Why Japanese Live So Long ★ ONLY in JAPAN

THE JAPANESE DIET

I'm no diet expert, but I can tell you that the things Japanese people eat are a lot healthier than the things Americans tend to eat. It's not just their diet in general, though. We can break it up into several parts. If you want to live a long time, avoid heart disease, and feel healthy, perhaps a Japanese style diet is for you. Overall, it's just way healthier. Here's why:

Fish Vs. Red Meats: Japanese people don't eat nearly as much red meat. Red meat has a lot more cholesterol than fish, which causes you in your later years to have a much higher chance for heart disease, heart attack, stroke, and other fun things. In Japan, fish is the primary "meat" to eat, which means not only do they keep their cholesterol lower, but they also get healthy fish oils, too. Now, there's probably something to be said about the nasty stuff that can come with fish (i.e. mercury), but no matter what you eat you're going to be getting something "fun."

Less Milk, Butter, Dairy: Most Japanese people are lactose intolerant. In fact, people who can drink milk after becoming an "adult" are mutants anyways. People aren't really meant to do dairy their whole life. Although non-fat milk is pretty healthy, a lot of people drink 1% and 2% milk. The amount of fat and cholesterol in those is pretty astounding and will kill you slowly. Japanese people don't really do dairy all that much, lactose intolerant or not, which means they avoid all the extra cholesterol.

Rice: Rice is eaten with almost everything and is high in nutrients (there are special rice strains in Japan that have been created to have more nutrients than normal rice, even). It's also low in fat and helps fill you up. Now, to make this even better (for yourself), you should try to mix in some brown rice as well. A lot of people don't like this, but it'll help you get some more whole grains.

Lots of Soy: Tofu, bean sprouts, and so on are awesome for getting you proteins and help reduce heart disease and high blood pressure, a couple of things that kill a lot of Americans. Soy products are really healthy, and an awesome alternative to meats, milks, and other "unhealthy" things.

Tea: Japanese people drink a ton of tea. Americans drink a ton of coffee. While there's something to be said in regards to "everything in moderation," I feel like one cup of tea is going to be better for you than one cup of coffee, especially when we're talking larger amounts. Green / Oolong Tea is full of antioxidants (good for fighting that cancer thing), and apparently helps break up oils in the digestive system, keeping those bowels happy.

Seaweed: Mmm, seaweed. It's full of iodine and other nutrients you don't get as much of anywhere else. So incredibly healthy. Also supposed to help fight against many kinds of cancers, too.

More Vegetables: Vegetables tend to be a big part of every meal, not an afterthought or "oh, I should add a vegetable to this steak dinner" kind of thing. Everyone knows that vegetables are healthy and good for you. What else is there to say?

Smaller Plates: Here's a trick. If you're looking to lose weight, get rid of your big plates. Small plates cause people to eat smaller portions, which causes people to eat less. So many studies have been done on plate size and how much one eats, and there's a surprising correlation between the two. Japanese tend to serve food on smaller plates which means they don't overeat and get fat, which, of course, reduces chance of heart attack, heart disease, stroke, and other ailments.

Calories: According to Greg O'Neill, director of the US National Academy on an Ageing Society, Japanese people eat a third of the calories Americans eat. Now, Japanese people do tend to be smaller, so this kind of makes sense, but on the other hand Americans tend to eat too many calories. Next time you do fast food, look at the calorie counts. It can get pretty ridiculous, sometimes.

What You Can Do: Eating healthier isn't always easy. We get used to what we eat, and making a shift is hard. One of the best things you can do, though, is decrease the amount of red meats you eat. They lead to all kinds of problems later on, and it's pretty easy to avoid. You don't have to stop eating red meat all together, but if you can really decrease the amount your body will thank you. Also, for all you addicted coffee drinkers out there, switch to tea. There's a reason why older people are being forced (by doctors) to quit drinking so much coffee. Tea also has caffeine (I know, not as much, but you'll survive) and is generally just a lot healthier. Drink it every day!