Healthy Living in Japan

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Top Photo: Sherman Kwan on Unsplash 

Japan is an old country, in more ways than one. In the most literal sense, it is the populance: a quarter of the population is age 65 or older. In Tokyo alone, it is projected that some 3.1 million residents will be 65 or older by 2025 according to the health ministry. And yet, 65 is still considered fairly “young”! With a life expectancy as long as Japan’s, it does make sense. But how do the people here manage to live so long? One of the main contributing factors is their diet.

Eating Smart and Healthy in Japan

Japanese cuisine is considered one of the healthiest in the world, and rightly so. That is, if you stick to the traditional cuisine, as this is also the land of all-you-can-eat yakiniku, convenience store dinners and butter-soaked burger buns. So there are a few pitfalls to avoid!

Two key things you should know about the Japanese cuisine — first, not every Japanese food is healthy, as we’ve established. Second, it’s hard to eat healthy in Japan if you’re simply counting the calories. You’ll quickly find yourself struggling between eating anything of real substance and taking in more calories than you want. To dodge this problem, follow a few key rules of eating, in addition to regular movement/exercise.

Skip the Ready-Made Foods

There are tons of ready-made foods available at convenience stores and supermarkets in Japan. Quite tasty, they are also tempting due to how they become discounted by the end of the day. However, be wary as many of them are loaded with salts, oils and preservatives- everything you don’t want if you’re watching your waistline.

While convenience store bento are fine now and then (since nobody wants to cook after a late day at school or the office) be sure to limit your intake. Instead, try to get in the habit of buying fresh ingredients at the supermarket or even convenience store (many larger ones in Japan will stock fresh produce and meats). If you have one nearby, shop at the local Gyoumu Super and save some yen, too!

Variety is Key

A traditional Japanese meal has number of small dishes filled with numerous different foods from both the land and sea. These types of meals are usually made under the ichijyu sansai principle (one soup with three vegetable dishes, plus rice and fish) to assure good balance. This, according to everyone I spoke with, is the key to a healthy Japanese diet.

These small portions feature well over 15 different foods per day or even per meal, and include numerous legumes, veggies, and sea food. There’s also always rice, noodles or meat involved, which altogether provide all vitamins and minerals the body needs. For every meal of the day, try to include several different products in smaller portions.

Practice Hara Hachi Bu Principle

A common thing you might hear at Japanese restaurants from newcomers: “it looked bigger in the photo.” Japanese portion sizes are usually much smaller than those served overseas, and this is a good thing. The Japanese have a saying that you should eat hara hachi bu (or hara hachibun-me) . This is an ancient Japanese eating rule which proposes never to fill one’s stomach to 100 percent; always stop when it is 80 percent full.

Over 80 percent is seen as overeating, which results in the digestive system taking a longer time to process the food. Eventually, this leads to cellular oxidation, which makes one age faster. When the stomach is 80 percent full, it has some extra space, which allows it to perform the digestion process much quicker. It also helps it to churn and break food more efficiently. This results in lower chances of health problems.

There are many health benefits of Hara Hachi Bu. It helps to maintain a healthy body weight and waistline. Furthermore, it also helps avoid obesity, gastrointestinal problems, acid reflux, and metabolic disorders. It helps in a better-functioning digestive system. Hara Hachi Bu also leads to lower free radicals in blood, which means lower risk of cardiovascular diseases, cancer and other old-age related diseases.

In Conclusion

Aside these few rules, there are other ways to lead a healthy lifestyle in Japan. Taking a short walk, avoiding the consumption of too much sugar; incorporating fermented food naturally into your daily diet and drinking a lot of water to name a few. In addition, the Japanese healthcare system has achieved significant accomplishment in terms of longevity of life, infant mortality, and the eradication of communicable diseases. Living healthy in Japan isn’t always easy, but it is most certainly doable.

Photo Credits:

Top Photo: Sherman Kwan on Unsplash 

Additional information cited in this article came from the following sources: 1 2 3

All other content (text) created by the original author and © 2022 MUSUBI by Borderlink

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Olufunke Ibukun

From Nigeria
Has experienced Japan for 1 year!