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.. Typically, these pseudo-Japanese dietsthey suggest 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 as much as 2 weeks. Not! Such a meager diet is not suitable for an active working person.
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 comes from the fact that for a long time Japan was a closed state for 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; appreciate life even in a tiny stalk, but historically elevated suicide to the rank of an honorable ritual. The islanders gave the world the finest wonderful engravings and Pokémon. Also, they are slim and live long. 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 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 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 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 be deposited on your thighs with vile cellulite, but it will give the body full-fledged polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Seaweed
Seaweed (aka kelp, 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 diseases, atherosclerosis and heart attack, rich in iodine, minerals and macronutrients. Also, the inhabitants of the Japanese islands use dry kelp instead of the usual table salt.
Vegetables and legumes
Real Japanese cuisine is impossible without vegetables. This, 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, since sprouts are eaten in a "live" form - that is, their benefits are not killed by heat treatment. In addition, sprouted grain is more useful than "sleeping" grain, because all life processes are activated in it.
Advice: sprouts can be bought 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 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 thoroughly. Sprouts should be kept in the dark, and they can be eaten with salads, soups, and as a substitute for greens for second courses. Just do not make large stocks for future use.
Fruits and berries
Instead of traditional pastries and confectionery for us, Asians eat fruit as a dessert. At the same time, it is important to eat fruits and berries in season, that is, no strawberries in winter.
Spices and seasonings
Curry, black, red and cayenne peppers, anise, turmeric, garlic, horseradish, dill, ginger (fresh and pickled), basil, mustard seed, cilantro, 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, instead dry kelp powder is used (as we already mentioned), soy sauce or sesame oil.
Green tea
It is believed that tea has many medicinal properties: strengthens teeth, pacifies the soul, treats heart disease, neutralizes poisons and helps to achieve longevity. The basic principle of Japanese tea drinking is: "Drank - shares, refilled - drink. "The second cup of tea is considered the most valuable (especially if you brew 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 warm it up. Then rinse the tea leaves in warm water and put in a teapot at the rate of 1-2 tsp. for a cup of tea, fill the tea leaves with water not hotter than 80 ° C. First, pour water into one-third of the teapot and let it steep for 3-5 minutes. After, top up to half and leave again, but for 1 min. Then add as much water as you need for tea drinking, and let it brew for one minute. Tea is ready.
Tofu (bean curd)
It is bean curd that provides Asian vegetarians with 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 dietary product and, for all its high nutritional value, bean curd 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 advise eating at least 25 grams of soy protein daily.
Benefits of the Japanese Diet
Many people cannot tolerate a diet regimen simply because diets are highly restrictive in taste, sometimes overly 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 damage to well-being or mood. The real Japanese diet consists of delicious dishes made from products that are healthy for the body and are low in calories.
Cons of the Japanese Diet
The diet assumes that you have to master some recipes of Asian dishes, and also requires certain adaptations. This diet is technically more complicated than many others, where you just take a couple of foods and eat for a while or until you get sick of them.
The study of Japanese cooking techniques can be regarded as another skill in your arsenal, as the ability to sit on a twine - this can be surprising, this can be proud of.
So, from the kitchen inventory you will need:
- Wok, or wok for quick frying or stewing;
- Pans with non-stick coating;
- Double boiler (instead of a double boiler, you can insert a metal colander into the pan);
- 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 skewers or skewers.
For cooking you will need:
- Various varieties of rice;
- Noodles;
- Mushrooms;
- Spices and herbs;
- Sauces: soy, teriyaki, fish, oyster.
Japanese foodstuffs should not be a big problem for you, now you can buy them in any hypermarket or you can easily 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.. This is a great weight loss strategy, because such dishes are low in calories and good for digestion. And vegetable dietary fibers in the composition of vegetables will give your stomach the necessary saturation, so you will not feel painful bouts of hunger.
The number of calories on the menuindicated without the addition of 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 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 life of the body 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 metabolism, on the other hand, it allows you to fully live your day (not feel a breakdown), and fitness classes will be provided with energy by burning your own fat reserves.
The dangers of diets that reduce your calorie intake below 1200:
- With rapid weight loss, you will also quickly gain the lost kilograms or even more;
- A depleted 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 process of losing weight, reducing the number of calories (we wrote about the consequences above). You should lose no 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 energy received and 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 weight loss in the Japanese diet is a variety of foodand small portions, the transition 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 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 adhere to the chosen meal plan and serving sizes;
- Don't think of food as "good" or "bad", enjoy the process of eating;
- If on any of the days you allowed yourself high-calorie foods, be sure to cut the calorie content of your diet the next day;
- Do aerobic exercise.
You may initially lose more than the recommended one 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 - this is a completely normal process of healthy weight loss.
Sample 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 | ||||
four |
|
|
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 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 cherry. Calories: 31. |
|
Total daily calorie intake1430 kcal | ||||
fourteen |
|
|
10 young carrots. Calories: 38. |
|
Total daily calorie intake1272 kcal |
If you are a little scared by the names of dishes (which you most likely have never cooked) - then do not worry, there are recipes for all the dishes that appear in the Japanese diet.
We save the results
You need to leave the diet, gradually increasing the number of calories to a level at which you could maintain your weight unchanged. Just add 100 calories to your diet for 14 days. At the same time, 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 stabilizes, you determine for yourself 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;
- one large potato tuber;
- 590 g of tomatoes;
- 625 g 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;
- any nuts (2 tablespoons) - 15 g;
- noodles - a serving the size of a palm;
- muesli, oatmeal - 1/3 cup;
- porridge on the water - 5-6 tbsp. l. per serving.
We hope you succeed! Good luck!