Japanese Weight-loss Secrets

The Japanese are some of the slimmest people in the world and they have the longest life span. You may think it is just in their genes but this is not entirely the case. It is also their healthy habits and traditions that are behind their low cancer and heart disease rates. Here are a few healthy habits to get you started on the right path to weight loss.

Simply drink it away with green tea. Green tea revs your metabolism and can actually cut your calories absorption by 60% within seven days. It's also great for lowering cholesterol, improving heart health and preventing cancer.

Another great weight-loss secret is to start your meal with soup. Japanese meals start with a clear broth that enables you to eat about 135 calories less than you normally would.

How about trying a new kind of noodle. Japanese soba noodles are made of buckwheat instead of white flour making them healthier than traditional pasta. Soba noodles are packed full of protein, b vitamins and cancer-fighting rutin. Look for them in the Asian foods section of your grocery store.

A good way to get moving more is to start counting your daily steps. Aim for 10,000 steps a day. It may seem like alot at first but you will lose twice as much weight as someone who isn't tracking their steps. You can buy a pedometer at your local retailer for about $5.

Eat plenty of produce at its "shun" or peak season. Changing your menu to work with the produce that is in season is vital to get the best nutrients and vitamins. The fresher the produce is the better it is for you. Craving something that isn't in shun, buy it frozen seems how frozen produce is frozen as soon as it is picked.

The Japanes make sure every dish they consume has at least five colors. An easy way to do this is to add more fresh produce. The more produce you add, the higher your fiber and vitamin intake and the lower your calorie intake. Witha rule like this it is easy to see why the Japanese have an average body mass index (BMI) of 21.5 while americans are at a whopping 28.

A favorite snack of the Japanese is edamame or baby soybeans. They are full of protein and phytoestrogens that aid in fat burning and help you feel full longer. Soy has been shown to stimulate fat burn and block the storage of fat by up to 57% within as little as three days.