Okinawa diet: lose weight with the method of Japanese centenarians
Bearing the name of the archipelago with the highest number of centenarians, the Okinawa weight loss diet is based on the combination of a quasi-vegetarian diet and the practice of regular physical activity.
The secret to a dream figure and rock-solid health? Combine healthy eating and regular exercise. In the Okinawa archipelago, there are four times as many centenarians as anywhere else in the world. Here is the secret of this longevity.
What are the principles of this diet?
The Okinawa diet recipes are semi-vegetarian and very low in fat . This slimming program also recommends ' feeding according to energy needs . It is therefore important to go through a caloric restriction to accustom the body to consuming only what it needs. Of course, balancing your plate is a priority to avoid deficiencies.
What Are Low Calorie Density Foods?
The challenge is to learn to identify foods with low caloric density in order to eat more while consuming fewer calories. For example, we will prefer to taste poultry rather than charcuterie, a tea rather than a chocolate drink, or even steamed potatoes (without added fat) to fries... All this while balancing our plate to avoid nutritional deficiencies.
What are the advantages of the Okinawa diet?
The weakness of our Western diet: its mismatch with our energy needs and lifestyle habits. In this sense, the Okinawa regime comes to correct its mistakes.
How to eat Okinawa to lose weight?
- Motto : never eat more than you are hungry , or, to be exact, 80% of his appetite. So NEVER refill! This promotes digestion and allows you to leave the table energetic. Goodbye post-meal drowsiness!
- choose low calorie foods but rich in vitamins and minerals,
- Consume, not 5, but 7 servings of fruits and vegetables per day ! Because they are rich in water, vitamins and minerals, fiber and antioxidants.
- Consume 7 servings of whole grains or pulses, plus two soy meals a day. Why ? Because all these foods are rich in benefits: whole grains are perfectly suited to the body's needs, pulses such as beans or lentils are good for the heart and cholesterol, and soy helps prevent certain cancers, such as breast or uterus.
- Decorate the dishes with lots of spices, herbs and seaweed. Anti-cholesterol, antioxidants and rich in vitamin C... Their virtues are well established!
- Authorize yourself from oily fish 3 times a week , for its omega 3 intake. But beware of its high caloric density.
- Consume only very few other animal products , such as meats and dairy products. They should be replaced by vegetable proteins, which have more health benefits. Incomplete, it is good to associate them with each other to respect a perfect balance, i.e. a cereal + a pulse. Lean fish, shellfish and crustaceans are allowed.
- Consume only very little alcohol . High in calories, it will not help you achieve the desired weight. Only red wine can be authorized in small quantities, for its antioxidant properties.
- Consume only very little sugar and salt. Farewell, then, to industrial dishes and sugary desserts! Spices and herbs will compensate.
- Drink lots of water and tea. Even in Okinawa, 1.5 liters a day is not an option. Herbal tea, tea or a simple glass of water are essential to drain toxins and provide precious minerals.
My list of courses
Grocery
soy sauce, soy milk, tofu and silken tofu, soy steak, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, rice cakes, brown rice, noodles, quinoa, muesli, whole pasta, cooking wheat, eggs, spices of your choice , thyme, parsley, basil, cinnamon, chicken broth, miso soup, salmon-based sushi, tuna and brown rice sashimi, green tea, soy yogurt
Fruits and vegetables
apples, pears, rhubarb, mango, bananas, peaches, oranges, grapefruit, pineapple, red fruits, lime, tomatoes, sweet corn, raw spinach, cucumber, eggplant, cabbage, carrot, seaweed, lamb's lettuce, leeks, peppers, sweet potatoes , pumpkin, lettuce, zucchini, carrots, lentils
Meats
chicken cutlets
Pisces
king prawns, prawns, cod fillet, whiting fillet
Bakery
cereal bread, wholemeal bread, rye bread
Drinks
water bottles, red wine bottle
| Grocery | soy sauce, soy milk, tofu and silken tofu, soy steak, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, rice cakes, brown rice, noodles, quinoa, muesli, whole pasta, cooking wheat, eggs, spices of your choice , thyme, parsley, basil, cinnamon, chicken broth, miso soup, salmon-based sushi, tuna and brown rice sashimi, green tea, soy yogurt |
| Fruit and vegetable | apples, pears, rhubarb, mango, bananas, peaches, oranges, grapefruit, pineapple, red fruits, lime, tomatoes, sweet corn, raw spinach, cucumber, eggplant, cabbage, carrot, seaweed, lamb's lettuce, leeks, peppers, sweet potatoes , pumpkin, lettuce, zucchini, carrots, lentils |
| Meat | chicken cutlets |
| Poisson | king prawns, prawns, cod fillet, whiting fillet |
| Bakery | cereal bread, wholemeal bread, rye bread |
| Beverage | water bottles, red wine bottle |
Which Okinawa menus to follow?
