Japanese Diet and Their Secret of Longevity!!!!

The Japanese men and women are known to live longer than any one else on the earth. Besides they also have one of the lowest obesity rate.What do you attribute this to? Some may argue that it is in their genes. But studies have shown that Japanese who follow western lifestyle and diet put on weight easily compared to their counterparts who follow Japanese diet and lifestyle. So, it is beyond doubt that their food habits play an important role, so far as their longevity and their ability to stay slim and trim is concerned.

The basic principle of Japanese diet is to eat plenty of fish,fruits and vegetables, eat more of low calorie foods, serve in smaller portions and eat slowly and mindfully.Eating a wide variety of food in smaller quantity also ensures that you get all the nutrients that your body needs,besides eating slowly ensures eating less, since it gives your brain time to realize your stomach is full.The Japanese diets include less energy dense foods(foods that lesser caories per gram) like vegetables,fruits,soups as compared to western diets which include more energy dense food.

Another striking feature of the Japanese diet is the visual appeal of the Japanese meals.They say that meals have to be prepared in such a way that they "have to be eaten through the eyes".It may sound a bit strange since the food is supposed to be eaten through the mouth.But what it means is that you will get more satisfaction by paying attention to presentation,hence leaving you less hungry.A small but satisfying meal will certainly pack us with lesser calories.When you lack in fulfillment ,you make up by stuffing more food down your throat.

Below mentioned are few salient features of Japanese practices with regards to eating meals:
1.Allot a specific time period for each meal.It could be about half an hour.Strictly adhere to the scheduled time.Eat your food slowly,enjoying each morsel as you gulp it down.
2.While eating stay fully focussed on your meals.Avoid any external disturbance,say,like television,mobile phones,etc.
3.Pay special attention to the visual aspect of your meals.They should be very appeaing to your eyes.For example,you can beautifully decorate your dish with salad dressings by using bright coloured vegetabes like tomatoes,beet root,capsicum,etc.
4.Eat a wide variety of low calorie food served in smaller amounts.
5.Relace all the junk and greasy food with natural food like cooked vegetables,fruits,green salad.Replace red meat with fish.