Japanese women hold the world record for healthy life expectancy. What are their secrets ? There are a lot of good habits that can be incorporated into our daily life.

1. Sport to relieve stress

We know it, but we sometimes have trouble applying it in our everyday life. The schedule is full, not easy to add the sport box. Well, you should know, however, that it is undoubtedly a crucial element in the maintenance of good health of our Japanese friends.

Sport, whatever it is, frees us from stress which promotes obesity, the development of certain diseases and the premature aging of the body. Keep it simple the Japanese way: stretch every day to stay young and flexible, walking, cycling, tai chi or meditation (relaxation therapy, yoga, etc.) are excellent.

2. No frying on our plates

Tell me what you eat, I’ll tell you how long you will live! The proverb is certainly revisited but allows us to better understand the consequences of daily food on our body. The Japanese diet, as we know, is balanced is healthy, but what does it actually consist of? How do Japanese women stay slim for so long?

If overweight is responsible for many diseases in Western Europe, know above all that in Japan, no fried food. There we prefer green tea, steamed rice, soup, tofu, new garlic, seaweed, an omelet, a slice of fish. THEFoods immersed and cooked in oil are bad for the body, we must therefore learn to do without it and change the cooking method: steaming or lightly grilled is perfect!

3. Fish and more fish

In Japan, we often eat fish, not to say every day and sometimes several times a day. They are fond of it and consume 10% of the world’s fish stock while they represent only 2% of the panete population. And fish, especially marine fish, is excellent for keeping in shape thanks to its supply of calcium, phosphorus, iron, copper, selenium, and iodine – an essential element for the whole organism.

4. King’s breakfasts

We often talk about the place breakfast should take in our day. In Japan, it’s a reality: breakfast is the most complete meal. Be careful not to binge on white bread, source of gluten, and therefore of sugar !

We favor whole grains (preferably organic), dried fruits (raisins, figs, dates), nuts, a source of calcium and antioxidants (walnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts, plain cashews), eggs, cheese (goat or sheep) and fresh fruit to chew rather than in juice to favor in particular the contribution of fibers essential for good intestinal transit and the health of the digestive system.

5. Say stop to sugar

In Japan, from an early age, children are made aware of the importance of eating little sugar: few sweets, few desserts. Obviously, in France, we are the kings of pastry and viennoiserie and it’s really good! But on the scales and the health check, sugar wreaks havoc and contributes to the development of many diseases like obezitate, diabet, boli cardiovasculare și cancer. 

Are we forgetting the sweet? In Japan, we serve ourselves a small portion of dessert and we do not snack. White bread (a source of gluten and sugar as mentioned above) is replaced by rice that is eaten for breakfast, lunch, as a supplement, support for dishes, etc. Nourishing, sugar-free and fat-free, it helps prevent cravings and 10-hour breaks made from chocolate bars …

Maylis Choné

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