This diet is named after the people who live on the Japanese island of Okinawa. She was also nicknamed the longevity diet considering the good health of the inhabitants of this archipelago even at an advanced age.
Okinawa diet: how it works
The Okinawan diet it has the characteristic of being a high-fiber, low-calorie diet. In particular, it is low in harmful fats, or saturated ones while it is rich in omega-3 fats which are healthy. Red meat, dairy cheeses, and eggs are also eaten sparingly. It is no coincidence that i Japanese are the longest-lived population in the world: women have a life expectancy of 87 years, men 80. According to researchers who have thoroughly studied this diet, this could depend on the lifestyle followed by the Okinawans, in particular their diet. In short, the Okinawan elders they have been taken as a model as an example of a desirable longevity as lived in good health, in which the incidence of cardiovascular and tumor neurodegenerative diseases is minimized. Going into more detail, the secret of this longevity it would consist in consuming large quantities of food but with a low calorie density. In the Okinawan diet, the consumption of legumes, miso, soy, fish in particular, seafood and seaweeds including kombu, nori and hijiki, fruits and vegetables of yellow and orange color is prevalent. The cooking technique also has its importance: the vegetables are cooked with sautéing to make them crispy without the need to add fat. In addition to water, Okinawans drink green tea and jasmine tea as drinks. Cereals, on the other hand, especially those containing gluten, are consumed in moderation. Regarding meat, pork is mainly consumed but always in moderation and only on the occasion of special events. The meats are cooked in broth to further eliminate the fat. Dairy products are consumed raw and are not among the most consumed foods.
Okinawan diet: example of a weekly menu
With this diet it is possible lose up to 5 pounds in one week. This is due to the consumption of healthy foods such as vegetables, brown rice and fish. The daily calorie menu is around 1000 calories per day. Not everyone can follow it, before starting it therefore always ask your doctor or a nutritionist for advice.
Monday
Breakfast: two slices of flax seed or sunflower bread, a soy yogurt, a pear, a cup of green tea.
Snack: juice of apples, carrots and ginger root.
Lunch: mixed salad with tomatoes and cucumbers, a slice of wholemeal bread, green tea or 50 grams of brown rice dressed with courgettes.
Snack: a soy yogurt.
Dinner: vegetable soup, omelette with 2 eggs, a slice of wholemeal bread, green tea.
Tuesday
Breakfast: cereals or muesli (oats, rice or quinoa) and 3 nuts, soy or rice milk, an apple and green tea.
Snack: a yogurt with a teaspoon of honey
Lunch: carrot, radish and cucumber salad with sesame and soy sauce or steamed salmon and 30 grams of brown rice; an orange; green tea.
Snack: fruit salad with lemon juice.
Dinner: a steamed potato, a slice of roast pork and lentils, green tea.
Wednesday
Breakfast: 2 rice cakes, a soy yogurt, green tea.
Snack: a juice of apples, carrots and ginger root.
Lunch: pan-fried vegetables of your choice (broccoli, peas, green beans, carrots, red peppers) and a steamed salmon fillet, a slice of wholemeal bread, green tea.
Snack: a soy yogurt.
Dinner: mixed vegetable soup, pan-fried peppers and brown rice, a slice of wholemeal bread, a quarter of fresh pineapple, green tea.
Thursday
Breakfast: fruit smoothie to taste, two puffed rice cakes, green tea.
Snack: a yogurt with a teaspoon of honey
Lunch: mixed salad (with brown rice, tomatoes, cucumbers), a slice of wholemeal bread, cod curry, green tea.
Snack: fruit salad with lemon juice.
Dinner: legume soup, a slice of grilled chicken breast, mixed salad, a slice of wholemeal bread, green tea or wholemeal spaghetti with pan-fried tofu (or shrimp), half mango, Jasmine tea.
Friday
Breakfast: two rice cakes, an apple or a pear, green tea or 2 carrot and 2 apple muffins and green tea.
Snack: juice of apples, carrots and ginger root.
Lunch: Mixed salad (with rice, grated carrots, cucumber, green salad, radishes), a slice of wholemeal bread, green tea.
Snack: a soy yogurt.
Dinner: pan-fried sesame tofu, steamed cod, a slice of wholemeal bread and green tea.
Saturday
Breakfast: cereals or muesli (oats, quinoa or buckwheat), plant milk or soy milk, 1 apple, green tea and 3 nuts.
Snack: a yogurt with a teaspoon of honey
Lunch: Brown rice and grated carrot salad, curried cod, a slice of wholemeal bread, green tea.
Snack: fruit salad with lemon juice
Dinner: omelette potatoes or carrots and quinoa, a slice of wholemeal bread, a quarter of pineapple, green tea or jasmine.
Sunday
Breakfast: two slices of flax seed or sunflower bread, a soy yogurt, half a grapefruit.
Snack: juice of apples, carrots and ginger root.
Lunch: Baked sea bass with fennel seeds, brown rice, green tea.
Snack: a soy yogurt.
Dinner: tomato and celery salad, pilaf rice, a slice of wholemeal bread, a soy yogurt, green tea.