The Mediterranean dietwhich focuses basically in consumption of extra virgin olive oil as main fat and in a relevant presence of cereals, vegetables, fish, eggs and dairy productshas received great attention worldwide with the passing of the years.
Now, there is another super healthy diet that often goes unnoticed and it shouldn’t be that way. It’s about diet Okinawa (island located off the coast of Japan), full of foods of plant origin, anti-inflammatory and rich in antioxidants and phytochemicalsplant compounds beneficial for health.
In fact, the traditional diet of this territory is closely linked to greater longevity compared to eating habits in other parts of the world. According to data revealed by Science Direct, 68 out of every 100,000 Okinawan residents are over 100 years old.
In detail
Specifically, they base their consumption on tubersespecially sweet potatoes, green and yellow vegetablesfood soy and medicinal plant base. They are also consumed moderately marine foods such as fish, shellfish and seaweed, lean meats, seasonings and medicinal spices.
What has no place in this Japanese diet are dairy, nuts, refined carbohydrates, fruits driedsausages, numerous fruits, as well as many seeds. Likewise, do not consume beef, poultry or processed products such as sausages, cured meats, bacon or ham.
We have talked about all this -and much more- in ‘elEconomista.es‘ with Clara Llorens Guillemnutritionist and food technologist, with experience in clinical and sports consultationand member of Nutralab:
– QUESTION: Longevity and low incidence of chronic diseases are characteristics associated with the Okinawan population. How does the Okinawa Diet contribute to these results and what lessons can we draw for global health?
ANSWER: The Okinawa diet (characteristic of that region that is an island in Japan) is a diet that includes a high density of nutrients and fiber, specifically it is very rich in antioxidants.
Also notable about this diet is that it is not based on eating large amounts of food. What’s more, for them it is very key not to eat if they are not hungry or to eat until they are 100% satisfied, therefore they remain in a slight deficit, and the foods they include are not high in energy density (they are not very caloric), but yes nutritional (vegetables, soy, oily fish, legumes, tubers).
“Promotes premature aging”
In addition to that, they are exposed to the outdoors and nature for a long time. All these factors make it a diet rich in various antioxidants. And that claim that sells so much but that this guideline does fulfill what it promises, and that is that it is anti-inflammatory. And this low-grade inflammation maintained over time is what promotes premature aging and associated diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases.
– ASK: In terms of nutritional balance, how is the Okinawa Diet structured to ensure adequate intake of essential nutrients?
ANSWER: It is not far from the Mediterranean in that it includes a lot of complex carbohydrates (in this case they mainly include tubers, mainly sweet potatoes, and legumes), it is anti-inflammatory, like a well-structured Mediterranean diet, it has a low load glycemic (they introduce complex carbohydrates), it is very low in fats (especially saturated fats) and is rich in phytonutrients (antioxidants).
By structuring our plate as we base the plate on the Mediterranean diet we will ensure that we cover the essential macronutrients.
– QUESTION: The Okinawa Diet is said to focus on fresh and local foods. What is the importance of the origin and freshness of food in this diet?
ANSWER: It is very key in this diet that your entire diet focuses on fresh and local foods, basically because that excludes 100% processed products, rich in salt, poor quality carbohydrates, additives and saturated fats.
“With that, they have a lot to gain”
With that alone, they have a lot of gains. Leaving aside the fact that local consumption promotes the local economy, helps the environment by being more sustainable and reducing CO2 emissions, if we talk about health, we will be consuming fresh foods, with a much richer nutritional contribution, and free of chemicals.
– QUESTION: Could the Okinawa diet be considered suitable for people around the world, or does it require cultural adaptations?
ANSWER: Actually everyone could adapt to this diet, or at least to the style it promotes, which is: greater exposure to the sun and nature, eating little but varied (they stop eating when they feel almost satiated, giving the body time to that complete satiety will arrive shortly), 100% fresh and local food, based mainly on plant foods.
– QUESTION: What practical advice can you offer to people who want to adopt some principles of the Okinawa Diet into their daily lifestyle? Are there potential challenges to consider when following this dietary approach?
ANSWER: It is based on vegetables and fruits typical of their area, but we have access to many of the ones they consume in our area, so we can transfer part of their diet to ours.
As for carbohydrates, they mainly include legumes and tubers (such as sweet potato, pumpkin), typical fruits such as banana, green papaya, grapes, melon. They include protein mainly in soy format (tofu, edamame, miso soup), oily fish (providing a large amount of omega 3 and phytoestrogens) and a small amount of meat.
The vegetables they include the most are green leafy vegetables (rich in folic acid) such as spinach, cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage and mushrooms (source of antioxidants and rich in selenium), seaweed (rich in iodine, B12). As for drinks, they prioritize tea and sake. They do not use salt but they season their dishes a lot with ginger, garlic and turmeric, as well as soy sauce. For them, herbs and spices are key and they use them a lot for therapeutic purposes.
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