The author Kaki Okumura struggled with obesity for a long time. In Japan she discovered the secret of The secret lies in her special attitude to food. We reveal four Japanese wisdom for fitness and health.
The author Kaki Okumura suffered from being overweight in her youth. She wondered why people in her home country of Japan live so fit and healthy lives. She answers this question in her book “Wa: The Art of Balance.”
Little obesity: people in Japan live so healthily
Kaki Okumura originally comes from Japan. The country is known for its residents’ healthy lifestyle and low obesity rate. However, until she was 12, she lived in the United States, where many people struggle with obesity.
The author tried numerous diets but unfortunately she was unable to achieve long-term results. It wasn’t until she moved to Japan that she managed to lose weight successfully.
Simple routines keep people in Japan fit
Kaki Okumura long thought that people in Japan were so healthy because there was no fast food there. She discovered that there are also unhealthy snacks and sweets in Japan and that the Japanese enjoy them regularly.
The secret of the Japanese’s healthy lifestyle lies elsewhere. In her book “Wa: The Art of Balance” the author explains the simple routines people in Japan use to stay fit and healthy.
1. Moderation – do not overdo it when eating
Many tourists are surprised by the small portions in Japan. But it is precisely these small portions that are one of the main reasons why many Japanese can eat unhealthy meals without having to fight the calories with strict diets.
If you eat in moderation, you can eat a piece of birthday cake without feeling guilty. This attitude without prohibitions leads to a better relationship with food.
Kaki Okumura realized that a sustainably healthy diet depends less on self-discipline and more on enjoying delicious dishes in appropriate portions.
2. Variety in food
In Japanese restaurants you often get a dish that consists of rice, miso soup, a source of protein and various vegetable side dishes. All components are served separately in small bowls. The selection of dishes ranges from grilled fish and steamed spinach to fried chicken and salad.
The key point is not the particular dish itself, but rather the variety of dishes served together in a single meal.
This allows people to absorb a wide range of nutrients without eating too much of a particular component. Carbohydrates, fats, fiber and protein – all of these important nutrients are present in a meal without having to think deeply about how to balance them.
3. Simplicity in the kitchen
Kaki Okumura noted that in the United States, vegetables are often viewed as a kind of necessary evil. In Japan, however, vegetables are considered delicious. Vegetable dishes there are usually only lightly seasoned, often steamed or even served raw, such as the finely chopped cabbage that is often served with tonkatsu, the Japanese pork chop.
She realized that the ingredients used in cooking are already delicious in their own right, and various flavors of fats and sugars are not necessary to drown out the taste.
Eating vegetables in their pure form is healthier and those who appreciate the taste of vegetables automatically eat more of them.
4. Self-compassion
Many people feel bad when they eat too much or unhealthy food. Feelings of guilt, shame or a feeling of weak will make the relationship with food worse.
In such moments, Kaki Okumura was helped by the Japanese expression “kuchisabishii,” which can literally be translated as “lonely mouth.”
This term refers to accidentally snacking or eating out of boredom. In contrast to the term “binge eating”, “lonely mouth” is less critical and judgmental and allows such experiences to be viewed as human and forgiving moments.
Kaki Okumura learned from her time in Japan that losing weight is about finding balance. Not only is food fuel, it is also a central part of culture and should not be demonized when it comes to losing weight.