Okinawa Diet For Health And Longevity - Essence, Pros And Cons

Okinawa is the largest island off the coast of Japan between East China and the Philippine Seas.

It belongs to one of the five regions of the world known as the "blue zones". People there live extremely long and healthy lives compared to the rest of the world's population. Life expectancy is explained by some genetic and environmental factors, but experts believe that one of the strongest influences is diet.

Let's take a look at what the Okinawa diet is , what its pros and cons are.

What is a diet?

In general, the diet consists of reduced calorie and fat intake, while containing many carbohydrates.

The main focus is on vegetables and soy products, along with small amounts of noodles, rice, pork and fish.

In recent years, the lifestyle has changed the diet in part and now, still low in calories and mostly carbohydrates, increased doses of protein and fat.

Here's what the macronutrient ratio looks like before and now:

In addition, in the culture of Okinawa, food is considered a medicine, so very often include various herbs and spices that have proven health benefits.

The main emphasis is on a healthy lifestyle and daily physical activity.

How does the diet work and what foods to eat?

Most of the carbohydrates in the diet are from vegetables, and a small portion of grains or seeds and without any amount of refined sugar. There is only a little red meat. Fish is consumed in moderation, and alcohol is not recommended.

Unlike many other Japanese, those in Okinawa consume very little rice, but the main source of carbohydrates are sweet potatoes, whole grains, legumes and high-fiber vegetables. The menu looks like this:

• vegetables (58-60%) - sweet potatoes, seaweed, bamboo, radishes, bitter melon, cabbage, carrots, Chinese okra, pumpkin, papaya.
• cereals (33%) - millet, wheat, rice, noodles.
• soy foods (5%) - tofu, miso, edamame.
• meat and seafood (1-2%) - most often white fish, seafood, grazing pork - all parts, including organs.
• others (1%) - alcohol, tea, spices, broths.

In general, you can eat all kinds of vegetables, which should take up about 60% of your portion, cereals should be about 30%, and the rest distributed among meat, seafood and beverages.

Foods to avoid

The diet is very restrictive compared to the food we eat in the modern way of life.

Due to the relative isolation of the island's geographical orientation, there was not much variety of food.

For this reason, if you decide to follow the recipe, you will have to limit a lot of products:

• meat - beef, chicken and processed products such as bacon, sausages, salami, ham and others.
• animal products - eggs, dairy products (fresh and yogurt, butter, cheese).
• processed foods - cereals, cereals, oil, chips, waffles, etc.
• legumes - most legumes except soybeans.
• other foods - fruits, nuts and seeds.

In the modern version, some lower-calorie fruits are allowed, but nuts and seeds are not.

Health benefits of diet

Okinawa diet has a number of health benefits due to its high content of antioxidants and high quality nutritious foods.

As it became clear at the beginning of the article, the people of Okinawa enjoy longevity, in fact there are the most centenarians there.

Proponents of the diet claim that it provides a long life, but there is no scientific research to confirm this thesis. Of course, foods rich in antioxidants support overall health, but our cells are exposed to various stresses caused by lifestyle, unlike Okinawans. The traditional diet offers a huge amount of foods that have anti-inflammatory properties, and low-calorie products can also promote longevity. Animal studies show that a diet that restricts protein but is low in calories and high in carbohydrates prolongs life compared to a high protein diet.

However, a number of studies are still needed to confirm or rule out the link between diet and human longevity.

People in Okinawa not only live long lives, but also suffer from fewer chronic diseases, such as cancer and diabetes.

Diet certainly plays an important role, as they eat mainly products rich in fiber and anti-inflammatory compounds. Excluding refined sugar and saturated fats is also important.

The main source of carbohydrates for them are sweet potatoes, the benefits of which read here.

Potential disadvantages

Although diet has many benefits, there are some disadvantages.

The diet contains many exotic products, which suggests that you may enter a state of insufficient nutrient intake. However, some foods can be found freely on the market.

Excluding nuts, fruits and dairy products can do a lot of damage to the body if they are not replaced with the right alternatives, which brings us back to the beginning - exotic products are hard to find.

Is the Okinawa diet right for you?

The island's lifestyle makes it easier to follow a diet, while in the modern world it will be harder to eat that way in the long run.

However, these principles can be applied in everyday life, but it is good to have a conversation with a nutritionist to help you adjust the diet to your needs.