically elevated suicide to the rank of honorable ritual. The islanders gave the world the most beautiful wonderful engravings and Pokémon. In addition, they are slim and live long. Why?
You can talk about genetics and physiology or answer like this: We are what we eat.
The article is based on the book The Japanese Diet by Elisa Tanaka.
Traditional ingredients of Japanese cuisine
I lie down in the shade
My rice pinches for me
mountain stream.
rice
To the Japanese, like bread to us, rice is "the head of everything. " It's a healthy source of carbohydrates that doesn't contain anygluten free. Residents of Japan eat different types of rice, but prefer brown rice cooked with sesame oil.
fish and seafood
In terms of volume, fish dishes rank second in the daily diet of residents of the Land of the Rising Sun. The protein structures of fish meat are complete, easily digestible and contain indispensable amino acids necessary for humans. However, the Japanese do not eat smoked or salted fish, only fresh sea or fresh water. The fat contained in the fish can be melted and is not deposited on the thighs with nasty cellulite, but provides the body with full-fledged polyunsaturated fatty acids.
seaweed
Seaweed (aka seaweed, brown seaweed) is widely used 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. The inhabitants of the Japanese islands also use dry seaweed instead of the usual table salt.
vegetables and legumes
Real Japanese cuisine is not possible without vegetables. In addition, of course, all kinds of cabbage, radish, garlic, spring onions, cucumbers and tomatoes, eggplant, carrots, peppers, legumes, asparagus, spinach, celery and all kinds of lettuce.
sprouts and shoots
Valuable sources of nutrients, since sprouts are eaten in "live" form - that is, their benefits are not destroyed by heat treatment. In addition, sprouted grain is more useful than "dormant" grain, because all life processes are activated in it.
advice: Sprouts can be bought at any large supermarket, or you can germinate the grains yourself at your window. Take 2 tablespoons of seeds or grains, place them in a container and fill it with room temperature water so that the liquid level is 6 cm above the surface of the grains. Leave for 7-12 hours and cover the container with gauze. Then drain the water and rinse the beans thoroughly. Sprouts should be kept in the dark and can be eaten with salads, soups and as a substitute for vegetables for second courses. Just don't make large stocks for future use.
fruits and berries
Instead of traditional pastries and sweets, Asians eat fruit for dessert. At the same time, it is important to eat seasonal fruits and berries, so no strawberries in winter.
spices and condiments
Curry, black, red and cayenne pepper, aniseed, 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 held in high esteem, with dry seaweed powder (as mentioned earlier), soy sauce, or sesame oil being used instead.
Green tea
It is believed that tea has many medicinal properties: strengthens teeth, calms the soul, treats heart diseases, neutralizes toxins and helps achieve longevity. The basic principle of Japanese tea drinking is: "Drunk - share, refill - drink. ""The second cup of tea is considered the most valuable (especially if you brew tea in the cup yourself).
advice: To keep the tea fragrant and as useful as possible, first rinse the teapot with boiling water and close the lid to warm it up. Then rinse the tea leaves in warm water and put 1-2 tsp in a teapot. For a cup of tea, fill the tea leaves with water no hotter than 80°C. First, pour water into a third of the teapot and let it steep for 3-5 minutes. Then fill up to half and leave to stand for another 1 minute. Then add as much water as you need for tea drinking and let it steep for a minute. Tea is ready.
Tofu (tofu)
It is tofu that provides Asian vegetarians with a complete protein: 240g of tofu contains as much protein as two chicken eggs. 100g of tofu has 20% more calcium than 100g of cow's milk. Soy protein is 95% digestible, rich in lysine, calcium, iron, vitamins B, E and K. Tofu is an excellent diet product and despite its high nutritional value, tofu is very low in calories. It has littlecarbohydratesand no cholesterol. Unlike meat, which is acidic, tofu is alkaline. And nutritionists say that an alkaline environment is more beneficial than an acidic environment and recommend consuming at least 25 grams of soy protein daily.
Benefits of the Japanese Diet
A lot of people just can't handle dieting because diets are very restrictive in taste, sometimes overly restrictive in terms of what we eat. Enjoying the taste of food is that pleasure that you cannot do without for a long time and that does not harm your well-being or mood. The real Japanese diet consists of delicious dishes made from products that are healthy for the body and low in calories.
Disadvantages of the Japanese Diet
The diet requires you to master some recipes of Asian dishes, and also requires certain adjustments. This diet is more technically complicated than many others where you just pick a few foods and eat for a while or until you get sick from it.
Studying Japanese cooking techniques can be considered another skill in your arsenal, as well as the ability to sit on a string - this can surprise, this is something to be proud of.
So, from the kitchen inventory you need:
- wok or wok for quick frying or braising;
- pans with non-stick coating;
- water bath (instead of a water bath, you can put a metal colander in the pan);
- food processor, blender;
- Wooden utensils made of beech, cherry or maple for stirring cooked food: wood does not absorb odors and lasts a long time;
- Wooden skewers or skewers.
For cooking you need:
- Various types of rice;
- noodles;
- Mushrooms;
- spices and herbs;
- Sauces: soy, teriyaki, fish, oyster.
