Let's say right away. Most of the "Japanese" diets on the net have nothing to do with Asian cuisine or the diet that will be discussed below.. Usually these pseudo-japanese dietsthey suggest that you eat "bird-sized" portions of boiled cabbage, a couple of 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. Nope! Such a meager diet is not suitable for an active working person.
Why is the Japanese theme and everything that hides under it so popular?
The Land of the Rising Sun will always be attractive and incomprehensible to a European. Perhaps this is due to the fact that for a long time Japan was a closed state for Western civilization. What are they, the Japanese, in our traditional vision? They are technological but believe in spirits; conservative, but invented the "Ganguro" style; restrained, but capable of wild detachment; appreciate life even in a tiny stem, but historically elevated suicide to the rank of an honorable ritual. The islanders gave the world the best and wonderful prints and Pokémon. In addition, they are thin and live a long time. 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 pushes 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 containwithout gluten. Residents of Japan eat various varieties of rice, but prefer to eat brown rice cooked with sesame oil.
fish and shellfish
Fish dishes take second place in 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 indispensable amino acids necessary for a person. However, the Japanese do not eat smoked or salted fish, only fresh sea or fresh water. The fat contained in the fish is fusible and will not settle on the thighs with vile cellulite, but will give the body full polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Seaweed
Seaweed (also known as brown algae) is widely used in Japanese cuisine: it is added to rice, fish dishes or soy dishes. Laminaria is a good prevention of thyroid diseases, atherosclerosis and heart attack, rich in iodine, minerals and macronutrients. In addition, the inhabitants of the Japanese islands use dried seaweed instead of the usual table salt.
vegetables and legumes
Authentic Japanese cuisine is impossible without vegetables. This, of course, all kinds of cabbage, radishes, garlic, green onions, cucumbers and tomatoes, eggplants, carrots, peppers, legumes, asparagus, spinach, celery and all kinds of lettuce.
buds and buds
Valuable sources of nutrients, since the sprouts are eaten in "live" form, that is, their benefits do not disappear with heat treatment. In addition, sprouted grain is more useful than "sleeping" grain, because all vital processes are activated in it.
Advice: Sprouts can be purchased at any large hypermarket, or you can sprout the grains yourself at your window. Take 2 tablespoons of seeds or grains, put them in a container and fill it with water at room temperature so that the liquid level is 6 cm above the surface of the grains. Leave for 7-12 hours, covering the container with gauze. Then drain the water and rinse the beans well. The sprouts should be kept in the dark and can be eaten with salads, soups and as a substitute for vegetables for main courses. Just don't make a large stock for future use.
fruits and berries
Instead of traditional cakes and confectionery for us, Asians eat fruit for dessert. At the same time, it is important to eat seasonal fruits and berries, meaning no strawberries in winter.
Spices and condiments
Curry, black, red, and cayenne peppers, anise, turmeric, garlic, horseradish, dill, ginger (fresh and pickled), basil, mustard seeds, coriander, and cinnamon they are commonly added to many dishes. But the bay leaf, on the contrary, is not used. Salt is also not held in high esteem, instead dried seaweed powder (as mentioned above), soy sauce or sesame oil is used.
Green Tea
Tea is believed to have many medicinal properties: it strengthens teeth, pacifies the soul, treats heart disease, neutralizes poisons, and helps achieve longevity. The basic principle of Japanese tea consumption is: "Drink - share, fill - drink". The second cup of tea is considered the most valuable (especially if you make tea in the cup itself).
Advice: In order to make the tea fragrant and as useful as possible, first rinse the teapot with boiling water and close the lid to heat it. Then rinse the tea leaves in warm water and place them in a teapot at the rate of 1-2 teaspoons. for a cup of tea, fill the tea leaves with water at no more than 80 ° C. First, pour water into a third of the teapot and let it steep for 3 to 5 minutes. Then fill halfway and leave again, but for 1 min. Then add as much water as you need to drink tea and let it steep for a minute. The tea is ready.