In Okinawa, the variety of dishes is a fundamental principle of food. Boredom should never settle on the plate.
Monday
Breakfast: 2 slices of cereal bread, soy yogurt, apple, green tea
Lunch: rice salad (wholegrain rice + corn + tomatoes + tofu), a slice of wholemeal bread, pear-rhubarb compote, green tea
Dinner: raw spinach salad seasoned with soy sauce, a portion of fried noodles with chicken, half a mango, green tea
Tuesday
Breakfast: 2 slices of wholemeal bread, scrambled egg with spices (cooked without fat), a pear, a green tea
Lunch: cucumber salad with soy milk and parsley, a portion of spiced tofu, grilled eggplant, green tea
Dinner: miso soup, cabbage-carrot salad, 2 pairs of salmon sushi, banana, green tea
Wednesday
Breakfast: 2 slices of rye bread, soy yogurt, orange, green tea
Lunch: a spiced soy steak, a portion of quinoa, a slice of grain bread, green tea
Dinner: seaweed salad, grilled prawns, a portion of brown rice, peach compote, green tea
Thursday
Breakfast: a bowl of muesli with soy milk, a banana, green tea
Lunch: a fillet of cod cooked in curry, a portion of bean sprouts, a slice of wholemeal bread, green tea
Dinner: a lamb's lettuce, a portion of minced chicken with leeks and peppers, an apple, a green tea
Friday
Breakfast: 2 rice cakes, soy yogurt, half a mango, green tea
Lunch: seaweed salad, thyme-flavoured chicken cutlet, mashed sweet potatoes, green tea
Dinner: pumpkin soup, mixed salad (quinoa + tomatoes + diced apple + tofu), green tea
Saturday
Breakfast: 2 slices of wholemeal bread, fried egg with parsley, half a grapefruit, green tea
Lunch: a lettuce salad, a portion of wholemeal pasta with zucchini and silken tofu, a green tea
Dinner: brown rice and tuna sashimi, lentil and bamboo shoot salad, pineapple slice sprinkled with cinnamon, green tea
Sunday
Breakfast: a milkshake with soy milk and red fruits, 2 rice cakes, a green tea
Lunch: a chicken broth, a fillet of whiting flavored with basil, a portion of sautéed carrots and bean sprouts, a green tea
Dinner: Prawns with soy and lime, a portion of wheat and peppers, a pear, a green tea
Good to know
- Eggs are a source of protein that is not deprived in Okinawa. A word of advice: prefer organic or omega-3 enriched eggs, which are of better quality.
- In the form of beans, tofu or miso, soy can be cooked in all sauces. Packed with good nutritional points, it is the 'darling' of the plate.
- For optimal cooking of food, nothing better than the wok, ideal for multiplying the flavors.
- To be local and find the best Asian products, do not hesitate to go to a specialized delicatessen.
- If you need a little oil to cook your food, you can use a spray bottle to use just the right amount.
- On the Sunday morning menu: a little sweetness with a milkshake, where milk is replaced by soy milk. Mmmm!
Source : The Okinawa diet, passport to longevity 'co-written by Anne Dufour and Laurence Wittner, published by Leduc.S.
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Duration : to follow in the long term. |