Japanese foods shouldn't be a big problem for you, now you can buy them in any hypermarket or just replace them with some of our ingredients. Don't be afraid to experiment.
Japanese Diet: Basic Principles
The Japanese diet menu includes many soups and vegetable dishes.. It's a great strategy for losing weight because it's low in calories and good for digestion. And vegetable fiber in the composition of vegetables will give your stomach the necessary saturation, so you will not experience tormenting hunger pangs.
The number of calories on the menuindicated with no added sugar or cream to drinks. Therefore, do not forget to add 16 kcal per 1 tsp to your daily calorie intake. sugar and 36 kcal per tablespoon of cream (if you use it). In other words - sweetened coffee - reduce the volume of the main meal. Instead of cow's milk, it is advisable to use soy.
The optimal calorie intake per day should be in the range of 1200-1400 kcal (for women). It is this number of calories that is sufficient for the life of the body at rest, before meals and at an average ambient 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 (not feeling a collapse), and fitness classes are energized by burning your own fat reserves.
The danger of diets that reduce calories below 1200:
- With rapid weight loss, you will quickly gain the lost kilograms or even more;
- Depleted nutrition negatively affects the condition of the skin, hair and nails, leading to a 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 process of losing weight, reduce the number of calories (we wrote about the consequences above). You should not lose more than 1 kg per week.
- Stay in the 1200-1400 calorie range per day. Be sure to supplement with vitamins and minerals.
- maintain energy balancebetween received and consumed energy. We gain calories from food and use them up through fitness. A violation of this balance, unfortunately, leads to obesity.
- The key to weight loss in the Japanese diet is a varied dietand small portions, the transition 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 for planning your diet and the proportion of certain foods in it.
Tips for effective weight loss with the Japanese diet
- Keep track of your physical activity and diet (calorie count). This makes it easier to see progress;
- Strictly adhere to the chosen menu and portion sizes;
- Don't think of food as "good" or "bad", enjoy the process of eating;
- If you allowed yourself high-calorie foods on one of the days, be sure to reduce the calorie content of your diet the next day;
- Do aerobic exercise.
You may initially lose more than the recommended kilogram per week. This is due to the loss of fluid in the body. Then the weight loss slows down, but don't despair - this is a completely normal healthy weight loss process.
Example of a Japanese diet menu for 14 days (table)
| Day | menu for the day | |||
| breakfast | Having lunch | snack | lunch dinner) | |
| one |
|
|
Apple. Calories: 80. |
|
| Total daily caloric intake1428 calories | ||||
| 2 |
|
|
1 cup of coffee without sugar. Calories: 5. |
|
| Total daily caloric intake1386 calories | ||||
| 3 |
|
|
1 glass of soy milk. Calories: 150. |
|
| Total daily caloric intake1334 calories | ||||
| four |
|
|
Calories: 30. |
|
| Total daily caloric intake1424 calories | ||||
| 5 |
|
|
1 orange (fruit salad) Calories: 141. |
|
| Total daily caloric intake1443 calories | ||||
| 6 |
|
|
|
|
| Total daily caloric intake1433 calories | ||||
| 7 |
|
|
1 glass of soy milk. Calories: 150. |
|
| Total daily caloric intake1392 calories | ||||
| eight |
|
|
1 glass of vegetable juice. Calories: about 70. |
Calories: 576. |
| Total daily caloric intake1424 calories | ||||
| 9 |
|
|
120 g fruit yoghurt. Calories: 60. |
|
| Total daily caloric intake1440 calories | ||||
| ten |
|
|
10 young carrots. Calories: 38. |
|
| Total daily caloric intake1303 calories | ||||
| eleven |
|
|
|
|
| Total daily caloric intake1290 calories | ||||
| 12 |
|
|
|
|
| Total daily caloric intake1441 calories | ||||
| 13 |
|
|
1 bowl of cherry. Calories: 31. |
|
| Total daily caloric intake1430 calories | ||||
| fourteen |
|
|
10 young carrots. Calories: 38. |
|
| Total daily caloric intake1272 calories |
If you're a little scared of the names of dishes (which you've most likely never cooked before) - then don't worry, there are recipes for every dish found in the Japanese diet.
We save the results
You need to get off the diet, gradually increasing the number of calories to a level where you can keep your weight unchanged. Simply add 100 calories to your diet for 14 days. At the same time, the weight must be controlled. If the scale continues to show weight loss, add another 100 calories over the next 2 weeks and check the scale again. Once the weight has stabilized, you determine how many calories you need to maintain a constant weight.
100 calories are:
- pork, beef - 80 g;
- 1 boiled chicken breast;
- 150 grams 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 grams of tomatoes;
- 625 g sauerkraut;
- banana - less than 1 piece;
- 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 bunches;
- any nuts (2 tablespoons) - 15 g;
- Noodles - a portion the size of a palm;
- muesli, oatmeal - 1/3 cup;
- Porridge on the water - 5-6 tbsp. l. per serving.
We hope you succeed! Much luck!