Say it right away. Most of the "Japanese" diets on the internet have nothing to do with Asian cuisine or the diets discussed below.. Usually, pseudo-japanese dietthey recommend that you eat boiled cabbage "the size of a bird", a few eggs and 100 grams of meat or fish per day, reduce the number of meals to three and live in this mode for 2 weeks. No! Such a meager diet is not suitable for active people.
Why is the Japanese theme and everything under it so popular?
The Land of the Rising Sun will always be interesting and incomprehensible to Europeans. Perhaps this stems from the fact that for a long time Japan was a closed country to 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 escaping wildly; values life even in small sticks, but historically elevates suicide to a respectable ritual rank. Islanders provide the world with beautiful carvings and the best Pokemon. Also, they are lean and long-lived. Why?
You can talk about genetics and physiology, or you can answer like this: we are what we eat.
This article is based on the book The Japanese Diet by Elisa Tanaka.
Traditional components of Japanese cuisine
I'm lying in the shade
My rice pushes for me
Mountain stream.
Rice
To the Japanese, rice, like bread to us, is the "head of everything". It is a source of healthy carbohydrates that do not containsugar free. Japanese people eat various types of rice, but prefer to eat brown rice cooked in sesame oil.
Fish and seafood
Fish dishes are in second place by volume in the daily diet of the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun. The protein structure of fish meat is complete, easy to digest and contains amino acids that are indispensable for a person. However, the Japanese do not eat smoked or salted fish - only fresh sea or fresh water. The fat contained in fish can be melted and will not be stored on your thighs with vile cellulite, but it will provide the body with a complete set of polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Seaweed
Seaweed (aka kelp, brown seaweed) is widely used in Japanese cooking: it is added to rice, fish dishes or soy dishes. Laminaria is a good prevention of thyroid disease, atherosclerosis and heart attacks, rich in iodine, minerals and macronutrients. Also, the inhabitants of the Japanese islands use dried seaweed as a substitute for regular table salt.
Vegetables and nuts
Authentic Japanese cuisine is impossible without vegetables. This is, of course, all kinds of cabbage, radishes, garlic, green onions, cucumbers and tomatoes, eggplant, carrots, bell peppers, peas, asparagus, spinach, celery and all kinds of lettuce.
Sprouts and shoots
A valuable source of nutrients, as sprouts are eaten in a "live" form - that is, their benefits are not killed by heat treatment. In addition, sprouted grains are more useful than "sleeping" grains, since all life processes are activated in them.
Advice: sprouts can be purchased at any major hypermarket, or you can grow your own seeds in your window. Take 2 tablespoons of seeds or grains, put them in a container and fill them with water at room temperature so that the liquid is 6 cm above the surface of the grains. Leave for 7-12 hours, cover the container with gauze. Then drain the water and rinse the beans thoroughly. Sprouts should be kept in the dark, and can be eaten with salads, soups, and as a vegetable substitute for second courses. Just don't make a large stock for future use.
Fruits and berries
Instead of the traditional pastries and sweets for us, Asians eat fruit for dessert. At the same time, it is important to eat fruits and berries in season, that is, no strawberries in winter.
Spices and condiments
Curry, black, red and cayenne pepper, anise, turmeric, garlic, horseradish, fennel, ginger (fresh and pickled), basil, mustard seed, coriander, cinnamon are commonly added to many dishes. But bay leaf, on the other hand, is not used. Salt is also not held in high esteem, instead using dry seaweed powder (as we already mentioned), soy sauce or sesame oil.
Green tea
It is believed that tea has many medicinal properties: strengthens teeth, soothes the soul, treats heart disease, neutralizes toxins and helps to achieve a long life. The basic principle of drinking Japanese tea is: "Drink - share, refill - drink. " The second cup of tea is considered the most valuable (especially if you brew the tea in the cup itself).
Advice: to make the tea fragrant and useful, first rinse the teapot with boiling water and cover it to warm it up. Then rinse the tea leaves with warm water and put them in the teapot at the rate of 1-2 tsp. for a cup of tea, fill the tea leaves with water no hotter than 80°C. First, pour water over a third of the teapot and let it soak for 3-5 minutes. After that, fill it up to half and leave it again, but for 1 minute. Then add as much water as you need for the tea, and let it brew for a minute. The tea is ready.
know (know know)
It is the curd that provides Asian vegetarians with complete protein: 240 g of tofu contains as much protein as 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%, rich in lysine, calcium, iron, vitamins B, E and K. Tofu is an excellent food product and, for all its high nutritional value, curd is very low in calories. It has a littlecarbohydrateand contains 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 recommend eating at least 25 grams of soy protein daily.
Benefits of the Japanese Diet
Many people can't tolerate diets simply because diets severely limit appetite, sometimes limiting what we eat too much. The pleasure of the taste of food is a joy that cannot be left for a long time and without harming well-being or mood. The original Japanese diet consists of delicious dishes made from products that are healthy for the body and low in calories.