Tofu (bean curd)
It is soybean curd that provides Asian vegetarians with complete protein: 240g of tofu contains as much protein as two chicken eggs. 100 g of tofu is 20% richer in calcium than 100 g of cow's milk. Soy protein is 95% digestible, 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. Has littlecarbohydratesand without cholesterol. Unlike meat, which is acidic, tofu is alkaline. And nutritionists say that 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 can't tolerate a diet simply because diets are too restrictive in taste, sometimes too restrictive of what we eat. The enjoyment of the taste of food is that joy that cannot be abandoned for a long time and without damaging well-being or mood. The true Japanese diet consists of delicious dishes made with products that are healthy for the body and low in calories.
Cons of the Japanese diet
The diet assumes that you have to master some recipes for Asian dishes, and it also requires certain adaptations. This diet is technically more complicated than many others, where you only have a couple of foods and eat for a while or until you get tired.
The study of Japanese cooking techniques can be considered as another skill in your arsenal, such as the ability to sit on a rope - this can be amazing, what you can be proud of.
So, from the kitchen inventory you will need:
- Wok, or wok for quick frying or stewing;
- Non-stick coated pans;
- Double boiler (instead of a double boiler, you can insert a metal strainer into the pan);
- Food processor, blender;
- Beech, cherry or maple wood utensils for stirring cooked food: wood does not absorb odors and lasts a long time;
- Wooden skewers or skewers.
To cook you will need:
- Various varieties of rice;
- Noodles;
- Mushrooms;
- spices and herbs;
- Sauces: soy, teriyaki, fish, oyster.
Japanese food products should not be a big problem for you, now you can buy them in any hypermarket or you can easily substitute them for one of our ingredients. Don't 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 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 feel unbearable hunger pangs.
The number of calories on the menu. indicated without the addition of sugar or cream to drinks. So don't forget to add 16 kcal per 1 teaspoon to your daily calorie intake. sugar and 36 kcal per tablespoon of cream (if you use them). In other words, sweetened coffee, reduce the volume of the main portion of food. Instead of cow's milk, it is recommended to use soy.
The optimal amount of calories consumed per day should be in the range of 1200-1400 kcal (for women). It is this amount 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 receive energy by burning your own reserves of fat.
The danger of diets that reduce calories below 1200:
- With rapid weight loss, you will also quickly gain back the lost kilograms or even more;
- A reduced 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 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 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 1, 200-1, 400 calorie range per day. Be sure to supplement with vitamins and minerals.
- Maintain energy balancebetween the energy received and the energy consumed. From food we get calories, with the help of fitness we spend. Violation of this balance, unfortunately, leads to excess weight.
- The key to losing weight in the Japanese diet is a variety of foodsand small portions, the move from fatty meat dishes to a healthy diet based on fruits, vegetables and seafood.
Asian nutritionists have developed a healthy eating pyramid that can be used as a guide when planning your diet and the proportion of certain foods in it.
Tips to lose weight effectively with the Japanese diet
- Keep track of your physical activity and diet (calorie count). This makes it easier to see your progress;
- Strictly adhere to the chosen meal plan and portion sizes;
- Don't think of food as "good" or "bad", enjoy the process of eating;
- If you indulged in high-calorie foods on any of the days, be sure to reduce the calorie content of your diet the following day;
- Do aerobic exercise.
Initially, you can lose more than the recommended kilogram per week. This is due to fluid loss in the body. Afterwards, the weight loss will slow down, but don't despair: this is a completely normal and healthy weight loss process.
Sample Japanese diet menu for 14 days (table)
| Day | Today's menu | |||
| Breakfast | Lunch | Snack | Lunch dinner) | |
| a |
|
|
Apple. Calories: 80. |
|
| Total daily caloric intake1428 calories | ||||
| two |
|
|
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 of fruit yogurt. Calories: 60. |
|
| Total daily caloric intake1440 calories | ||||
| ten |
|
|
10 tender 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 tender carrots. Calories: 38. |
|
| Total daily caloric intake1272 calories |
If you're a little 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 need to abandon 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, weight should 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 your weight stabilizes, 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;
- 625 g of 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 grapes;
- 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. iPer serving.
We hope you are successful! Good luck!