Cons of the Japanese Diet
The diet assumes that you have to master some Asian recipes, and also requires certain adaptations. This diet is technically more complicated than other diets, where you only eat a few foods and eat briefly or until you are fed up.
Learning Japanese cooking techniques can be considered another skill in your arsenal, as is the ability to sit on twine - it can be surprising, it can be proud.
So, from the kitchen inventory you need:
- A skillet, or wok for quick frying or boiling;
- Pans with non-stick coating;
- Double boiler (instead of a double boiler, you can put a metal filter in the pan);
- Food processors, mixers;
- Wooden utensils made of beech, cherry or maple for stirring cooked food: wood does not absorb odors and is durable;
- Skewers or wooden skewers.
To cook, you need:
- Different types of rice;
- Noodles;
- Mold;
- Spices and spices;
- Sauces: soy, teriyaki, fish, oysters.
Japanese food products 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 the vegetable dietary fiber in the vegetable composition will give your stomach the necessary saturation, so you will not feel excruciating hunger.
Number of calories on the menuindicated without the addition of sugar or cream to the drink. 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 it). In other words - sweet coffee - reduce the volume of the main meal portion. 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 meals 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 live your day to the fullest (not feeling any distractions), and fitness classes will be energized by burning your own fat reserves.
The Dangers of a Diet That Reduces Calories 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 slower your metabolic rate, making it harder to lose or maintain weight.
The main rules of the Japanese diet
- Don't try to artificially speed up the weight loss process, reduce the number of calories (we wrote about the consequences above). You should lose no more than 1 kg per week.
- Stay in the range of 1200-1400 calories per day. Be sure to supplement with vitamins and minerals.
- Maintain energy balancebetween the energy received and consumed. From food we get calories, with the help of fitness we expend. A violation of this balance, unfortunately, leads to excess weight.
- The key to weight loss in the Japanese diet is variety in foodand small portions, transitioning 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 ratios of specific foods in it.
Tips for effective weight loss on the Japanese diet
- Monitor your physical activity and diet (calorie count). This makes it easier to see progress;
- Strictly adhere to the meal plan and selected portion sizes;
- Don't think of food as "good" or "bad", enjoy the process of eating it;
- If on one day you allow yourself to eat high-calorie foods, be sure to reduce the calorie content of your diet the next day;
- Do aerobic exercise.
You may initially lose more than the recommended kilogram per week. This is due to the loss of fluids in the body. Then weight loss will slow down, but do not despair - this is a completely normal and healthy process of losing weight.
Sample Japanese diet menu for 14 days (table)
| Day | Today's menu | |||
| Breakfast | Have lunch | Snack | lunch dinner) | |
| one |
|
|
Apple. Calories: 80. |
|
| Total daily calorie intake1428 kcal | ||||
| 2 |
|
|
1 cup coffee without sugar. Calories: 5. |
|
| Total daily calorie intake1386 kcal | ||||
| 3 |
|
|
1 cup 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 cup soy milk. Calories: 150. |
|
| Total daily calorie intake1392 kcal | ||||
| eight |
|
|
1 cup vegetable juice. Calories: about 70. |
Calories: 576. |
| Total daily calorie intake1424 kcal | ||||
| 9 |
|
|
120 grams of 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 cup cherries. Calories: 31. |
|
| Total daily calorie intake1430 kcal | ||||
| fourteen |
|
|
10 young carrots. Calories: 38. |
|
| Total daily calorie intake1272 kcal |
If you are a little afraid of the name of the dish (which you most likely have never cooked) - then don't worry, there are recipes for all the dishes that appear in the Japanese diet.
We save the result
You should abandon the diet, gradually increasing the number of calories to a level where you can maintain your body 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 your 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 grams of fish;
- one egg or 2 yolks, or 5-6 protein;
- a glass of milk;
- yogurt - 125 grams;
- a glass of kefir;
- a small piece of bread;
- nuts - 25 g (3-4 tablespoons);
- fresh cabbage - 1 kg;
- fresh cucumbers - 750 g;
- 3-4 large carrots;
- one large potato tuber;
- 590 g tomatoes;
- 625 grams of sauerkraut;
- banana - less than 1 fruit;
- apricots - 210 grams;
- fresh strawberries - 325 g;
- 1 large apple;
- 1 large orange;
- 2 kiwis;
- peaches - 250 grams;
- 4 tangerines;
- prunes - 200 grams;
- 1 grapefruit;
- watermelon - 285 grams;
- 1 large pear;
- melon - 190 grams;
- 15-20 large wines;
- any nuts (2 tablespoons) - 15 g;
- noodles - a palm-sized portion;
- muesli, oatmeal - 1/3 cup;
- porridge on water - 5-6 tbsp. l. per serving.
We wish you success! Good luck!